Researchers Bible
()
About this ebook
A short introduction to the major concepts and approaches used in the social sciences, especially in sociology, anthropology, and leisure, recreation, and tourism. It's an ideal supplement to a more detailed text on research methods, as a guide to help choose which research methods to use in a study, and an explanation of different options for company owners and managers of organizations who might want to do research or hire a research company to conduct a study for them.
The chapters cover these topics:
- What is research and how it differs from program evaluation
- Choosing a research topic
- The contribution of different disciplines to the social sciences
- Different research approaches in social science research
- Using observation in social research
- Using qualitative and quantitative research methods
- The main characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of different sampling methods
- The main techniques for analyzing surveys and their advantages, and disadvantages
- The major statistical concepts
- The major data analysis techniques
- The easiest method for social research
Gini Graham Scott
Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D., J.D. is an internationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and workshop leader, who has published over 50 books with major publishers dealing with social trends, lifestyles, criminal justice, work, and professional and personal development. She does workshops on finding publishers, agents, and getting published, and works with clients as a ghostwriter, co-writer, and consultant. She helps writers and filmmakers find publishers, agents, film producers, and distributors through her company Publishers, Agents and Films (http://www.publishersagentsandfilms.com). She is also an indie filmmaker, who has written and produced over 60 short videos, and has a feature film: SUICIDE PARTY: SAVE DAVE being released in 2015. Her Websites are http://www.ginigrahamscott.com, http://www.changemakerspublishandwriting.com and www.changemakersproductions.com. Videos are at www.youtube.com/changemakersprod.
Related to Researchers Bible
Related ebooks
Qualitative Research:: Intelligence for College Students Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Researcher's Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Research Methodology: An Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMethods of Research: Simple, Short, And Straightforward Way Of Learning Methods Of Research Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Social Research Methods. A Complete Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Methods That Matter: Integrating Mixed Methods for More Effective Social Science Research Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Critical Thinking: Tools for Evaluating Research Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsResearch & the Analysis of Research Hypotheses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Successfully Deal with Your Dissertation Data Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQualitative Research A Complete Guide - 2020 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQualitative research Third Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIntroduction to Data Analysis in Qualitative Research Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExcellent Research Methods Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSURVEY & QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN: Collecting Primary Data to Answer Research Questions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Qualitative Research for Beginners: From Theory to Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Modern Research Design: The Best Approach To Qualitative And Quantitative Data Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsData Analysis in Qualitative Research: Theorizing with Abductive Analysis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsResearch design Second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMethods of Social Research, 4th Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Qualitative Analysis and Documentary Method: In International Educational Research Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDissertation Completion Strategies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quantitative research A Clear and Concise Reference Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Your First Research Paper Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Scholarly Writing Process: Short Guides, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe PhD Journey: Strategies for Enrolling, Thriving, and Excelling in a PhD Program Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Write an Exceptional Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide from Proposal to Successful Defense Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basic Research Strategies: A Guidebook for Stressed Thesis and Dissertation Writers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Get it Done Faster: Secrets of Dissertation Success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Social Science For You
The Art of Witty Banter: Be Clever, Quick, & Magnetic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All About Love: New Visions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Men Explain Things to Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dumbing Us Down - 25th Anniversary Edition: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A People's History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The January 6th Report Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (Oprah's Book Club Selection) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us about How and When This Crisis Will End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Close Encounters with Addiction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Human Condition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denial of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Whale / A Bright New Boise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Researchers Bible
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Researchers Bible - Gini Graham Scott
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gini Graham Scott has published over 50 books, focusing on social trends using a number of research methods, from in-depth interviews and participant observation to surveys and secondary research. Some of these books include:
- The Very Next New Thing (ABC-Clio 2011)
- Playing the Lying Game (ABC-Clio 2010)
- The Talk Show Revolution (ASJA Press 2008, previously published as Can We Talk?: The Power and Influence of Talk Shows, Plenum 1996),
- The Privacy Revolution (ASJA Press 2008, previously published as Mind Your Own Business: The Battle for Personal Privacy, Plenum 1995),
- Fantasy Worlds (ASJA Press 2007, previously published The Power of Fantasy, Wiley).
She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California and MAs in Anthropology, Mass Communications and Organizational/Consumer and Audience Behavior, and Pop Culture and Lifestyles from California State University, East Bay. She is currently working towards an MS in Recreation and Tourism, expected in 2012.
She has an extensive background in market research, including three years working for Foote, Cone, and Belding as a project manager. She conducted a study on Investigating Homicide Patterns in Oakland that was published by the Oakland Police Department, and conducted two surveys on the arts community in Oakland for Pro Arts, an organization of about 1000 artists.
She has gained extensive media interest for previous books, including appearances on Good Morning America, Oprah, Montel Williams, CNN, and hundreds of radio interviews. She has frequently been quoted by the media and has set up websites to promote her most recent books, including: www.workingwithhumans.com, www.workwithgini.com, and www.badbosses.net.
Additional bio and promotional material is at her website at www.ginigrahamscott.com and at www.behaviorresearch.net.
INTRODUCTION
––––––––
THE RESEARCHER’S BIBLE provides an overview of the major social research methods and when to use different approaches. It offers a quick summary of the different possible approaches and their major advantages and disadvantages, so a researcher can better decide which techniques to use for a particular project. As such, it makes an ideal supplement to more comprehensive research books used by professors, students, and researchers in the social sciences to summarize the main concepts and methodologies in the field. The book might also be a useful guide for professionals to give to clients to explain the different research procedures, so the clients understand why a researcher wants to use a selected technique.
The topics covered include:
the contributions of different disciples,
different research approaches,
using observation,
qualitative and quantitative research methods,
the main sampling methods and their advantages and disadvantages,
the best sampling techniques for different types of research projects,
major statistical concepts and data analysis techniques,
the most useful statistical methods for different types of research
The book is divided into four sections:
an overview of the research process,
using qualitative and quantitative research methods
using sampling methods
analyzing study results.
PART I: AN OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH AND HOW IT DIFFERS FROM PROGRAM EVALUATION AND JOURNALISM
Research is based on discovering something that is previously unknown, and it is a tool or technique used by science to increase human knowledge. If it is scientific research, it is designed to follow the rules of science which are based on logic and reason. To this end, it systematically looks at evidence and assesses how valuable it is to add to the knowledge about a particular subject matter. Another characteristic of research is that it should be possible for others to replicate the research and achieve similar results if it is practical to conduct another study.
To some extent, any social research can be based on this scientific model. However, since social research is the study of people and their behavior, the scientific model has to be adapted to take into consideration that people are less predictable. Also, when study subjects realize they are being researched, they may adapt their behavior, such as to conceal any negative attitudes and behaviors and present themselves