This book, "Research Methods," is intended for undergraduate and graduate students and university professors who need assistance in preparing theses, journal articles, research proposals for funding, and research projects in the humanities and social sciences. It is widely used as a textbook for research methodology courses at universities in the United States and Canada, as well as in many other countries.
Recent trends in research methods include the dominance of qualitative research, the development of quantitative designs, and the use of mixed-method research approaches. A key feature of this book is its comparison of these three research methods.
The comparison attempted in this book begins with a basic review of the philosophical assumptions of the three approaches, a literature review, an evaluation of the application of theories in research approaches, and reflections on the importance of writing and ethics in scholarly inquiry.
It then covers the core elements of the research process, including writing an introduction, stating the research purpose, identifying research questions and hypotheses, and presenting methods and procedures for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.
Therefore, this book will serve as an excellent guide for conducting qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research at each stage of the research process, from raising research questions to writing research reports.