Methods in Social Research

This book attempts to steer a course between a simple anecdotal account of research studies with their technical details, and a set of broad generalizations about research methodology. Its aim is to make both the elements of basic logic and the research procedures of modern sociology understandable at the undergraduate level. It has also been working assumption of our teaching that no amount of lecture material, summarizing in general propositions what has been learned about research techniques, can communicate to the student the meaning of research or excite in him any of the fascination which the social process possesses. In addition, as teachers, we have tried to see that all the students must obtain actual field experience. This serves two important objectives : (1) it gives some concrete meaning to the general rules and allows the student some basis for learning when these rules do not apply; (2) equally important, it teaches the student who is easily able to criticize published work that it is much easier to criticize lofty level than it is to conduct good research.