How to Write Conceptual Papers in the Social Sciences

How to Write Conceptual Papers in the Social Sciences
Author: Jon-Arild Johannessen
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2023-12-22
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1003830803

This book is a practical guide on how to write conceptual papers and use conceptual generalization as a research methodology. Divided into two parts, the book first focuses on the scientific foundation for conceptual generalization, to identify what is a conceptual model and how conceptual models can be developed. Part two focuses on how to write a winning conceptual thesis, covering conceptual generalisation and empirical generalisation, and discusses research problems and questions, and how to analyse them. The authors cover different conceptual and analytical models to offer students a multitude of tools to visualize, interpret and uncover relationships and patterns. For example, they explore the thought experiment, analytical models, empirical causal models, analytical forms and data mining models, and outline a strategy for developing conceptual models to assist with students who wish to design their own conceptual paper. Students gain a clear understanding of the driving forces in the research process, how to define a research problem, how to analysis the problem and develop research strategies. Moving from concepts to hypotheses, the book also covers the main types of errors that may be encountered as students learn about understanding the development of models and how to develop a theory. Also including a checklist for students, and a list of definitions and concepts, this is the ideal resource for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, and researchers, in the social sciences.

Understanding and Evaluating Research

Understanding and Evaluating Research
Author: Sue L. T. McGregor
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 880
Release: 2017-10-25
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1506350976

Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.

The Literature Review

The Literature Review
Author: Diana Ridley
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2012-07-31
Genre: Study Aids
ISBN: 1446201430

This Second Edition of Diana Ridley’s bestselling guide to the literature review outlines practical strategies for reading and note taking, and guides the reader on how to conduct a systematic search of the available literature, and uses cases and examples throughout to demonstrate best practice in writing and presenting the review. New to this edition are examples drawn from a wide range of disciplines, a new chapter on conducting a systematic review, increased coverage of issues of evaluating quality and conducting reviews using online sources and online literature and enhanced guidance in dealing with copyright and permissions issues.

Writing for Social Scientists

Writing for Social Scientists
Author: Howard S. Becker
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2008-11-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0226041379

Students and researchers all write under pressure, and those pressures—most lamentably, the desire to impress your audience rather than to communicate with them—often lead to pretentious prose, academic posturing, and, not infrequently, writer’s block. Sociologist Howard S. Becker has written the classic book on how to conquer these pressures and simply write. First published nearly twenty years ago, Writing for Social Scientists has become a lifesaver for writers in all fields, from beginning students to published authors. Becker’s message is clear: in order to learn how to write, take a deep breath and then begin writing. Revise. Repeat. It is not always an easy process, as Becker wryly relates. Decades of teaching, researching, and writing have given him plenty of material, and Becker neatly exposes the foibles of academia and its “publish or perish” atmosphere. Wordiness, the passive voice, inserting a “the way in which” when a simple “how” will do—all these mechanisms are a part of the social structure of academic writing. By shrugging off such impediments—or at the very least, putting them aside for a few hours—we can reform our work habits and start writing lucidly without worrying about grades, peer approval, or the “literature.” In this new edition, Becker takes account of major changes in the computer tools available to writers today, and also substantially expands his analysis of how academic institutions create problems for them. As competition in academia grows increasingly heated, Writing for Social Scientists will provide solace to a new generation of frazzled, would-be writers.

Social Science Research

Social Science Research
Author: Anol Bhattacherjee
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2012-04-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781475146127

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.

Reason & Rigor

Reason & Rigor
Author: Sharon M. Ravitch
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2016-01-04
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1483346978

Designed for novice as well as more experienced researchers, Reason & Rigor by Sharon M. Ravitch and Matthew Riggan presents conceptual frameworks as a mechanism for aligning literature review, research design, and methodology. The book explores the conceptual framework—defined as both a process and a product—that helps to direct and ground researchers as they work through common research challenges. Focusing on published studies on a range of topics and employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, the updated Second Edition features two new chapters and clearly communicates the processes of developing and defining conceptual frameworks.

Abstracts and Abstracting

Abstracts and Abstracting
Author: Tibor Koltay
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2010-03-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1780630328

Despite their changing role, abstracts remain useful in the digital world. Highly beneficial to information professionals and researchers who work and publish in different fields, this book summarizes the most important and up-to-date theory of abstracting, as well as giving advice and examples for the practice of writing different kinds of abstracts. The book discusses the length, the functions and basic structure of abstracts, outlining a new approach to informative and indicative abstracts. The abstractors' personality, their linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge and skills are also discussed with special attention. - Despite the relatively large number of textbooks on the topic there is no up-to-date book on abstracting in the English language - In addition to providing a comprehensive coverage of the topic, the proposed book contains novel views - especially on informative and indicative abstracts - The discussion is based on an interdisciplinary approach, blending the methods of library and information science and linguistics

Writing Literature Reviews

Writing Literature Reviews
Author: Jose L. Galvan
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2017-04-05
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1351858920

Guideline 12: If the Results of Previous Studies Are Inconsistent or Widely Varying, Cite Them Separately

Visualizing Social Science Research

Visualizing Social Science Research
Author: Johannes Wheeldon
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2011-07-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 145223955X

This introductory text presents basic principles of social science research through maps, graphs, and diagrams. The authors show how concept maps and mind maps can be used in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research, using student-friendly examples and classroom-based activities. Integrating theory and practice, chapters show how to use these tools to plan research projects, "see" analysis strategies, and assist in the development and writing of research reports.

Social Science Research Methodology: Concepts, Methods and Computer Applications

Social Science Research Methodology: Concepts, Methods and Computer Applications
Author: George Kanire
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 99
Release: 2012-12-05
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 3656329877

Document from the year 2012 in the subject Communications - Methods and Research Logic, Kampala International University, course: undergraduates and graduates, language: English, abstract: Researches fundamentals are of great importance in disciplines and interested people on searching various knowledge or solution to a phenomenon. The main purpose of the book is to share scholarly knowledge about research and its complexity. This book can be used to train the basics and techniques involved on doing inquiries from different views. The experience shows that, no one single cure for all diseases. So when comes to research, there is no single research methodology or technique which fits all circumstances. Hence, the book tries to identify a family of approaches towards various research situations and distinguish their outcomes. Thus, various disciplines example human resource management, accounts and project management have different environmental set up i.e. matters in question, study elements involved and the study plan can determine research context. The study consulted scholars in different disciplines through their publications that explain various research methodologies. Generally the books highlighted some technical guide lines on conducting researches and report writing which provide overview on research plans. In chapter one, the book tried to explain how to choose among the methods of inquiries. It includes the meaning of research, research approaches and types. Chapter two addressing the types of variables deployed in a study. Either, chapter three tells how to generate research idea. Rather, the book through chapter four described how to develop a re-searchable topics. Meanwhile chapter five gives explanation on how to carry out literature survey that forms a crucial party of studies. Then chapter six is critically explain research designs and research management. The book concludes with the application of computer software in research process. Therefore, the book intended to guide researchers, academician and groom young researchers to conduct different inquiries. This is due to the fact that, human activities and environmental changes created complexity in life as well as challenges. So far; challenges need answers from fundamental questions such as what, where, who and how. It is the main reason for interested groups such as researchers, academician and practitioners to seek guidance during research. This is done to attain answers towards fundamental questions.