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Social Research Methods
Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
Third Edition
- H. Russell Bernard - Arizona State University, USA
- Amber Wutich - Arizona State University, USA
Other Titles in:
Educational Research Methods | Research Methods (General) | Sociological Research Methods
Educational Research Methods | Research Methods (General) | Sociological Research Methods
February 2026 | 664 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches equips students with the tools they need to conduct meaningful research across the social sciences. By blending qualitative and quantitative methods, it helps graduate students not only understand how to use research techniques—but also when and why to use them. Drawing on real-world examples from psychology, sociology, anthropology, health, and education, the book brings abstract concepts to life and shows students how to apply them in their own work. The Third Edition streamlines content while also expanding coverage of key topics like sampling, interviewing, and data analysis, making it easier for instructors to teach core methods and for students to build lasting research skills.
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Chapter 1: The Foundations of Social Research
Chapter 2: Preparing For Research
Chapter 3: Research Design
Chapter 4: Experiments In Social Science
Chapter 5: Scales And Scaling
Chapter 6: Probability Sampling
Chapter 7: Nonprobability Sampling
Chapter 8: Interviewing and Focus Groups
Chapter 9: Survey Research
Chapter 10: Collecting Social Network Data
Chapter 11: Fieldwork: Direct and Participant Observation
Chapter 12: Analyzing Text: Grounded Theory and Content Analysis
Chapter 13: Discourse Analysis
Chapter 14: Univariate and Bivariate Analysis
Chapter 15: Multivariate Analysis
Chapter 16: Analyzing Network Data
Chapter 17: On Writing Up
Bibliography
The main strength of this text is coverage of both quantitative and qualitative methodology from a broad range of fields. The examples are often my students' favorite thing to discuss in class.
University of South Carolina
The depth of detailed descriptions (foundations of social research; interviewing, participant observation, field notes, and data analysis) go beyond other texts…the organization is superb.
University of Arizona
This text does an excellent job of not only showing how to practice research but also provides a detailed discussion of broader historical and philosophical contexts that are important for understanding research.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas