Sociological research is typically either quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. These methods tend to align with the views of the researcher; the researcher may subscribe to positivist or interpretivist approaches which can shape their entire process. Quantitative research uses numerical values (think of quantity) to understand phenomena; qualitative research looks for rich descriptions to understand phenomena. Positivist researchers begin the process with theories and hypotheses in mind and design their experiments to test them. They then use deductive reasoning to reach their conclusion. They tend to use quantitative research, assigning numerical values to the attributes they want to measure. For example, they may use the number of hospital visits a person has in a year as a measure of their health. An interpretivist researcher wants to gather information from participants before drawing conclusions. Once data is collected from participants through things like observations and interviews, the interpretivist researcher will use inductive reasoning to come to a conclusion. This research tends to be more exploratory and not a confirmation of a single correct answer. In planning a study’s design, sociologists generally choose from four widely used methods of social investigation: survey, experiment, field research, and textual or secondary data analysis (or use of existing sources). This comprehensive book provides a broad overview of research methods utilized in sociology. It will be of particular value for students who are new to research methods.

Rudradaman Nair is a sociologist with expertise in research methods and social statistics. His publications on sociological research methodologies and data analysis techniques have been published in sociology journals, supporting empirical research and evidence-based social analysis. His methodological innovations and empirical research support sociological studies on social phenomena and data analysis techniques.