Designing Social Research

A Guide for the Bewildered

very good - very popular with our students who like the clear 'no-nonsense' writing style.

The lay out of this book is different as it uses a more discursive approach. This makes reading the book quite tiring as there is no pictures or many breaks in the text . However the content is excellent and if the reader can overcome to need to read in bit sized chunks then this is a book that teaches as well as making you think. A rare feat in a research methods text book!

Excellent for its clarity and simplicity of explanation and engaging style. This will be a highly recommended text on my course rather than essential because the students are from various social and health care programmes and the relevance of the exemplar methods to students from these backgrounds is variable.

An invaluable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students planning their own research.

Greener deals with some of the concepts that students struggle with in Research Methods in a clear and comprehensible manner. This is a useful book as a general introduction to Research Methods.

This book was very helpful in explaining a great deal of the terminology used in research. For the first time researcher having this to hand helps other texts to become accessible. In addition it provides thoughtful insights into different methodologies and procedures allowing readers to make informed choices.

A good starter book for those new to research. Useful glossary at the end. Found the pages on mixed methods useful as a resource. Overall, a good book to reach for when first trying to frame ideas and approach. Will give students confidence.

What this text does, it does very well. It is an excellent introduction to research practice covering a great deal of ground in a rather short space. Its pace stops the text from dragging, which can be a danger of books on method in particular, and the fact that it covers both complex philosophical issues as well as very practical matters like writing grant applications and literature reviews means that it has something to offer any student, from UG through to doctoral.

In some places, the book necessarily lacks detail that one might have preferred and in order to convey complex ideas simply some violence is sometimes done to them (I am not, for example, convinced of all the claims Ian makes about Actor-Network Theory). However, this is to be expected in such a brief text and I think to have made adjustments to accomodate these concerns would likely have undermined the value of the book.

In summary, very good introductory text, hence essential reading.

I wanted to find a text that did not overwhelm students with its weight, price and jargon, and this text seems to be the right one; I will use it next semester and know better if my hypothesis is confirmed. I also appreciate any academic text on Methods that includes the word "bewildered" as I believe it will help overcome the trepidation many students face when enrolling in the course.

This is a well structured book that flows in a logical sequence providing an expansive summary into the different aspects of conducting research. The language is clear and easy to follow which would make this guide best for novice researchers and undergraduates.