Across all social science disciplines, but in particular public administration, there is a shared concern about the costs of using traditional random samples to generate data, and its impact on researchers' ability to engage in "quality" research. As a result of these costs, more academics, practitioners, and students are turning to…

Data in the social sciences often do not conform to what a researcher would like in order to have an unproblematic analysis using some form of linear regression. Especially, when data reflect counts, a number of potential problems arise. This case study discusses challenges that occurred when applying the models and examines the results. Finally,…

The OECD's international education indicators have become very influential in contemporary education policies. Although these indicators are now routinely, annually published in the form of "Education at a Glance," the calculability upon which the indicators depend was an achievement that involved the mobilisation of a huge machinery of…

The classification by many scholars of numerical research processes as quantitative and other research techniques as qualitative has prompted the construction of a third category, that of "mixed methods", to describe studies that use elements from both processes. Such labels might be helpful in structuring our understanding of phenomena. But they…

Clear, coherent and trusted, this book is the perfect guide to the main social research methods in use today. The much anticipated Third Edition of Clive Seale's bestselling title further expands its coverage to provide an authoritative introduction to all of the social research methods used to analyze qualitative and quantitative data. Written by…

Microcomputer uses by social researchers include writing programs, standard spreadsheets and data base management. In addition, microcomputers can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of information gathering by improving notetaking and organizing. Software developments will help make microcomputer data base management tools, now not…

Advocates greater use of the Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS), computer readable samples of individual and household records from the manuscript census schedules. An analysis of southern migration during and after World War II reveals the wealth of material in PUMS and the many ways it can be used. (MJP)

The Introductory Sociology Survey (ISS) is designed to teach introductory students basic skills in developing causal arguments and in using a computerized statistical package to analyze survey data. Students are given codebooks for survey data and asked to write a brief paper predicting the relationship between at least two variables. (Author)

Describes the way a relational database management system manages a large historical data collection project. Shows that such databases are practical to construct. States that the programing tasks involved are not for beginners, but the rewards of having data organized are worthwhile. (GG)

Illustrates how the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods were necessary in obtaining a clearer understanding of the process of incest in American society. Argues that the exclusive use of one methodology would have obscured important information. (FMW)

Reviews the literature on qualitative methods in information retrieval research. Qualitative research is shown to be noncontrolling, holistic and case oriented, about processes, open and flexible, diverse in methods, humanistic, inductive, and scientific. Relevance to library and information science and sources of information on qualitative…

Provides a brief overview of single-subject research designs. This method exercises its power by examining changes in single subjects' responses over time across experimental conditions. Describes a classroom project in which students collect repeated measures of their own behavior and graph the data. (MJP)

Research practitioners have traditionally collected and analyzed data using experimental designs and inferential statistical procedures. In addition to being difficult to learn and apply, these quantitative procedures generally leave out such variables as attitudes, feelings, and emotions. This paper describes the nature and role of qualitative…

This paper describes two studies that utilize different research methods, one statistical and one non-statistical, conducted by The National Urban League to assess the needs of black communities. The first study, Black Pulse, whose purpose was to assess the conditions and attitudes of black Americans, consisted of a detailed, statistical survey of…

The annotated bibliography identifies 60 references about social indicators. It is published by Project SHARE, part of a national clearinghouse for improving the management of human services. The bibliography is intended to help social service administrators and planners identify and prioritize human needs as they are designing social service…