Applied social research methods series ;

Stressing the interaction of the moderator and group as well as the mechanics of designing, conducting and interpreting the outcome of focus groups, this work provides a systematic treatment of focus group interviews within the context of social science research and theory.

'Secondary Research' has been revised to give the latest information on computer-based storage and retrieval systems. The second edition features expanded coverage of computer-based information, including a new chapter on CD-ROM products and updated coverage of on-line information search services.

This practical guide for doing policy analysis is written for researchers who either would like to have their ideas considered by public decision makers or who want to train their students in skills necessary to survive and thrive in the policy arena either as experts or as decision makers themselves. Organizing policy issues around "rules of thumb" and actual cases, the authors address these issues from all three levels of government, including quasi-governmental organizations and not-for-profits. Communicating Social Science Research to Policymakers will help professors and students better understand the "real world" of public policy and practitioners think more systematically about what they do in the policy arena.