Customer Reviews
MSc Distinction thanks to this book!! - By: bluedivemonkey, 03 Aug 2008 
I went to Madagascar to conduct my MSc dissertation research with a tent, this book & no existing knowledge of social science methodologies. I read it from cover to cover (a fairly easy read), made notes on the relevant sections, drew up my questionnaire using a mind map then conducted my interviews. I returned with loads of useful data which I managed to analyse with a few more resources available. I highly recommend this book for postgrads who need a coherent, logical bible to guide them through their research. I started out knowing nothing about methodology & ended up with a reasonable understanding... enough to get me a distinction!
Academically robust and highly readable - By: Dr Nick, 04 Apr 2008 Many titles which aim to teach students & practitioners the art of research fall into one of two camps. At one extreme their approach is that of the 'how to... cookbook' where the reader develops the practical skills but their understanding of the underpinning principles isn't developed. At the other extreme is the highly technical (and often inpenatrable) text which provides the depth & theoretical rigour but which many students & practitioners find hard going & inaccessable, particularly for those relativly new to research.
The real value of Colin Robson's book is that it bridges that divide.
Its writtenin a style which is accessable & it provides a very readable account of the practice & of the principles that underpin academic research. At the same time its contents are academically robust & it takes the reader far beyond simple pragmatics & into the development of a deeper understanding of the research processin social science settings.
Its a book that both novice & experienced researchers will find usefull & will retun to time & time again for the valuable insight that it provides.
Highly recommended!
Beautifully easy tor read (What a relief) - By: Max J. Mckeown, 29 Sep 2006 Briefly... the book examines challenges & methods for studyingin the real world (as opposed to an experimental setting) takingin such topics as qualitative approaches, mixed-methods, & action research.
What was so welcome about the book is that it reads like a conversation with someone who isin a place to advise you without lecturing - & is as surprisingly pleasant read. Very useful & very readable.
One of the best social science research texts - By: , 22 Feb 2002 This is an outstanding book & the new editition is simply excellent. The style is practical & accessible & is likely to be attractive to a wide range of researchers. This is a book that should be at the side of any student tackling serious research projects. A must for anyone studying researhc methods.
a fantastic resource that you will refer to time after time. - By: , 03 Dec 2000 Im currentlyin my third year of a degreein sociology & this book is the one that I couldnt do without. It is infinitely helpful & i would recommend it to anyone either studying or considering studying sociology or psychology.
