Research in the social sciences is based on many different traditions, with the most fundamental being the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research. This distinction, in a way, determines the structure of this book and the manner in which various research issues and research methods are approached.

The book is divided into four parts. The first part analyzes basic ideas about the nature of research in the social sciences. The second part addresses quantitative research, with an emphasis mainly on survey research. Similarly, the third part analyzes aspects of qualitative research.

It is interesting that both the second and third parts examine issues such as sampling, observation, interviewing, and data analysis, highlighting the different ways these issues are approached in qualitative and quantitative research.

Finally, the fourth part analyzes mixed methods research and presents useful suggestions for writing a research paper.