Social Science Research Methods and Approaches

In this paper, we provide a brief two page summary of the recently printed eighth edition of the book “Research Methods in Social Sciences” written by Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Nachmias, D. and DeWaard, J., published in the year 2015. The authors are an exprienced group of people in the field of social sciences. Chava Frankfort-Nachmias works at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a respected Emeritus Professor of Sociology there. She has been a part of many other co-writing and co-editing projects for works like Social Statistics for a Diverse Society and Sappho in the Holy Land. David Nachmias works at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) as a Senior Fellow Emeritus. He has also worked tirelessly in projects within the fields of Public Administration and Policy, in Israel and internationally. Jack DeWaard works in the Minnesota Population Center at University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology.
The book we are summarizing here is divided across four fundamental chapters, each with its own sub-chapters and sub- sections. The four primary chapters are: foundations of empirical research, design and structure of research, data collection and data processing and analysis. The book also includes an appendices section for additional details on the content within the main chapters.
The authors clearly assert in the most recent edition of the book that the field of social science research is a “cyclical and self-correcting” (Nachmias et al., 2000, p. xix) method that involves several integrated steps of completion. These steps include the following according to the authors: beginning with defining the research problem being studied; making a clear hypothetical statement pertaining to the research problem; the design of the research; how the research will be measured; the process through which data will be collected; the method used for analyzing the data; and, generalization of the study. The authors also state that every single step is directly related to the theory because it has an influence on the theory while simultaneously being impacted by the theory as well. They also clarify that while each step may seem similar, it is not inflexible and is designed solely to transfer the thematic tone of social science research.
The book initially focuses on the relation between science and the field of knowledge. It also starts by highlighting the importance or influence of this relation on the overall research structure and content. Moving on from laying down the principles and foundations of scientific knowledge, the authors turn their attention towards discussing the various theoretical structures as understood under the light of notions and symbols. Furthermore, their relationship with the research process is then highlighted. The authors assert that the differences between theory and research elements are not necessarily real or tangible but become more apparent into the latter stages of the research process. They also state in the book how and why the aspects of theory and research must be in constant interaction with each other during the research process.
The book also highlights the importance of ethical approaches to completing the research. The primary focus however then shifts towards discussing The design and structure of the research. The authors take a thorough approach here and highlight the different designs and structure of a research that exist and use illustrations, symbols and diagrams to showcase these differences in approaches and designs. The books also focuses on the use of statistical analyses (SPSS) for the use of analyzing the data that has been collected for the research. Statistical analysis can help to not just analyze but also conclude and assess the information gathered. The best part about the bool from a reader's perspective is that the book is full of various scientific approaches that one can take to conduct a social science research without making it to complicate to understand. The book’s use of tables, diagrams and figures also helps clarify many theories and approaches.
Talking specifically about the new content added in this edition, we see the following: Inclusion of new studies, How tweets can be used for social science research, How climate affects conflict, How the internet and software usage can help analyse large content or data and many more pedagogical text additions that can help social sciences students to learn, investigate and test thoroughly.




Reference
Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Nachmias, D. and DeWaard, J. (2015). Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Eighth Edition. ISBN-10: 1-4292-3300-1. ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-3300-2
Nachmias, C.F., Nachmias, D. (2000). Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Sixth Edition. New York: Worth Publishers and St. Martin’s Press