Review
"Second editions, like movie sequels, rarely surpass the originals.
Real World Research is a stunning exception. Robson has brilliantly expanded and revised what was already the best book on how to actually do research in applied settings."
Joseph A. Maxwell, George Mason University <!--end-->
"Even the most anxious and resistant novice will surely feel they have a new insight (and hopefully, confidence) into the various approaches to social research. Robson manages to combine cool objectivity with both enthusiasm and passion. One can see why the first edition was successful." Anthony Gale, University of Portsmouth
"This handbook will be very useful as an overview of various strategies, methods and research designs in social research, combining quantitative and qualitative research in a critical realist paradigm ... Robson's great strengths are his writing style, overall breadth of coverage and organization—huge elements needed for any book to be judged a success. This is an expert who does not intimidate or pontificate to the reader." Maximilian C. Forte, Forum: Qualitative Sozialforschung, Volume 3, No. 4, November 2002
"Colin Robson's excellent first edition of Real World Research....succeeded because it spoke to the reader with a clear and authoritative voice that was never afraid of highlighting the problems and difficulties with conducting research in dynamic social situations ... The new edition has greatly expanded the content of the early book, but has largely managed to hold onto the clear voice and a direct relevance for the anthropological field worker ... One of the qualities of the book I find very appealing is the strength of Robson's voice thoroughout the text; the style is almost conversational talking rather than writing, and as a result is quite inspiring." Lindsey Poole, Performance and Innovation Unit, Cabinet Office, London, Anthropological Theory, 3 (3), 393-394.
Book Description
This successful text furnishes students with the skills necessary to conduct research outside the laboratory, in real world situations. For the second edition, the text has been thoroughly revised in order to bring it right up to date, and to make it as useful as possible for teachers and students from a range of behavioral and social science disciplines. Changes for the new edition include: Examples and references have been updated, and new examples have been drawn in from the fields of applied psychology, applied social science, health studies, social work and education. Greater emphasis has been placed on flexible designs using largely qualitative methods, including additional coverage of ethnographic and grounded theory approaches. Critical discussion is included of the place of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and statistical significance testing in fixed, quantitative design research The quantitative analysis section is now based around the current version of SPSS, while the section on qualitative analysis is now based around the NUD*IST software. Material has been added on combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The author has situated the material more clearly within theoretical conceptualizations of the nature of social science research, pointing to the advantages of a critical realist approach. The text now incorporates more on tests and test theory. Improvements to the pedagogical material include the addition of a glossary and detailed cross-referencing across chapters. For sample chapters please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/robson
