Essentials of Social Research Methods

How do you teach the foundations of social science research in a way that′s rigorous, relevant, and engaging for undergraduates? Best-selling author H. Russell Bernard and award-winning professor Amber Wutich provide the answer in Essentials of Social Research Methods. This practical, student-focused text walks learners through every step of the research process—from framing questions to writing up results—without oversimplifying. Unique chapters on preparing for research and designing studies offer a strong conceptual foundation, while integrated ethical guidance ensures students understand the real-world implications of their work. With its applied approach and emphasis on critical thinking, this book equips students to conduct and consume research thoughtfully and confidently.

Table of Contents:
Preface About the Author Chapter 1: What is Social Science Research? Introduction What is Social Science Research? Ethics and Social Science The Language and Logic of Social Research Variables: The Joy of Measurement Concepts and Variables Conceptual and Operational Definitions Levels of Measurement Validity, Reliability, Accuracy, and Precision Is My Measure Any Good? Determining Validity The Problem with Validity The Bottom Line Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 2: Preparing For Research Setting Things Up Ethics of Social Research Theory—Explanation and Prediction There is no list of Research Questions The Literature Search Meta-analysis Key Concepts in this Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 3: Research Design Introduction: What is Research Design? About Numbers and Words: The Qualitative/Quantitative Split Cause and Effect Units of Analysis Three Decisions in Research Design The Eight Types of Research Design Mixed-methods Research Designs Participatory & Action Research The Components of a Research Design The Art of Proposal Writing Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 4: Experiments The Logic of the Experimental Method Internal and External Validity Controlling for Threats to Validity Factorial Designs: Main Effects and Interaction Effects True Experiments in the Lab Field Experiments Comparative Field Experiments Are Field Experiments Ethical? Thought Experiments Natural Experiments Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 5: Probability Sampling What Are Samples and Why Do We Need Them? Sampling Frames Response Rates: What They Are & How to Calculate Them Simple Random Sampling Systematic Random Sampling Stratified Random Sampling Disproportionate Stratified Random Sampling Cluster Sampling Probability Proportionate to Size How Big Should a Sample Be? Power Analysis Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 6: Nonprobability Sampling Introduction Six Reasons to Use a Non-Probability Sample Four Common and Two Uncommon Types of Non-Probability Samples Minimum Sample Sizes for 10 Qualitative Analysis Methods And Finally . . . Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 7: Interviewing And Focus Groups The Big Picture Interview Control Unstructured Interviewing Probing Learning to Interview Positionality & Presentation of Self Using a Voice Recorder Using Visual Cues, like Photos, in Interviews Focus Groups Response Effects Respondent/Informant Accuracy Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 8: Survey Research Introduction Closed- Versus Open-Ended Questions Fourteen Rules for Question Wording and Format Pretesting and Cognitive Interviewing On-the-Fly Translation and Back Translation Methods for Collecting Questionnaire Data Improving Response Rates: Dillman’s Total Design Method Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies Some Specialized Survey Methods Survey Methods for Threatening Questions Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 9: Collecting Social Network Data Social Network Analysis Two Kinds of Social Networks Collecting Whole (Sociocentric) Network Data Collecting Personal (Egocentric) Network Data Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 10: Fieldwork: Direct And Participant Observation Introduction Direct Observation in the Wild Reactive Observation: Continuous Monitoring and Spot Sampling Spot Sampling Unobtrusive Observation Disguised Field Observation Indirect Observation Participant Observation Different Roles in Participant Observation Doing Participant Observation The Skills of a Participant Observer Objectivity Insider Research: Studying Your Own Culture Gender, Parenting, and Other Personal Characteristics Surviving Fieldwork Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 11: Analyzing Qualitative Data Part 1. Discourse Analysis Conversation Analysis Narrative Analysis Phenomenological Analysis of Narratives Language in Use Critical Discourse Analysis: Language and Power Part 2. Grounded Theory Part 3. Content Analysis Intercoder Reliability Automated Content Analysis: Content Dictionaries AI and Text Analysis Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 12: Analyzing Quantitative Data Part 1: Univariate & Bivariate Analysis Univariate Analysis: Raw Data Frequency Distributions Measures of Central Tendency Outliers and Skewness Visualizing Data Measuring Dispersion: Standard Deviation The Logic of Hypothesis Testing Testing Univariate Hypotheses: Chi-Square Tests Testing Relations: Bivariate Analysis Comparing Two Means: The t Test Comparing Multiple Variables: ANOVA—Analysis of Variance Correlations between Variables: Regression Advantages and disadvantages of r and r^2 Part 2: Multivariate Analysis Car Wrecks and Teenage Births Multiple Regression Factor Analysis How to Decide What to Test Part 3: Social Network Analysis The Data Matrix: A Foundation of Social Network Analysis The One-Mode or Relational Matrix The Two-Mode or Profile Matrix Analyzing Social Network Data Visualizing Networks Five Kinds of Questions You Can Answer with Network Analysis Analyzing Whole (Sociocentric) Network Data Analyzing Personal (Egocentric) Network Data Key Concepts in This Chapter Summary Exercises Further Reading Chapter 13: On Writing Up Introduction Getting Your Article Published Rule 1: There is no substitute for good ideas and good research TIPS & TRICKS: Write every article with an audience in mind Rule 2: Do a publication feasibility assessment Amber’s Corner: Learning to Write Well TIPS & TRICKS: Don’t be afraid to write in teams TIPS & TRICKS: Run your work through a plagiarism scanner TIPS & TRICKS: Research habits matter, citation software doesn’t Amber’s Corner: Overcoming rejection TIPS & TRICKS: Right-size your rejection rate References Index

About the Author :
H. Russell Bernard is director of the Institute for Social Science Research at Arizona State University and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology of the University of Florida. He is a cultural anthropologist specializing in technology and social change, language revitalization, and social network analysis. Bernard has done research or taught at universities in the United States, Mexico, Greece, Japan, and Germany. He is a former editor of Human Organization and the American Anthropologist and is the founder and editor of the journal Field Methods. Bernard’s books include Research Methods in Anthropology and Social Research Methods (both with Amber Wutich); Analyzing Qualitative Data (with Gery Ryan and Amber Wutich); and Native Ethnography (with Jesús Salinas Pedraza). Bernard was the 2003 recipient of the Franz Boas Award and the 2024 recipient of the Conrad Arensberg Award from the American Anthropological Association and is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.   Amber Wutich is a Regents & President’s Professor of Anthropology at Arizona State University, a MacArthur Fellow, and Director of ASU’s Center for Global Health. An ethnographer and methodologist, Wutich has authored 200+ papers, co-edits the journal Field Methods, and directs the NSF Cultural Anthropology Methods Program. Her two decades of community-based fieldwork explores how people respond, individually and collectively, to extremely water-scarce conditions. An expert on water insecurity, Wutich directs the Global Ethnohydrology Study, a cross-cultural study of water knowledge and management in 20+ countries. She leads Arizona Water for All, a participatory study that develops collaborative water solutions with water-insecure U.S. communities. Wutich’s books include The Human Story: An Introduction to Anthropology (with Alexandra Brewis, Kelly Knudson, Christopher Stojanowski, and Cindi SturtzSreetharan), Lazy, Crazy, Disgusting: Stigma and the Undoing of Global Health (with Alexandra Brewis), Research Methods in Anthropology and Social Research Methods (both with H. Russell Bernard); and Analyzing Qualitative Data (with H. Russell Bernard and Gery Ryan).