Real World Research/ a Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers Robson,Colin

PART I Before You Start
1 Real World Enquiry
Focusing on the Real World
Studying Cases
Can All This BcrSafely Skipped?
Evaluation and Change
The Audience for this Book
A Word to Psychologists - Aspiring and Actual
A Word to Others with a Social Science Background
A Word to Those without a Social Science Background
Returning to the Real World
Further Reading
2 Developing a Proposal
Models of the Research Process
Deciding on the Focus
Deciding on the Research Question{s)
Developing the Research Question(s)
Research Questions and Hypotheses
Ethical Considerations
Further Reading
Part II Designing the Enquiry
3 General Design Issues
Getting a Feel for Design Issues
Choosing a Research Strategy - Overview
^Experimental Methodology
^Survey Methodology
._^,Gase Study Methodology
Treating Other Enquiries as Case Studies
Implications of Taking Case Study Seriously
Feminist Research and Sexism
Establishing Trustworthiness
Further Reading
4 Experimental Design Outside the Laboratory
Introduction
^Experimentation and Causality
Laboratory Experiments and the Real World
Field Experiments
True Experimental Designs
Quasi-experimentation
Single-subject Experimental Designs
Passive Experimentation
Further Reading
/
5 Designing Small Surveys ^
Introduction
What is t Survey?
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Survey
Why Carry Out a Survey?
Formal Designs for Surveys
Practicalities of Design
Sampling in Surveys - and Elsewhere
Probability Samples
Non-probability Samples
Representative Sampling and the Real World
Sampling and the Other Research Strategies
Further Reading ^
6 Designing Case Studies
Introduction
Developing a Conceptual Framework
Developing a Set of Research Questions in a Case Study
Developing a Sampling Strategy
Selection of Data Collection Techniques
Types of Case Study
Requirements from the Investigator
Research Strategies and Real Life
Further Reading
Choosing a Research Strategy Summary
7 Designing Evaluations
Evaluation - a Purpose, not a Strategy
The Importance of Evaluation
A Note on Possible Subjects for an Evaluation
Defining Evaluation
Differing Approaches
Purposes of Evaluation
Carrying Out an Evaluation
The Politics of Evaluation
Needs Assessment
Evaluation and Enquiry
Further Reading
PART ni Tactics - the Methods of Data Collection
Selecting the Method(s) — Overview
8 Observational Methods
Introduction
Advantages and Disadvantages of Observation
Observation in Enquiry
Approaches to Observation
Participant Observation
Getting Started
Observational Biases
Structured Observation
Observer Effects
Deciding on a Coding Scheme
Coding Sequences of Behaviour
Reliability and Structured Observation
Further Reading
9 Interviews and Questionnaires
Introduction
Interviews
Advantages and Disadvantages of Interviews
Types and Styles of Interviews
General Advice for Interviewers
Content of the Interview
Carrying out Structured Interviews
Carrying out Semi-structured Interviews
Focused Interviews
Other Approaches to Interviewing
Self-completed Questionnaires
The Coding of Responses
Diaries
Scales and Tests
Further Reading
10 Unobtrusive Measures and Other Approaches
Introduction
Trace Measures
Using Documents
Using Data Archives
Brief Review of Additional Approaches
Using Multiple Methods
Further reading
Arranging the Practicalities
PART rV Dealing with the Data
The Qualitative/Quantitative Debate
Collecting the Data
Analysing and Interpreting the Data
Preparing for Analysis
11 The Analysis of Quantitative Data
Introduction
Creating a Data Set /
Exploring the Data Set
Exploring Relationships between Two Variables
Exploring Relationships among Three or More Variables
Exploring Differences
Quantitative Analysis and the Research Strategies
(Experiment, Survey and Case Study)
Further reading
12 The Analysis of Qualitative Data
Introduction
Types of Qualitative Analysis
Approaches to Analysis
General Strategies for Analysis
Carrying out Analysis during Data Collection
Filing and Storage Systems
Analysis on Completion of Data Collection
Drawing Conclusions from Qualitative Data
Establishing the Trustworthiness of Enquiry Based
on Qualitative Data
Further Reading
PART V Making an Impact
13 Reporting on the Enquiry
Introduction
Reporting What You Have Found