Description
Book SynopsisThis is a complete revision with new material of the second edition of Social Sciences Research: Research, Writing, and Presentation Strategies for Students (Scarecrow Press, 2008). There have been significant changes in the research process in the social sciences since the second edition of this text was published in 2008 – a decade ago. The plethora of new information technologies (e.g., smart phones, tablets, apps, etc.); the information overload not only on the Internet where anyone can publish, but also with the explosion of social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.); as well as the far reaching changes in databases and other sources of electronic information that is available. Complementing the manual are appendixes consisting of a list of possible research questions, an example paper, a complete set of worksheets, and blank citation forms to be used to record references, which provide further practice for students. In this third edition, the author has included more instruction on searches using electronic sources as well as new formatting guidelines that have been promulgated in the past several years. The ideal resource for college students, this manual addresses the finer points of research and writing that are not given enough instruction in the classroom.
Trade ReviewThe book is encouraging, clearly written, and easy to understand, especially when addressing searching, ILL, outlines, "Filter Bubbles," and "Presenting Your Research" sections. The third edition contains very useful worksheets and examples throughout. -- Esther Grassian, distinguished librarian, University of California, Los Angeles
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Choosing an Appropriate Research Question Chapter 2: Designing a Search for Scholarly Literature Chapter 3: Conducting a Search for Scholarly Literature Chapter 4: Evaluating the Information You Find Chapter 5: Outlining the Research Paper Chapter 6: Taking Notes While Reading Chapter 7: The APA Format: Writing and the Use of an Appropriate Format Chapter 8: The Writing Process Itself: You Can’t Edit a Blank Page Chapter 9: Presenting Your Research Chapter 10: Some Final Thoughts Appendices A Research Questions Posed by Other Students B Example Paper C Worksheets 1 Selecting a Topic 2 Narrowing and Focusing Your Topic 3 Scholarly vs. Popular Literature 4 Best Places for Information 5 Your Research Strategy 6 Locating Books 7 Chapters in Books 8 Locating Scholarly Articles 9 Evaluating Information 10 Outlining the Research Paper 11 Presentation
