Research methodology

Research methodology textbooks and materials

Sociology

Links to a variety of additional Sociology resources and South African Sociology departments can be found on the Yenza! sociology page.

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Babbie, ER. The practice of social research. (Level: 3rd year, Honours)
Publisher: Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Co., c1998.
Edition: 8th ed.
Description: 1 v. (various pagings): ill.; 25 cm.
ISBN: 053450468X

Bailey, KD. Methods of social research. (Level: 2nd year, 3rd year)
Publisher: New York: Free Press: a division of Macmillan, 1994.
Edition: 4th ed.
Description: xviii, 588 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN: 0029012791

Bernard, HR. Research methods in anthropology: qualitative and quantitative approaches. (Level: Masters)
Publisher: Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, c1994.
Edition: 2nd ed.
Description: xii, 585 p.; 24 cm.
ISBN: 0803952449 / 0803952457
Contents: 1. Cultural Anthropology and Social Science; 2. The Foundations of Social Research; 3. Anthropology and Research Design;4. Sampling;5. Choosing Research Problems, Sites, and Methods;6. The Literature Search; 7. Participant observation;8. Informants;9. Field Notes: How to Take, code, and manage Them; 10. Unstructured and Semistructured Interviewing; 11. Structured Interviewing; 12. Questionnaires and Survey Research; 13. Scales and Scaling; 14. Direct, Reactive Observation; 15. Unobtrusive Observation; 16. Analysis of Qualitative Data; 17. Coding and Codebooks for Quantitative Data; 18. Univariate Statistics: Describing a Variable; 19. Bivariate Statistics: Testing Relationships; 20. Multivariate Analysis

Appendix A: Table of Random Numbers; Appendix B: Statement on Professional and Ethical Responsibilities of the Society For Applied Anthropology; Appendix C: Codes From the Outline of Cultural MaterialsAppendix D: Student's t-Distribution; Appendix E: The Chi-Square distribution Table; Appendix F: Tables of Areas Under a Normal Curve; Appendix G: Software and Other Resources.

Bless, C & Higson-Smith, C. Fundamentals of social research methods: an African perspective.(Level: 2nd year)
Publisher: Juta, 2000.
Edition: 3rd ed.
ISBN: 0702153214
Contents: 1. The Different Methods of Acquiring Knowledge; 2. The Scientific Method Applied to Social Reality; 3. Problem Conception and Background Information; 4. Variables and Hypothesis Formulation; 5. The Types of Research; 6. Community-centred Research; 7. Research Design; 8. Sampling; 9. Data Collection: Basic Concepts; 10. Techniques of Data Collection; 11. Reliability and Validity of Measurements; 12. Interpretation of Results and Writing a Research Report; 13. Concluding Remarks.

Bless, C & Kathuria, R. Fundamentals of social statistics: an African perspective. (Level: 3rd year)
Publisher: Cape Town: Juta, 1993.
Description: xvi, 367 p.; 25 cm.
ISBN: 0702129402 (pbk.)

Burgess, RG. In the field: an introduction to field research. (Level: Masters)
Publisher: London: Routledge, 1984.
Series: Contemporary social research series; 8.
ISBN: 0415078679

Cozby, PC. Methods in behavioural research. (Level: 3rd year)
Publisher: Mountain View, Calif: Mayfield Pub. Co, c1993.
Edition: 5th ed.
ISBN: 1559340983

de Vaus, DA. Surveys in social research. (Level: 3rd year)
Publisher: London: UCL Press, 1991.
Edition: 3rd ed.
ISBN: 185728001

De Vos, A.S. (ed.) Research at Grass Roots. A primer for the caring professions. 
Publisher: Van Schaik, 1999
Description: 17x25x3; 436 pages;
Language: English
Price: Approximately R180.00
ISBN: 0 627 021735
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Graziano, AM & Raulin, ML. Research methods: a process of inquiry. (Level: 3rd year)
Publisher: New York: Harper and Row, c1989.
ISBN: 0060424796

Harvey, L & McDonald, N. Doing sociology. (Level: 1st year)
Publisher: Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992.
ISBN: 033355082X

Howell, DC. Fundamental statistics for the behavioral sciences. (Level: 3rd year)
Publisher: Belmont, CA: Duxbury, 1995.
Edition: 3rd ed.
Description: xx, 457 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN: 0534239765

Hugo, P (ed). Truth be in the field: social science research in southern Africa. (Level: 4th year, Masters)
Publisher: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 1990.
Edition: 1st ed.
Description: xii, 358 p.; 22 cm.
Series: Studia composita; 6.
ISBN: 0869816330

Huysamen, GK. Methodology for the social and behavioural sciences. 1994 (Level: 2nd year, 3rd year, Honours, Masters)
Publisher: Halfway House, Midrand: Southern Book Publishers, 1994.
Edition: 1st ed.
Description: 237 p.
ISBN: 1868124681
Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Types of Research and Criteria; 3. Sampling and Population Validity; 4. Experimental Research; 5. Operationalizing the Independent Variable; 6. More Complex Experimental Designs; 7. Quasi-Experimental Research; 8. Survey Designs; 9. Measurement Theory; 10. Measuring Instruments; 11. Methods of Data Collection; 12. Analytical Research; 13. Phenomenological and Case Study Approaches; 14. Ethical Considerations; 15. Designing a Research Project; 16. Report Writing
Appendix A: Research Proposals; Appendix B: Answers to Some Exercises

Kuhn, TS. The structure of scientific revolutions. (Level: 3rd year)
Publisher: Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970.
Edition: 2nd ed.,
Series: International encyclopedia of unified science; v. 2, no.
ISBN: 0226458032 / 0226458040

Layder, D. New strategies in social research: an introduction and guide. (Level: Honours)
Publisher: Cambridge: Polity Press, 1993.
Description: x, 218 p.
ISBN: 0745608809 / 0745608817

Mouton, J. Understanding social research. (Level: Honours)
Publisher: Pretoria: Van Schaik Academic, 1996.
Edition: 1st ed.
Description: xiii, 272 p.
ISBN: 0627021638 (pbk.)

Mouton, J & Marais, HC. Basic concepts in the methodology of the Social Sciences. (Level: Honours)
Publisher: Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council, 1990.
Edition: Rev. ed.
Description: xiii, 269 p.: ill.; 22 cm.
Series: HSRC series in methodology.
Contents: Part 1: Chapter 1 - What is social sciences research? Introduction: The scientific language game; Chapter 2 - Research design: Towards problem formulation. Introduction: Social sciences research as a rational activity; Chapter 3 - Research design: Conceptualization and operationalization; Chapter 4 - Research design: data collection; Chapter 5 - Research design: Analysis and interpretation; Chapter 6 - Central concepts in the research process: Concepts, statements, Conceptual frameworks, Paradigms; Chapter 7 - Perspectives on qualitative and quantitative research: The spectrum of the social sciences, Terminology, Science and research; Part 2: Chapter 8 - Guidelines for writing a research proposal: How to write a research proposal, Types of research proposals, Form and content of research proposals; Chapter 9 - Guidelines for writing research reports: Theoretical guidelines, metatheoretical guidelines, Technical guidelines; Appendix 1: M Ferreira - A sociological analysis of medical encounters of aged persons at an outpatient centre: A qualitative approach; Appendix 2: D Joubert - A typology of value orientations; Appendix 3: KF Mauer and AC Lawrence - Human factors in stope productivity - A field experiment.

Mouton, J. and Muller, J. (Eds.) Knowledge, Methods and the Public Good.
Publisher: HSRC Publishers, Pretoria, 1997
Series: HSRC Series in Methodology 39
Description: 510 p.
Language: English
ISBN number: 0-7969-1823-6
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Mouton, J., Muller, J., Franks, P. & Sono, T. (Eds.) Theory and Methods in South African Human Science Research: advances and innovations.
Publisher: HSRC Publishers, Pretoria, 1998
Series: HSRC Series in Methodology 40
Description: 329 p.
Language: English
ISBN number: 0-7969-1864-3
Price: +/- R125.00
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Neuman, WL. Social research methods: qualitative & quantitative approaches. (Level: 3rd year, Honours)
Publisher: Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1997.
Edition: 3rd ed.
Description: xiv, 560 p.
ISBN: 0205193560 / 0205265618 (pbk.)
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Norusis, MJ. SPSS: SPSS 6.1 guide to data analysis. (Level: 3rd year, Honours)
Publisher: Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1996
Description: xviii, 582 p.: ill.
ISBN: 0134370546 (pbk)

Selltiz, C. Research methods in social relations. (Level: Honours)
Publisher: New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, c1976.
Edition: 3d ed.
Description: xv, 624 p.: ill.; 25 cm.
ISBN: 003080986X

Terre Blanche M. & Durrheim, K. (eds) (1999). Research in Practice: Applied methods for the social sciences. (Level: Honours)
Publisher: University of Cape Town Press
Edition: 1st
Description: 24 x 18 x 3; 516 pages
ISBN: 1-919713-35-2
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[Note: "level" indicates the level at which the text is being used by the methodology teacher/s who submitted the information]