2017
ISBN: 978-0745671857
Explains the central role that research paradigms play in the design and conduct of social research. Important philosophical and practice elements of three widely recognised paradigms - neo-positive, interpretive and critical realist - are elaborated and their use in action illustrated with detailed examples. This paradigm orientation is shown to be fundamental to appropriately framing a problem, formulating research questions, deciding on a logic of inquiry, and selecting and using methods to investigate it. Following on from Blaikie's Approaches to Social Enquiry, and Blaikie and Priest's Designing Social Research, this book is intended for upper-level and research students, their lecturers and supervisors, and researchers across the social sciences.