Research Methods in the Social Sciences w/Data Bank CD [Paperback]

Chava Frankfort-Nachmias (Author), David Nachmias (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 071675519X | ISBN-13: 978-0716755197 | Publication Date: March 6, 2007 | Edition: 7th

This acclaimed text offers a comprehensive, systematic treatment of the scientific approach to research within the context of the social sciences.   It leads students through seven major, interrelated stages of research methods: definition of the research problem, statement of hypothesis, research design, measurement, data collection, data analysis, and generalization.The new edition features a new Data Bank CD and an appendix introducing students to SPSS.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chava Frankfort-Nachmias is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, USA David Nachmias is a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and holds the Romulo Betancourt Chair in Political Science at Tel Aviv University, Israel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Worth Publishers; 7th edition (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071675519X
• ISBN-13: 978-0716755197
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A textbook thats actually readable, July 31, 2000

By 

Lloyd A. Conway (Detroit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Research Methods in the Social Sciences w/Data Disk (Windows) (Hardcover)

This is the sixth edition, which means that the still probably useful fifth and previous editions are now good for landfill duty. The price is hefty. (Why don't textbook publishers offer financing?) That said, this is a usable book, one that the reader might be tempted not to sell after class is over. The research and statistics chapters are well-written and placed in logical order. The material is comprehensive, and strikes a nice balance between not being too technical without being too elementary. What appealed to me was the by-the-numbers approach, with numerous lists embedded in the text throughout. (For example, if there are seven factors to consider in reference to the internal validity of a research design, they are boxed off and numbered, after being discussed in the text.) The book comes with a disk containing a 1996 general survey of social science issues. This is provided by way of example, and is referenced at the end of most chapters as a real-world example and 'how to' guide to research methedology and design. Nonetheless, you can do as I did, and read without using the disk (I used it once), and still come away with complete understanding. This book is also free of the filler that crowds and obscures useful information in the garden variety textbook. This book would have gotten five stars, had it not been for the authors' annoying habit of using liberal examples. In a social science research text, reference to politically sensetive issues is to be expected. What annoys is that virtually every example, whether derived from real life, or an admittedly ficticous example, is given a liberal slant. If the factors being researched are education and political orientation, then liberalism correlates with higher education (read: conservatives are dummies). If the subject is nominal variables, the example is party affiliation in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans two-to-one. In other words, the examples serve the standard orthodoxies of our time. Don't expect to see any on race and abortion, or the use of guns to deter crime. That said, since the main users of this book are college students, and as such are getting much heavier doses of campus radicalism and causes du jour, this book's bias is relatively mild. If you are going to study research methodologies, you could do much worse than this text. -Lloyd Conway

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written clearly and comprehensive, October 6, 2004

By 

Newsman78 "newsman78" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Research Methods in the Social Sciences w/Data Disk (Windows) (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this book to any social science researcher, not just the beginners intended as the primary audience. It helps remind everyone of the fundamentals that all good research should be based on.

Nachmias & Nachmias do an excellent job of clarifying sometimes difficult to understand concepts. They present basic statistical and mathematical ideas in a way designed not to scare off those of us not so good with numbers. At the same time, they cover a vast number of relevant topics. Comprehensive is the only word to use.

Only quibble: really expensive! Otherwise it's fantastic.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most useful introductory text in this field., April 1, 1999

By 

Dr. William E. Bennett ([e-mail]) (Campbellsville, Kentucky 42718) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Research Methods in the Social Sciences (Hardcover)

I have used this text in my introductory level research class for several years. I find it to be well designed and clearly written. The authors make good use of real life examples to claarify complex topics. The text almost teaches itself.