Designing Social Science Research

✍ Scribed by Oddbjørn Bukve

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2019
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 228
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book presents different research designs, their respective purposes and merits as well as their underlying assumptions. Research designs are characterised by a certain combination of knowledge aims and strategies for data production. An adequate design is the key to carrying out a successful research project. Nevertheless, the literature on design is scarce, compared to the literature on methods. This book clarifies the basic distinction between variable-oriented designs and case designs, and proceeds to integrated, comparative and intervention-oriented designs. A step-by-step guide to the design process and the choices to make is also included. The book's clear style makes it an excellent guide for master students and PhD students doing their first research exercises, while it is also useful for more experienced researchers who want to broaden their design repertoire and keep up to recent innovations in the field of research design.

✦ Table of Contents

Designing Social Science Research
Preface
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
Hypotheses from Heaven
Into the Fog Without a Compass
The Cart Before the Horse
Picking Only the Sweet Fruits
Unresearchable Problem Statements
The Rule of Action
Organisation of This Book
References
Chapter 2: Scientific Knowledge and Practice
The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge and Practice
Scientific Statements
Empirical Statements, Norms, and Practice
More on Testing of Scientific Statements
Our Social Construction of the World
Science and Knowledge Development
The Contested Truth
From an Understanding of Knowledge to Social Science Practice
References
Chapter 3: Social Science as Reconstruction of Social Phenomena
The Study of Social Facts and Phenomena
Explanations in Social Science
Social Science as Reconstruction of Social Patterns and Processes
The Elements of Reconstruction
Backgrounds
Concepts
Theories and Hypotheses
Models
Data Construction
From the Building Stones of Reconstruction to the Logic of Reconstruction
References
Chapter 4: The Logic and Methodological Rules of Reconstruction
Hypothetical-Deductive Research Logic: Explaining by Laws
Abductive Research Logic: Uncovering Social Mechanisms
Hermeneutic Research Logic: Interpretative Understanding of Social Phenomena
Critical Theory
Discourse Analytical Research Logic: Hegemonic and Alternative Frameworks of Understanding
A Comparison of the Research Logics
References
Chapter 5: Design of Research Projects
Research Purposes, Data Construction, and the Phases of the Design Process
Research Designs and Purposes
Theory- and Hypothesis-Testing Purposes
Concept- and Theory-Developing Purposes and Questions
Theoretically Interpretative Purposes
Intervention-Oriented Purposes
Mere Description?
Purpose and Design of an Analytic Frame
Research Design and Data Construction
Variable-Centred Strategies
Case-Oriented Strategies
Combination Strategies
Requirements of a Good Research Design
From Design as Concept to Design Variants
References
Chapter 6: Variable-Centred Designs
What Is a Variable-Centred Design?
Construction Validity and Knowledge Development
Theory Testing in Variable-Centred Designs
Theory Development in Variable-Centred Designs
Variants of Variable-Centred Designs
Experimental Designs
Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Designs
References
Chapter 7: Case Designs
What Is a Case Study?
What Is the Case in a Case Study?
Case Studies and Knowledge Development
Case, Context, Embeddedness
Theory Testing in Case Designs
Interpretative Reconstruction and Theory Development in Case Designs
Variants of Case Designs
Critical Cases as Design for Theory Testing
Congruence Design: Case Analysis with Structured Frames
Process Tracing
Two Exemplifying Cases
Theoretical Interpretative Reconstruction
References
Chapter 8: Integrated Designs
Triangulation
Mixed Method Designs
Nested Design
Designs for Multimethod Research
Summing Up
References
Chapter 9: Comparative Designs
What Is a Comparative Study?
Typologies and Typological Theories in Comparative Designs
The Use of Typologies
Variable-Centred Comparisons
References
Chapter 10: Intervention-Oriented Designs
What Is an Evaluation Design?
Goal Evaluation
Effect Evaluation
Process Evaluation and Action Theory Evaluation
Comprehensive Programme Evaluation
Action Research
References
Chapter 11: The Design Process
The Design Process: An Overview
Choice and Justification of a Topic
Literature Review and Knowledge Status
Purpose Description
Theory and Analytical Framework
The Research Questions
Data Construction and Choice of Method
Selection of Data and Requirements for Representativeness
Various Types of Data
Structure of a Project Draft
References
Index