Research Design
Creating Robust Approaches for the Social Sciences
- Stephen Gorard - Durham University, UK
This new book: discusses the nature of design; gives an introduction to design notation; offers a flexible approach to new designs; looks at a range of standard design models; and presents craft tips for real-life problems and compromises. Most importantly, it provides the rationale for preferring one design over another within any given context. Each section is illustrated with case studies of real work and concludes with suggested readings and topics for discussion in seminars and workshops, making it an ideal textbook for postgraduate research methods courses.
Based on the author's teaching on the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre "Masters in Research Methods" at the University of Birmingham, and his ongoing work for the ESRC Researcher Development Initiative, this is an essential text for postgraduate researchers and academics. There is no book like Research Design on the market that addresses all of these issues in an easy to comprehend style, for those who want to design research and make critical judgements about the designs of others.
This is an excellent text on research design in the social sciences. I recommend it to PhD and Professional Doctorate students when they are embarking on developing their research proposals. Their feedback suggests it is pitched at the correct level for postgraduate home and international students, and for some this will be their first in depth experience of engaging with the issues examined.
It is a very interesting book that will help researchers desing their research in the social sciences. I highly recommend it to anyone who is starting to write funding proposals. It will be one of my main reference books in the future writing for funding.
This is written in a manner that makes it feel a lot like a text book.
\
The case studies illustrate points well, and the topics for discussion are useful for class groups to further their understanding.
This text gives a wide-ranging view of research design that can support students’ with their own projects. A recommended publication for students' studying their dissertation units.
It's a little complicated for the level of our students at this point (they're UG).
This book will be particulary useful for the postgraduate community in Initial Teacher Education research. The focus on rigour and design stage development will be particularly helpful for Masters level students.
Discusses a range of design and and the differences between them. Easy to read. Very good book
An excellent and challenging book from Professor Gorard. Research design is a neglected area of education and this book challenges educators to reconsider its role within the research process.
This book reveals scientific grounds behind social realities and phenomenon
Our trainees need more on methodology than design at the standard at which they are writing (undergrad), but this excellent book is still worth a read for them,, and for anyone at a higher stage such as Masters or Doctoral-level research, I would say this is an essential book.
