Spickard J.V. Research Basics: Design to Data Analysis in Six Steps

Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2016. — 424 p. — ISBN: 978-1483387215.Research Basics: Design to Data Analysis in Six Steps offers a fresh and creative approach to the research process based on author James V. Spickard’s decades of teaching experience. Using an intuitive six-step model, readers learn how to craft a research question and then identify a logical process for answering it. Conversational writing and multi-disciplinary examples illuminate the model’s simplicity and power, effectively connecting the “hows” and “whys” behind social science research. Students using this book will learn how to turn their research questions into results.The Six Steps
Step 1: Develop a Good Research Question
Step 2: Choose a Logical Structure for Your Research
Step 3: Identify the Type of Data You Need
Step 4: Pick a Data Collection Method
Step 5: Choose Your Data Collection Site
Step 6: Pick a Data Analysis Method
Collecting and Analyzing Different Types of Data
Comparing: Economic, Demographic, and Organizational Data
Surveying: Shallow Opinions, Identities, and Reports of Acts
Interviewing: Deep Talk to Gather Several Types of Data
Scales: Looking for Underlying Traits
Recording Behavior: Acts and Reports of Acts
Finding Hidden Social Patterns: In Life, Texts, and Popular Culture
Ethnography: Exploring Cultural and Social Scenes
Extended Example: Counting the Homeless
Research Guides and Handouts