The Researchers Bible: An Overview of Key Concepts and Methods in Social Science Resaearch

THE RESEARCHER'S BIBLE provides a short introduction to the major concepts and approaches used in the social sciences, especially in sociology, anthropology, and leisure, recreation, and tourism. It is an ideal supplement to a more detailed text on research methods and a guide to choose which research methods to use in a study. It also provides an explanation of different options for company owners and managers of organizations, who might want to do research or hire a research company to conduct a study for them.

The chapters cover these topics:
• What at is research and how it differs from program evaluation
• Choosing a research topic
• The contribution of different disciplines to the social sciences
• Different research approaches in social science research
• Using observation in social research
• Using qualitative and quantitative research methods
• The main characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of different sampling methods
• The main techniques for analyzing surveys and their advantages and disadvantages
• The major statistical concepts
• The major data analysis techniques
• The easiest method for social research