Graduate Research

Offering a variety of innovative methods and tools, The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date presentation on multi- and mixed-methods research available. Written in clear and concise language by leading scholars in the field, it enhances and disrupts traditional ways of asking and addressing complex research questions. Topics include an overview of theory, paradigms, and scientific inquiry; a guide to conducting a multi- and mixed-methods research study from start to finish; current uses of multi- and mixed-methods research across academic disciplines and research fields; the latest technologies and how they can be incorporated into study design; and a presentation of multiple perspectives on the key remaining debates. Each chapter in the volume is structured to include state-of-the-art research examples that cross a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary research settings. In addition, the Handbook offers multiple quantitative and qualitative theoretical and interdisciplinary visions and praxis. Researchers, faculty, graduate students, and policy makers will appreciate the exceptional, timely, and critical coverage in this Handbook, which deftly addresses the interdisciplinary and complex questions that a diverse set of research communities are facing today.

Surveying the differing viewpoints and disciplinary approaches to using mixed methods, this volume helps readers explore the answers to a wide range of key questions in the field, including "Can using mixed methods offset the disadvantages that certain methods have by themselves?" "What criteria can a researcher use to select the best mixed methods design for his or her project?" and "What are the points of agreement and controversy regarding design issues in mixed methods research?" This breakthrough Second Edition, containing all new chapters, examines all aspects of mixed methods research across a variety of disciplines.Key Features- Covers all aspects of inquiry from conceptualizing research to selecting methods, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings. Draws on the work of a mix of internationally recognized researchers as well as new and emerging researchers to provide a diversity of perspectives. Gives specific examples from a wide range of disciplines to help readers understand the issues and controversies in this evolving area. Presents rich material for discussion and new ideas for implementing mixed methods research to provide readers with a cutting-edge resource. Provides pedagogical tools such as learning objectives, discussion questions and exercises, and extensive cross referencing

The bestselling guide to qualitative research, updated and expanded Qualitative Research is the essential guide to understanding, designing, conducting, and presenting a qualitative research study. This fourth edition features new material covering mixed methods, action research, arts-based research, online data sources, and the latest in data analysis, including data analysis software packages as well as narrative and poetic analysis strategies. A new section offers multiple ways of presenting qualitative research findings. The reader-friendly, jargon-free style makes this book accessible to both novice and experienced researchers, emphasizing the role of a theoretical framework in designing a study while providing practical guidance. Qualitative research reaches beyond the what, where, and when of quantitative analysis to investigate the why and how behind human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior, but this presents a number of significant challenges. This guide is an invaluable reference for students and practitioners alike, providing the deep understanding that this sometimes difficult area of research requires to produce accurate results. The book contains a step-by-step guide to analyzing qualitative data and an addendum for graduate students with a template for a thesis, dissertation, or grant application. Build a strong foundation in qualitative research theory and application Design and implement effective qualitative research studies Communicate findings more successfully with clear presentation Explore data sources, data analysis tools, and the different types of research

Winner of the 2018 Textbook & Academic Authors Association's The McGuffey Longevity Award In the revised Fourth Edition of the best-selling text, John W. Creswell and new co-author Cheryl N. Poth explore the philosophical underpinnings, history, and key elements of five qualitative inquiry approaches: narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. Preserving Creswell's signature writing style, the authors compare the approaches and relate research designs to each of the traditions of inquiry in a highly accessible manner.

This thorough revision of Babbie's standard-setting book for the course (known as the "Bible of social research methods") offers students a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to the field of research methods as practiced by sociologists and other social scientists. Emphasizing the importance of the research process, the book shows students how social scientists design research studies, introduces the variety of observation modes used by sociologists, and covers the "how-to's" and "whys" of social research methods. Students learn how to conduct various types of research, when it is appropriate to use each method, and how to analyze qualitative and quantitative data. The 11th edition provides students with the necessary tools for understanding social research methods and for applying these concepts both inside and outside the classroom--as researchers and as consumers of research.

Survey Research Methods presents the very latest methodological knowledge on surveys. Author Floyd Fowler provides students and researchers who want to collect, analyze, or read about survey data with a sound basis for evaluating how each aspect of a survey can affect its precision, accuracy, and credibility. The Fourth Edition has been updated in four primary ways: it much more prominently addresses the growth of the Internet for data collection and the subsequent rapid expansion of online survey usage; it addresses the precipitous drop in response rates for telephone surveys, particularly those based on random-digit dialing; it offers new and expanded coverage monitoring the continued improvement in techniques for presurvey evaluation of questions; and it addresses the growing role of individual cell phone in addition - and often instead of - household landlines. Two new chapters, "The Nature of Error in Surveys" and "Issues in Analyzing Survey Data," further emphasize the importance of minimizing nonsampling errors through superior question design, quality interviewing, and high response rates.

This is a concise introduction to the richness and scope of interviewing in social science research, teaching the craft of interview research with practical, hands-on guidance.  Incorporating discussion of the wide variety of methods in interview-based research and the different approaches to reading the data, this book will help you to navigate the broad field of qualitative research with confidence and get out there and start collecting your data.

The Third Edition of this bestselling resource provides clear, step-by-step guidance for new and experienced interviewers to help them develop, shape, and reflect on interviewing as a qualitative research process. While proposing a phenomenological approach to in-depth interviewing, the author also includes principles and methods that can be adapted to a range of interviewing approaches. Using concrete examples of interviewing techniques to illustrate the issues under discussion, this classic text helps readers to understand the complexities of interviewing and its connections to broader issues of qualitative research. Equally popular for individual and classroom use, the new Third Edition of Interviewing as Qualitative Researchfeatures: an introduction to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process in its historical context, including an expanded discussion of informed consent and its complexities; apecial attention to the rights of participants in interview research as those rights interact with ethical issues; and updated references and suggestions for additional reading for a deeper consideration of methodological, ethical, and philosophical issues, including relevant Internet resources.

In his provocative new book, Robert Alford proposes that the starting point for any researcher in the process and craft of inquiry should begin with an understanding of how to translate elements of his/her own history, personal experience, and issues which can then be formulated into researchquestions. He presents three basic explanatory approaches to sociology -- multivariate, interpretive, and historical -- and strives to illustrate the artistic, rather than formulaic, side of research design, presenting several ways that research questions can be framed.