A new book examined the principles and practice of action research.
Source: Andy Townsend, Action Research: The challenges of understanding and researching practice, Open University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A new book examined the development of grounded theory method, and how it was evolving for new contexts in qualitative research.
Source: Cathy Urquhart, Grounded Theory for Qualitative Research: A practical guide , SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A new textbook provided a comprehensive introduction to qualitative research techniques.
Source: Maggi Savin-Baden and Claire Howell Major, Qualitative Research: The essential guide to theory and practice, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the extent to which it was possible to reach a workable consensus on standards of evidence that could be applied to the research informing social policy.
Source: Sandra Nutley, Alison Powell, and Huw Davies, What Counts as Good Evidence?, Alliance for Useful Evidence
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the reasons that people gave for participating in longitudinal health studies, and made recommendations for encouraging continued participation as they grew older.
Source: Gill Mein, Clive Seale, Helen Rice, Suneeta Johal, Richard Ashcroft, George Ellison, and Anthea Tinker, 'Altruism and participation in longitudinal health research? Insights from the Whitehall II Study', Social Science & Medicine, Volume 75 Issue 12
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper sought to isolate the causes of mode effects on measurement in a comparison of face-to-face and telephone interviewing. Differences in the the type of question stimulus used in each mode (audio as against visual) did not lead to differential measurement error: but the presence or absence of the interviewer did. Telephone respondents were far more likely to give socially desirable responses than face-to-face respondents.
Source: Caroline Roberts and Annette Jackle, Causes of Mode Effects: Separating out interviewer and stimulus effects in comparisons of face-to-face and telephone surveys, Working Paper 2012-27, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A new book provided a guide for researchers, reviewers, and consumers who were charged with judging the quality of qualitative studies in social sciences.
Source: Audrey Trainor and Elizabeth Graue (eds), Reviewing Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper presented some preliminary findings from the Wave 4 Innovation Panel (IP4) of 'Understanding Society' (a major new panel survey). It described the design of IP4, the experiments carried, and the preliminary findings from early analysis of the data.
Source: Sarah Budd, Emily Gilbert, Jonathan Burton, Annette Jackle, Olena Kaminska, SC Noah Uhrig, Matthew Brown, and Lisa Calderwood, Understanding Society Innovation Panel Wave 4: Results from Methodological Experiments, Understanding Society Working Paper 2012-06, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
Three linked papers examined how best to measure household expenditure in a social survey context.
Source: Jo d Ardenne and Margaret Blake, Developing Expenditure Questions: Findings from focus groups, Working Paper 12/18, Institute for Fiscal Studies | Jo d Ardenne and Margaret Blake, Developing Expenditure Questions: Findings from R1 cognitive testing, Working Paper 12/19, Institute for Fiscal Studies | Jo d Ardenne and Margaret Blake, Developing Expenditure Questions: Findings from R2 cognitive testing, Working Paper 12/20, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Links removed
Date: 2012-Oct
A new book examined objectivity and subjectivity in social research. Instead of treating the two concepts as opposed, it treated them as logically and methodologically related.
Source: Gayle Letherby, John Scott, and Malcolm Williams, Objectivity and Subjectivity in Social Research, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Oct
An article examined response patterns to a survey of schoolchildren (the Programme for International Student Assessment) that set response thresholds in an attempt to control the quality of data. It highlighted the danger of using such thresholds as a guide to quality of data.
Source: John Micklewright, Sylke Schnepf, and Chris Skinner, 'Non-response biases in surveys of schoolchildren: the case of the English Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) samples', Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, Volume 175 Issue 4
Links: Article
Date: 2012-Oct
Two linked reports highlighted the social value and impact of work carried out at the leading research universities.
Source: Jewels in the Crown: The importance and characteristics of the UK s world-class universities, Russell Group | The Social Impact of Research Conducted in Russell Group Universities, Russell Group
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Russell Group press release | Million+ press release | Guardian report
Date: 2012-Oct
A report said that there was a 'serious deficit' in quantitative skills in the social sciences, which threatened the effectiveness of public policy-making and the United Kingdom's status as a world leader in research and higher education.
Source: Society Counts: Quantitative skills in the social sciences and humanities, British Academy
Links: Report | British Academy press release
Date: 2012-Oct
A new book said that the dominant methods used in evidence-based policy-making – broadly speaking, methods that imitated standard practices in medicine such as randomized control trials – did not work. They failed because they did not enhance the ability to predict whether policies would be effective.
Source: Nancy Cartwright and Jeremy Hardie, Evidence-Based Policy: A practical guide to doing it better, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Sep
An article said that although metrics-based assessment could predict reasonably well the overall outcome of the 2008 research assessment exercise for social work/social policy and administration in terms of research environment, it could not do so in terms of research outputs. It was sometimes argued that citation counts provided an alternative approach, but this was fraught with difficulties. Academics did not, in fact, routinely choose to submit their most cited work. At least in this subject, metrics were more suited as a 'handmaiden' to peer review than its replacement.
Source: Stephen McKay, 'Social policy excellence – peer review or metrics? Analyzing the 2008 research assessment exercise in social work and social policy and administration', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 46 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
A report by a committee of MPs said that scrapping the 10-yearly national Census could harm social science. Other methods of data collection might not be adequate or any cheaper.
Source: The Census and Social Science, Third Report (Session 2012–13), HC 322, House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Additional written evidence | British Academy press release | BBC report | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined how reports of subjective well-being (SWB) differed by mode of survey administration. Using data from the 2011 Annual Population Survey in the United Kingdom, it was found that individuals consistently reported higher SWB over the phone compared with face-to-face interviews. The determinants of SWB also differed significantly by survey mode. It was therefore necessary to account for mode of administration effects in research into SWB and its determinants.
Source: Paul Dolan and Georgios Kavetsos, Happy Talk: Mode of administration effects on subjective well-being, DP1159, Centre for Economic Performance (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper presented a set of challenges as a basis for a new research agenda that would give new direction to the neighbourhood effects debate. Future work should concentrate on explaining what was in the 'black box' of the 'neighbourhood effect' by deriving and testing clear hypotheses on causal neighbourhood effect mechanisms. Studies should explicitly investigate the relationship between neighbourhood context and individual outcomes.
Source: Maarten van Ham and David Manley, Neighbourhood Effects Research at a Crossroads: Ten challenges for future research, Discussion Paper 6793, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined recent developments in archiving social research. Advances in data archiving had been driven by the quest for comparable and harmonized data sources, and by mandates from research sponsors to make data accessible – to provide both transparency and to maximize re-use value. Four recent developments were bringing challenges for social science data archives: methods for archiving qualitative data; providing safe access to data; institutional data-archiving initiatives; and dealing with the emergence of 'new' data types.
Source: Louise Corti, 'Recent developments in archiving social research', International Journal of Social Research Methodology, Volume 15 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper examined some of the methodological challenges around retrospective questions, using evidence from the 1958 National Child Development Study. Cohort members with less stable family backgrounds, those living in larger households, those with less education, and men were more likely to provide inconsistent responses. Researchers should use caution when interpreting responses from these groups to retrospective questions about their childhood homes.
Source: Matt Brown, Assessing Recall of Early Life Circumstances: Evidence from the National Child Development Study, Working Paper 2012/3, Centre for Longitudinal Studies (University of London)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
The coalition government said that it had accepted the recommendations of an independent review into ways of improving public access to state-funded research. The Research Councils simultaneously published a new 'open access' policy, informed by the Finch report.
Source: Government Response to the Finch Group Report: 'Accessibility, Sustainability, Excellence: How to Expand Access to Research Publications', Department for Business, Innovation and Skills | Research Councils UK Policy on Access to Research Outputs, Research Councils UK
Links: Response | DBIS press release | RCUK policy | RCUK press release | RSS press release | Russell Group press release | Times Higher Education report
Notes: Finch report (June 2012)
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the practicalities and the ethics of using archived qualitative data for teaching purposes.
Source: Libby Bishop, 'Using archived qualitative data for teaching: practical and ethical considerations', International Journal of Social Research Methodology, Volume 15 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A new book examined theoretical and practical issues relating to community research methodologies.
Source: Lisa Goodson and Jenny Phillimore (eds), Community Research for Participation: From theory to method, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jul
A report examined the benefits of open access to scholarly research outputs for voluntary and community sector (VCS) organizations. The VCS had an appetite and need for scholarly research that it could not currently satisfy. Voluntary and charitable organizations were creative and resourceful at overcoming the barriers they faced to access: but cost was a fundamental constraint. The most often mentioned disadvantage of limited access to research was not being able to keep up to date with the latest developments.
Source: Diane Beddoes, Ellie Brodie, Robin Clarke, and Chih Hoong Sin, Benefits of Open Access to Scholarly Research for Voluntary and Charitable Sector Organisations, Joint Information Systems Committee
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
The report of a working group (chaired by Janet Finch) recommended a programme of action to enable more people to read and use the publications arising from research. Better, faster communication of research results would bring benefits for public services and for economic growth. It would also bring improved efficiency for researchers, and opportunities for more public engagement with research. It said that there was a powerful 'moral' case for publicly funded research to be freely available.
Source: Accessibility, Sustainability, Excellence: How to expand access to research publications, Research Information Network
Links: Report | Summary | RCUK press release | RSS press release | UCL press release | Universities UK press release | Wellcome Trust press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Jun
A new book examined ethical issues in qualitative research, focusing on minimizing harm, respecting autonomy, and protecting privacy.
Source: Martyn Hammersley and Anna Traianou, Ethics in Qualitative Research: Controversies and contexts, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
A new book provided a critical analysis of the contribution of evaluation research to policy-making.
Source: Colin Palfrey, Paul Thomas, and Ceri Phillips, Evaluation for the Real World: The impact of evidence in policy making, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
An article formulated a preliminary model of the role of the precautionary principle in evidence-based policy. Although precaution might be a barrier to evidence-based policy-making, this was not always so: depending on the contextual factors, it could also be enabling, encouraging policy-makers to engage with the evidence.
Source: Mark Monaghan, Ray Pawson, and Kate Wicker, 'The precautionary principle and evidence-based policy', Evidence & Policy, Volume 8 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article said that many of the practices around the sharing of social research were stuck in 'information-telling' mode and failed to draw on approaches from other fields that were concerned with influencing deeper beliefs, values, assumptions, or mental models. It examined some of these other areas of 'influencing' in order to assess their relevance for the communication of social research. Despite some attendant risks, there was scope for using a wider repertoire of approaches to communicating social research findings.
Source: Huw Davies and Alison Powell, 'Communicating social research findings more effectively: what can we learn from other fields?', Evidence & Policy, Volume 8 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A report examined the importance of survey methods research to the future of the social sciences; identified activities that required support in order to develop and maintain high-quality survey methods; and outlined the nature of the required support and possible mechanisms for delivering it.
Source: Peter Lynn, Bob Erens, and Patrick Sturgis, A Strategy for Survey Methods Research in the UK, Survey Resources Network
Links: Report
Date: 2012-May
An article examined how claims for rigour and relevance could be met in action research. It introduced four factors that would support high rigour in writing scientific texts for communicating research findings: research partnering; controlling biases; standardized methods; and alternative explanations.
Source: Morten Levin, 'Academic integrity in action research', Action Research, Volume 10 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined the consequences of using time-invariant individual effects in panel data models when the unobservables were in fact time-varying. Using data from the British Offending Crime and Justice panel, it estimated a dynamic factor model of the occurrence of a range of illicit activities as outcomes of young people's development processes. This structure was then used to demonstrate that relying on the assumption of time-invariant individual effects to deal with confounding factors in a conventional dynamic panel data model was likely to lead to spurious gateway effects linking cannabis use to subsequent hard drug use.
Source: Monica Hernandez and Stephen Pudney, What You Don't See Can't Hurt You? Panel data analysis and the dynamics of unobservable factors, Discussion Paper 12/06, Health Economics and Decision Science, University of Sheffield
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined deliberation as a research technique (as opposed to policy-making or public consultation). The purpose of deliberation was to uncover the public's informed, considered, and collective view on a normative question – often in relation to research on poverty, well-being, and inequality, where there was a need to define and justify the thresholds and concepts adopted on a deeper basis than convention alone could offer. The paper compared deliberative research with more traditional methods of studying the values of the general public, such as in-depth interviewing, attitudinal surveys, and participatory approaches. Deliberative designs involved a number of assumptions, including a strong fact/value distinction, an emphasis on 'outsider' expertise, and a view of participants as essentially similar to each other rather than defined by socio-demographic differences. Normative decisions permeated the design and implementation of deliberative research: although it had the potential to provide uniquely considered, insightful, and well justified answers, transparency at all stages of the process was essential.
Source: Tania Burchardt, Deliberative Research As a Tool to Make Value Judgements, CASEpaper 159, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Date: 2012-Apr
A new book provided an introduction to the processes and methods of planning and conducting survey research.
Source: Lesley Andres, Designing and Doing Survey Research, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Apr
A new book examined issues related to the involvement of children and young people in health and social care research.
Source: Jennie Fleming and Thilo Boeck, Involving Children and Young People in Health and Social Care Research, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined methods for assessing the quality and validity of survey data.
Source: Jorg Blasius and Victor Thiessen, Assessing the Quality of Survey Data, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new textbook examined the synthesis of qualitative research findings. Despite the contingent nature of evidence gleaned from qualitative studies, systematic synthesis was an important technique that – used judiciously – could deepen understanding of the contextual dimensions that emerged from qualitative research.
Source: Michael Saini and Aron Shlonsky, Systematic Synthesis of Qualitative Research, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined the process of developing a research proposal, and the factors that were likely to promote a successful application.
Source: Pam Denicolo and Lucinda Becker, Developing Research Proposals, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined practical strategies to help maximize the chances of success in getting academic work published in a chosen journal.
Source: Lucinda Becker and Pam Denicolo, Publishing Journal Articles, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined work with children as co-researchers and as participants, based on acknowledging children as rights-holders. Building capacity on the substantive research issues enabled children to contribute more confidently.
Source: Laura Lundy and Lesley McEvoy, 'Children s rights and research processes: assisting children to (in)formed views', Childhood, Volume 19 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined whether or not evidence-based policy evaluation had had an impact on policy formation and public service delivery. The fact that evidence was not always used instrumentally, in the sense of leading to action in specific, direct ways, did not mean that it had little or no influence.
Source: Philip Davies, 'The state of evidence-based policy evaluation and its role in policy formation', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 219 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined how well the European Union's Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) had met its objectives, focusing on the areas of sampling and design, household dynamics, and incomes. In each domain the EU-SILC formed a unique and useful resource: but there were also problems and shortcomings – some of which could be rectified relatively easily, for the majority of countries.
Source: Maria Iacovou, Olena Kaminska, and Horacio Levy, Using EU-SILC Data for Cross-National Analysis: Strengths, problems and recommendations, Working Paper 2012-03, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that the emphasis placed on a research participant's capacity to provide informed consent could not be regarded solely as a protective measure for 'vulnerable' groups: it was also bound up with their social positioning as socially 'deficient' according to liberal models of citizenship. Participation in a qualitative study could be seen as a dimension of the civil and human right to freedom of expression. The protective rights accorded to vulnerable groups in qualitative research needed to be considered alongside other human goods, such as the promotion of voice, agency, and active citizenship.
Source: Pamela Fisher, 'Ethics in qualitative research: "vulnerability", citizenship and human rights', Ethics and Social Welfare, Volume 6 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined ethical concerns over the practice, process, and consequences of the widespread assumption of anonymization in social research.
Source: Amanda Coffey, Jesse Heley, Robin Mann, Corinna Patterson, Alex Plows, Stuart Tannock, and Mike Woods, Anonymisation in Social Research, Briefing MBS/003, Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (Cardiff University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the implications of the forthcoming assessment of research in universities (the Research Excellence Framework) for enhanced partnerships between social work practice and academia.
Source: Jonathan Parker and Edwin van Teijlingen, 'The Research Excellence Framework (REF): assessing the impact of social work research on society', Practice: Social Work in Action, Volume 24 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that communities of educational researchers needed to have the confidence to become outward-looking, and to strengthen alliances with other disciplines as well as with practitioners and policy-makers.
Source: Mary James, 'Growing confidence in educational research: threats and opportunities', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 38 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the practice of evaluation – including its emotional as well as its social, political, and technical aspects.
Source: Gillian Squirrell, Evaluation in Action: Theory and practice for effective evaluation, Russell House Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined issues surrounding access to sensitive unit-level data produced within government, and considered ways of overcoming obstacles to access created by legal considerations and perceptions of risk.
Source: Felix Ritchie, Access to Sensitive Data: Satisfying objectives rather than constraints, Paper WDR/007, Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (Cardiff University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper outlined some of the challenges in obtaining participation from older sample members in a survey that was not specifically tailored to older people; provided evidence of the relative response propensity of older people in such a survey; and provided experimental evidence of potential influences on age-related response propensity.
Source: Peter Lynn, The Propensity of Older Respondents to Participate in a General Purpose Survey, Understanding Society Working Paper 2012-03, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A research team documented their experiences of recruiting families into trials and summarized the strategies that they had found to work best.
Source: Moira Doolan, Celia Beckett, Jane O Brien, and Stephen Scott, Strategies for Engaging and Keeping Families in Research Studies: Key lessons from the Helping Children Achieve Trial, Research Report RR185C, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that randomized impact evaluations could provide an effective way to generate the information needed to make government more effective. Advances in the theory and practice of running randomized evaluations meant that a wider range of questions could be answered than ever before.
Source: Rachel Glennerster, 'The power of evidence: improving the effectiveness of government by investing in more rigorous evaluation', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 219 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the development of a series of new ethnic identity questions, designed specifically for inclusion in the 'Understanding Society' longitudinal survey – but with applicability for longitudinal studies further afield.
Source: Alita Nandi and Lucinda Platt, 'Developing ethnic identity questions for Understanding Society', Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, Volume 3 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the increasing trend towards including young people in social science research. It questioned whether 'user involvement' necessarily benefited the users or produced 'better' research. The article drew on the dilemmas encountered in a research project on young people's experiences of violence in their intimate relationships.
Source: Melanie McCarry, 'Who benefits? A critical reflection of children and young people s participation in sensitive research', International Journal of Social Research Methodology, Volume 15 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the different structures and processes used by the National Health Service, universities, and local authorities to ensure proper governance of adult social care research.
Source: John Woolham, Research Governance and Ethics for Adult Social Care Research: Procedures, practices and challenges, National Institute for Health Research (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined the common practice of adapting the format of social survey questions to the mode of data collection (such as face-to-face interviews as against telephone interviews).
Source: Gerry Nicolaas, Pamela Campanelli, Steven Hope, Annette Jackle, and Peter Lynn, Is It a Good Idea to Optimise Question Format for Mode of Data Collection? Results from a mixed modes experiment, Working Paper 2011-31, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A new textbook provided an introduction to key issues and practical methods needed for data collection in social research.
Source: Wendy Olsen, Data Collection: Key debates and methods in social research, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined new methods and approaches that had become increasingly popular in recent years among youth researchers.
Source: Sue Heath and Charlie Walker (eds.), Innovations in Youth Research, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined the practice of social comparison between the citizens of different European countries. By generating diverse social encounters, new information resources, and an extension in the scope of common legislation, the European project invited citizens to compare their daily experiences with those of people further afield and to evoke reference groups outside their country of residence. The author examined the political significance of these emergent practices for the perception of injustice, the sense of personal misfortune, and the development of new forms of cross-national subjecthood.
Source: Jonathan White, Parallel Lives: Social comparison across national boundaries, LEQS Paper 47/2012, London School of Economics
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined the extent and correlates of non-response at waves 1 and 2 of the 'Understanding Society' longitudinal study.
Source: Peter Lynn, Jonathan Burton, Olena Kaminska, Gundi Knies, and Alita Nandi, An Initial Look at Non-Response and Attrition in Understanding Society, Understanding Society Working Paper 2012-02, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the key elements of the design and conduct of 'Understanding Society', the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study; and suggested how it was distinctive as a longitudinal survey.
Source: Nick Buck and Stephanie McFall, 'Understanding Society: design overview', Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, Volume 3 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the use of qualitative research methods in the field of social care. Qualitative research had been successful in identifying under-researched areas, in documenting the experiences of people using services, and in evaluating new types of service or intervention.
Source: Jo Moriarty, Qualitative Methods Overview, School for Social Care Research, National Institute for Health Research
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper provided a brief guide to sources of data on families and households, including the Labour Force Survey.
Source: Comparing Data Sources on Families and Households, Office for National Statistics
Links: Briefing
Date: 2012-Jan