Acknowledgments xiv Preface xv Why a resource for users of social research methods in applied settings? xvii Ways of using the book xviii The main steps in carrying out a project xx The readership for this book xxi About the companion website xxiv Part I Setting the Scene 1 Keeping a project diary 2 Chapter 1 What is real-world research? 5 What is real-world research? 5 Leaving the laboratory 7 Research evidence and real-world experience 8 Evaluation and change 8 Participation and collaboration 9 Ethical and political issues 10 Returning to the real world 10 Why do research in the real world? 12 Website examples 13 Beginning the journey 14 Chapter 2 Approaches to social research 18 What is science? 20 Postmodernism and extreme relativist approaches 22 The two traditions: Quantitative and qualitative social research 23 The quantitative paradigm 26 The qualitative paradigm 29 Paradigms and research questions 31 A pragmatic approach 33 Mixed research designs 35 Realism and real-world research 35 Working in open systems 42 The purposes of research 44 Practical value of the theoretical material covered in the chapter 46 Part II Planning: Selecting a Strategy 55 Chapter 3 Developing your ideas 57 Design matters 57 Deciding on the focus of a project 60 Searching and reviewing the literature 65 Research questions 73 Developing your research question(s) 78 The place of theory 81 Chapter 4 General design issues 92 A framework for research design 93 Getting a feel for design issues 96 Choosing a research design strategy 97 Establishing trustworthiness 103 Chapter 5 Desk-based research 106 Types of desk-based research 107 Doing a literature review as a desk-based project 116 The main steps to take in carrying out a literature review as a desk-based project 117 Doing a systematic review 121 Doing a realist review 126 In summary 129 Chapter 6 Fixed designs 135 General features of fixed designs 137 Establishing trustworthiness in fixed-design research 139 True experiments 158 Quasi-experiments 163 Single-case experiments 172 Non-experimental fixed designs 178 Sample size in fixed designs 183 Chapter 7 Flexible designs 190 General features of flexible designs 191 Research traditions in qualitative research 194 Case studies 195 Ethnographic studies 201 Grounded theory 206 Other approaches 210 Sampling in flexible designs 210 Establishing trustworthiness in flexible-design research 213 Chapter 8 Mixed designs 223 The quantitative–qualitative incompatibility thesis 224 The mixed‐ methods movement 225 Types of mixed designs 226 Designing and carrying out mixed‐ design research 229 Pragmatism, realism or ‘anything goes’? 232 Dealing with discrepancies in findings 233 Concluding comments 235 Chapter 9 Designs for particular purposes: Evaluation, action, participation and change 239 Evaluation 240 Action research 255 Intervention and change 259 Researchers and practitioners 260 Chapter 10 Ethical and political considerations 268 Ethical codes and guidelines 271 Ethical issues 273 Researcher safety and risk 285 Working with vulnerable groups 287 General ethical responsibilities 295 Ethical review boards and committees 298 Politics and real-world research 302 Sexism, racism, and social research 307 Part III Tactics: the Methods of Data Collection 319 Selecting the method(s) 320 Chapter 11 Surveys and questionnaires 323 The ubiquity of surveys 324 Designing surveys 325 Carrying out a sample survey 337 Designing and using a questionnaire 339 Diaries 355 Sampling in surveys and elsewhere 358 Probability samples 359 Non-probability samples 362 Chapter 12 Interviews and focus groups 371 Types and styles of interviews 372 General advice for interviewers 374 Content of the interview 376 Carrying out different types of interviews 378 Focus groups 387 Dealing with interview data 394 Skills in interviewing 395 Chapter 13 Tests and scales 400 Measurement scales 401 Other scaling techniques 409 Using the existing tests and scales 410 Developing your own test 411 Chapter 14 Observational methods 415 The advantages of observation 416 The disadvantages of observation 417 Observation in real-world research 417 Approaches to observation 418 Participant observation 420 Getting started as a participant observer 423 Structured observation 429 Deciding on a coding scheme 432 The use of existing coding schemes 432 Developing your own scheme 434 Reliability and structured observation 435 Chapter 15 Additional methods of data collection 443 Unobtrusive measures 444 Content analysis of documents 446 Secondary data analysis 456 Introduction to a range of more specialist techniques 459 Internet-based research 460 Feminist research methods 465 Using multiple methods 466 Part IV Carrying Out the Project 471 Arranging the practicalities 471 Part V Dealing with the Data 481 Collecting the data 481 Analysing and interpreting data 483 Realist analysis and interpretation 484 Preparing for analysis 485 Analysis or interpretation? 486 Quantitative and qualitative data and their integration into mixed designs 487 Chapter 16 Writing a project proposal 489 How to recognize a good proposal 490 The content of a research proposal 491 The problem of pre-specifying flexible design studies 496 Shortcomings of unsuccessful proposals 497 Sources of funding 498 Chapter 17 The analysis and interpretation of quantitative data 502 Some assumptions 503 Organization of the chapter 504 Creating a dataset 504 Starting data analysis 507 Exploring the dataset 510 Summary or descriptive statistics 512 Exploring relationships between two variables 520 Exploring relationships among three or more variables 527 Analysing differences 533 Quantitative analysis and different fixed-design research strategies 548 The ‘new statistics’ 554 Chapter 18 The analysis and interpretation of qualitative data 564 Two assumptions 565 Types of qualitative analysis 565 Using the computer for qualitative data analysis 569 Dealing with the quantity of qualitative data 572 Thematic coding analysis 573 Data analysis in grounded theory studies 587 Alternative approaches to qualitative analysis 591 Integrating qualitative and quantitative data in mixed designs 591 Chapter 19 Reporting, disseminating, and moving forward 598 Ethics and reporting 600 Reporting on fixed-design research 602 The scientific journal format 603 Reporting on flexible-design studies 604 Reporting on mixed-design studies 607 Reporting on case studies 607 Reporting on literature reviews 608 Writing for non-academic audiences: The technical report 608 Alternative forms of presentation 612 Writing skills 614 Where next? 618 Appendix A: Using specialist software for quantitative analysis 623 Using Excel with Analyse-it 623 SOFA statistics 623 Using SPSS 625 Acquiring skills in using SPSS 625 Other statistical packages 625 Appendix B: Using specialist software for qualitative analysis 627 Name index 628 Subject index 648

Provides students and practitioner alike with clear and systematic guidance on performing social research in applied settings Real World Research supplies the multidisciplinary skills necessary to conduct social research projects inside and outside of the classroom or the workplace. Offering well-balanced coverage of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, this highly practical resource incorporates approaches from different social science disciplines to help readers find answers to real-life research questions in healthcare, education, business and management, and in many other public and private settings. Detailed yet accessible chapters include step-by-step advice for developing a research question, choosing a research design strategy, collecting and analyzing the data, interpreting and reporting the results, and more. The fifth edition contains timely coverage of contemporary methodologies, key ethical issues, and ongoing debates within the field of social research. New and expanded sections address topics such as evidence‐based approaches to social research, ethical considerations when conducting research involving people, carrying out projects based solely on existing research, and the importance and implications of internet-based research. Featuring a wealth of up-to-date examples drawn from a wide range of disciplines, this classic textbook: Focuses on useful real-world research in applied settings such as homes, schools, businesses, and other workplaces Provides a concise overview and a well-defined example of each main step of the research process Highlights the importance of collaboration, cooperation, and active participation in social research Explains flexible research designs using largely qualitative methods, including additional coverage of ethnographic and grounded theory approaches Includes an extensive companion website with numerous research examples, links to journal articles, PowerPoint slides, and many other additional resources Real World Research, Fifth Edition, remains essential reading for those tasked with developing, performing, and reporting the findings of a research project, including students, academics and educators, social scientists, health practitioners, and professionals in a diverse range of fields.