Real Research

Real Research: Conducting and Evaluating Research in the Social Sciences

Loreen Wolfer

ISBN: 0-205-41662-4

Wolfers Real Research has two main goals to help the reader learn: how to identify the necessary skills for conducting research and how to realistically evaluate the research of others. The author achieves these goals by:
 

• Explaining the systematic steps used by social scientists to examine the social world
• Following the stages of the research process, but emphasizing that research does not always involve an orderly set of steps
• Presenting a model of "ideal" research, but also explaining how to recognize the limitations (like time and money) that affect the way real research is implemented
• Including a subscription to Pearsons Research Navigator service with every text, which allows access to full-text articles from leading social science journals
• Using many examples and exercises on evaluating research, which can be found in the journal articles available online through Pearson's Research Navigator service

Real Research explains the systematic steps used by social scientists to examine the social world, and teaches the skills necessary to read, understand, and realistically evaluate published research carried out by others. The author follows the stages of the research process and presents a model of ideal research; but she also emphasizes that research does not always involve an orderly set of steps, and is often affected by limitations such as time and money.

Many examples and exercises on evaluating research are taken from journal articles available online through Pearson's outstanding Research Navigator service. A subscription to Research Navigator, with unlimited access to full-text articles from leading social science journals, is included with every new copy of Real Research.