Principles and Concepts of Social Research: A Critical Examination of Methodology, Methods and Analysis for Emerging Researchers

✍ Scribed by Simon Hayhoe

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 201
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Principles and Concepts of Social Research is a text covering the foundations of social science research, outlining the history and core elements of Western social research. The text covers a variety of topics, ranging from the history of scientific beliefs from Ancient Greece to the contemporary world. It outlines the basics of the development of knowledge systems and logic, the definition of science and its processes, the progression of classifying humans, and research ethics, amongst other underlying elements of research.

The book has three aims: (1) to develop the reader’s knowledge and understanding of social research through modes of social scientific enquiry and an evaluation of techniques of the social, cultural, and political context of its practice; (2) to increase readers’ intellectual competence through a critical examination of the social, cultural, and historical characteristics of research traditions; and (3) to improve the competence of social researchers through a critical evaluation of research strategies, the problematization of science and Western social research, the issues posed by social research, and the skills needed to formulate research outputs and engagement.

This book will be of use to core research units and training programs that universities provide at postgraduate level, at doctoral level, and for early career post-doctoral researchers, to develop greater understanding of issues surrounding research. In addition to its theory, the contents of the book will include questions for discussion in seminars and small group work.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction
Introduction
Terms and Phrases Used Throughout this Book
General Scientific Terms Examined in this Book
Social Terms Examined in this Book
Chapter Summaries
Section I Principles
2 Historical Principles of Science 1: From Ancient Greece Through to the Enlightenment
Introduction
Principles Introduced Through this Chapter
Ancient Greece, Philosophy, and Methodology
Pre-Socratic Greek Philosophy
Socratian and Post-Socratian Philosophy
The Development of Systematic Analysis and Knowledge Systems
The Medieval Period and the Renaissance
The Context of the Medieval Age
The Western Interpretation of Aristotle
The Enlightenment, and an Understanding of Consciousness
Theological Mysticism Versus Theological Proofs
Post-enlightenment and Western Social Philosophy
Summary
3 Historical Principles of Science 2: The Modern History of Western Science
Introduction
Principles Introduced Through this Chapter
The Era of Modern Western Science
Power, History, and the Development of Methodology
Power and Scientific Practice
Power, Society, and Language
Power and Exclusion
Summary
4 Contemporary Principles and Defining Science
Introduction
Key Principles in this Chapter
General Statements On Western Science and Social Science
The Peculiarities of Western Science
Three Ways of Defining Science
The Problem With Developing a Unified Understanding of Science
Scientific Research as Evolving Social Practice
Summary
5 From Principles to Practice
Introduction
Key Principles in this Chapter
The Construction of Objective Knowledge From Subjective Knowledge
Taxonomy and Reductionism in Western Social Science
The Concept of the Closed and Open Societies in Social Science
The Effect of Western Social Scientific Classification On Society
Summary
Section II Concepts
6 The Concept and Collection of Data
Introduction
Concepts Introduced Through this Chapter
What Is Data Generation, and Where Does It Fit Within the Testing of Theories?
Classifications of Data in the Social Sciences and Social Research
Classifying Data According to the Form of Its Collection
Classifying Data According to the Type of Its Encoding and Presentation
Classifying Data According to When and By Whom It Is Collected for Use in Scientific Analysis
Case Study of a Data Collection Technique–Observation
Summary
7 Analysis in the Social Sciences
Introduction
Concepts Introduced Through this Chapter
The Concept of Analysis
Focus in Analysis
Taxonomies of Analysis
Classifying According to Ontology
Classifying According to the Use of Data
The Process of Analysis
An Example of Analysis: A Study of the Cultural Influences On Charles Darwin’s Evolutionary Theory Through the Law of NATURAL SELECTION
Summary
8 The Role of Ethics in Western Social Research
Introduction
Concepts Introduced Through this Chapter
Critical Issues in Western Ethics
Defining Ethics in Relation to Morals
Ethics as a Force for Good
The Contemporary Study of Western Ethics
The Taxonomy of Studying Ethics in Western Social Science
The Foundation of Ethics in the Social Sciences
Summary
9 Writing and Recording Research Outputs
Introduction
Concepts Introduced Through this Chapter
The Concept of Western Scientific Outputs
Trends in Publishing Outputs
Repositories of Research and Open Access Outputs
Developing Research Outputs Using Standard Protocols
Publishing a Research Output
Taxonomies of Research Outputs
Example of a Research Output: The Culture of Western Scientific Conferences
Summary
10 Developing Impact and Public Involvement in Social Science
Introduction
Concepts Introduced Through this Chapter
Impact Through Public Engagement
Defining Impact in Western Social Research
The Three-Ws Model of Public Engagement
A Case Study of Developing Participatory Impact Through the Three-Ws Model
The Background to the Project
ARCHES’ Participatory Practice
The Issues That ARCHES Faced
Impact Driven Through the Research
Summary
11 Conclusion
What Is Social Science, and How Is It Derived From a Broader Conceptualization of Science?
What Is Scientific Knowledge?
Given the Discussion in Section I, It Can Also Be Asked, Is It “Truthful” Knowledge? How Reliable Is It Really?
What Is the Way Forward for Social Science?
References
Index