How to do social research - Audrey Dunsmuir

The aim of this book is to help students become practising sociologists. They need to understand how research has been done by other sociologists, be able to evaluate that research and to carry out a personal sociological enquiry using different research methods. The book aims to equip them with the necessary skills to cope with the different elements of assessment at A level and A/S level, and with basic skills of note-taking and revision.;With these aims in mind, section 1 provides, through examples, a basic grounding in methodology. It dicusses the different methods used by sociologists, their relative strengths and weaknesses and in what circumstances different methods are appropriate. The emphasis throughout this section is on encouraging students to ask questions about research and to judge its usefulness for themselves. It is felt that students need to be able to evaluate published research examples constructively before they are able to conduct their own research. There is no attempt to discuss broader theoretical considerations, although these issues are central to a discussion of methodology and it is assumed that the student has some background theoretical knowledge.;Section 2 builds upon the understanding developed by Section 1 and guides students through ways in which they themselves can practise sociology. By providing worked examples of manageable pieces of research, students are given practice in the skills needed for carrying out their own research.;Section 3 concentrates more explicitly on the demands of examination assessment at A level and A/S level. Guidance, activities and examples are provided to help students master the skills of reading and note-taking, essay writing and answering stimulus-response questions and preparing for the final examination.;It is envisaged that the book will be used by students rather than just read chronologically. It may be that some sections are more useful than others at different stages of their course.