Table of Contents

Preface

Section one

Introduction
Finding out and making sense

Section two

Assessing research
Reading research reports
Reading open interview research
Reading observation research
Reading about controlled trials
Reading survey research
Reading secondary-source research

Section three

Doing research
Using secondary sources
Survey research
design and sampling
Experimental practice
Open interviewing
Analysing text
Participant observation

Section four

Writing up
In conclusion
research into practice
Glossary
Index.

About the Author

Pamela Abbott is Director and Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Teesside. She is a well known researcher in the fields of health, nursing, women's employment and community care.

Roger Sapsford is a senior lecturer in research methods at the Open University. He has carried out extensive research in a number of fields and was previously employed by the Home Office Research Unit and in market research.

Reviews

"This is an excellent introduction to the evaluation and conduct of research. It will continue to be required reading for students of health professional courses and for other practitioners new to research." - Journal of Nursing Management