Description
Book SynopsisThis is a splendid book, providing a readable and reliable guide to a very large range of topics and literature... the author brings together, as few of us can, the details of research methodology and practice with broader philosophical perspectives and approaches.
- William Outhwaite, Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University
We need researchers who are philosophically informed rather than philosophically obsessed or philosophically oppressed. With this book Malcolm Williams strikes the exact balance.
- Ray Pawson, Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds
This book is an ideal introduction for any student or social researcher hoping to better understand the philosophical issues that inform social research. Williams is the perfect guide providing short focused introductions to key concepts alongside a persuasive and engaging overview of how we interpret and conduct research.
The book covers everything from
Trade ReviewThis is a splendid book, providing a readable and reliable guide to a very large range of topics and literature. It covers the basics, while providing very substantial amounts of reliable guidance to those who want to pursue these issues further. A particular strength is the way in which the author brings together, as few of us can, the details of research methodology and practice with broader philosophical perspectives and approaches. -- William Outhwaite
Newcomers to social research are often bemused by the plethora of different philosophical principles upon which it is based. Worse still, they are often press-ganged into the belief that they must uphold the ‘one true paradigm’ and slay all others before they enter the field. What they actually need is a lucid overview, which describes in an even-handed way the many concepts and perspectives on offer. We need researchers who are philosophically informed rather than philosophically obsessed or philosophically oppressed. With this book Malcolm Williams strikes the exact balance. -- Ray Pawson
This book is a real treat: the writing is unusually good, there is interesting and insightful content, and the coverage is broad. Social scientists regularly make philosophical assumptions; Williams′ book will help them do so in a conscious and sophisticated way.
-- Harold Kincaid
Table of ContentsIntroduction Causality Complexity Contingency and Necessity Empiricism Epistemology Ethics and Morality Experiments Explanation Falsification Feminism Functionalism Generalisation and Laws Hypothesis(es) Idealism Individualism and Holism Induction Interpretation and Meaning Language Logic and Truth Materialism Mechanisms and Models Objectivity-Subjectivity Observation Ontology Positivism Postmodernism Pragmatism Probability Rationality Realism Relativism Social Contstruction Statistics Theory Time
