Introduction to Social Research

This is a beautifully understated and highly accessible book. It focuses on the issues and practicalities of doing social scientific research, introducing a wide range of methods and approaches to get students thinking and a project underway. This new edition has been thoroughly updated, and there are welcome new chapters on theory, literature searching, research ethics and the internet. The book is authoritative and will be well used by students and teachers of social science research methods.

Comprehensive, thoroughgoing and well organised, Punch's book has a deservedly high reputation among social science researchers. This third edition, with new material on literature searching, ethics, theory and the Internet makes it a must-have for students and professional researchers alike.
In this work, Keith Punch covers all the essentials of social science research with clarity and an obvious command of the subject matter. His coverage of quantitative and qualitative methods from design through to collection and analysis offers breadth and depth perfect for any undergraduate attempting to navigate the research world. I look forward to putting a copy of this latest edition on my shelf and recommending it students. 

This 3^rd edition provides an accessible yet comprehensive and detailed framework for understanding social research. The clear layout with chapter objectives and summary questions offers a robust and practical learning structure for students which guides them through both theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary research.  No research methods course should be without it!!
All in all, this book is incredibly well structured and free from jargon and over complication. It is a joy to read, and it guides the reader step-by-step towards understanding what social research is all about.

Introduction
Theory and Method in Social Research
Ethics in Social Research - Alis Oancea
Research Questions
From Research Questions to Data
Literature Searching and Reviewing - with Alis Oancea
Qualitative Research Design
Collecting Qualitative Data
The Analysis of Qualitative Data
Quantitative Research Design
Collecting Quantitative Data
The Analysis of Quantitative Data
The Internet and Research - Wayne McGowan
Mixed Methods and Evaluation
Research Writing

Keith F. Punch is a social research expert and was Winthrop Professor in the Graduate School of Education, the University of Western Australia, and is now Professor Emeritus in the University of Western Australia.