Clive Seale

"From starting out to generating, analysing, and presenting real-world data, this book covers social research and research methodology foundations and sits on the pulse of topics like digital social research, social surveys, and big data. It gives readers the tools to: design the right research question; access, understand, and use existing data; write up projects and assignments effectively; [and] be confident in the A to Z of the research process. Packed with international examples and supported by videos, datasets, templates, and additional exercises, this book is the perfect hand-holder for any social science student starting a methods course or project"--Back cover.

All of the contributors to this book use their own research practice to explain and reflect on what they have learned from their experiences as researchers. This book explains 'how to do' qualitative research but may hide at least three dangers: The provision of a set of arid 'principles' which may bear little relation to the actual student experience of doing a research project -- The tendency to downplay the extent to which doing qualitative research is a craft skill dependent on a practical apprenticeship rather than cookbook knowledge -- The concealment of the variety of analytical models and approaches currently in use in qualitative research.

"How are health matters presented by the mass media? How accurate are the messages we are receiving? This book demonstrates how health messages in popular mass media are important influences in our lives, and that they are not neutral. The author demonstrates the importance of mass media for our understanding of the experience of illness, health and health care, and brings together the latest thinking in the field of media studies and the sociology of health and illness."--Back cover.

This text forms part of an Open University second level course.