A short introduction to the major concepts and approaches used in the social sciences, especially in sociology, anthropology, and leisure, recreation, and tourism. It's 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 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
