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Doing Real Research: A Practical Guide to Social Research
Challenging the formality and idealized settings of conventional methods teaching and opting instead for a real world approach to social research, this book offers frank, practical advice designed to empower students and researchers alike. Theoretically robust and with an exhaustive coverage of key methodologies and methods the title establishes the cornerstones of social research. Examples reflect research conducted inside and outside formal university settings and range from the extremes of war torn countries to the complexities of school classrooms.
Supported by a wealth of learning features and tools the textbook and website
Supported by a wealth of learning features and tools the textbook and website
400 pages, Hardcover
Published April 18, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 2, 2019
NB: This should be a 4.5 star review, but that's not an option on Goodreads.
Most methods textbooks are at least two things. First, they're dry and painful to read; second, they're arbitrarily dumped - cut and dry - into the world of either "qualitative" or "quantitative" research, as though the two are someone neatly divisible from each other. Jensen & Laurie's volume is standout because it doesn't fall victim to either of those problems.
(Fair disclosure: I know Eric Jensen quite well as a colleague and research collaborator. I've attempted to not let this colour my review of the text, but worth noting.)
In "Doing Real Research," Jensen & Laurie set out to provide a guide to both qualitative and quantitative research. Even more importantly, they also do away with the trope of "research" and "evaluation" as being different things, instead teaching them as interrelated concepts with cross-applicable skills.
The material throughout the text is highly readable and engaging. Sections on survey research, interviews, and more are all very usable and approachable for undergrads, grad students, and practitioners alike. I will likely assign this book as an optional textbook for my methods classes going forward for students who want a more traditional hard copy resource.
The only qualms I have with the textbook come in the later sections and are relatively minor. First, the material on coding largely skips over (a) codebook creation and (b) inductive vs. deductive approaches to coding. These are pretty essential parts of the process, and their absence makes those textbook portions less useful. Second, some of the later chapters spend - in my view - too much time showing readers how to use particular pieces of software (NVivo, SPSS, and Word) and teach it in too rote a fashion. Instead of walking folks through from a 'why' and 'how to figure it out in any software' perspective, it's a little more prescriptive (e.g., here's where you click!). This results in the textbook feeling a little dated already, and likely to become less and less relevant over time.
That said, this is certainly the best textbook I've seen to this point on research and evaluation methods. If you're looking for a resource to either teach you or for quick reference, I'd highly recommend this one.
Most methods textbooks are at least two things. First, they're dry and painful to read; second, they're arbitrarily dumped - cut and dry - into the world of either "qualitative" or "quantitative" research, as though the two are someone neatly divisible from each other. Jensen & Laurie's volume is standout because it doesn't fall victim to either of those problems.
(Fair disclosure: I know Eric Jensen quite well as a colleague and research collaborator. I've attempted to not let this colour my review of the text, but worth noting.)
In "Doing Real Research," Jensen & Laurie set out to provide a guide to both qualitative and quantitative research. Even more importantly, they also do away with the trope of "research" and "evaluation" as being different things, instead teaching them as interrelated concepts with cross-applicable skills.
The material throughout the text is highly readable and engaging. Sections on survey research, interviews, and more are all very usable and approachable for undergrads, grad students, and practitioners alike. I will likely assign this book as an optional textbook for my methods classes going forward for students who want a more traditional hard copy resource.
The only qualms I have with the textbook come in the later sections and are relatively minor. First, the material on coding largely skips over (a) codebook creation and (b) inductive vs. deductive approaches to coding. These are pretty essential parts of the process, and their absence makes those textbook portions less useful. Second, some of the later chapters spend - in my view - too much time showing readers how to use particular pieces of software (NVivo, SPSS, and Word) and teach it in too rote a fashion. Instead of walking folks through from a 'why' and 'how to figure it out in any software' perspective, it's a little more prescriptive (e.g., here's where you click!). This results in the textbook feeling a little dated already, and likely to become less and less relevant over time.
That said, this is certainly the best textbook I've seen to this point on research and evaluation methods. If you're looking for a resource to either teach you or for quick reference, I'd highly recommend this one.
April 16, 2019
Good resource for advanced undergraduate or masters students in the social sciences and public health.
November 11, 2019
I read this one for my research writing. Highly recommended for someone, who is writing her/his very first research paper.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews