Many social researchers today put a premium on novel perspectives, original topics of study, and new approaches. The importance of incrementally advancing established lines of theorizing and research is often overlooked. Cumulative Social Inquiry offers researchers strategies for building meaningful connections among lines of research that would otherwise remain disparate, thus facilitating systematic theory building and the generation of policy-oriented empirical evidence. Robert B. Smith shows how to design theoretically informed studies that illuminate the social structures, processes, and mechanisms that produce observable outcomes. Numerous examples of classic and contemporary mixed-methods studies illustrate the ways in which qualitative and quantitative techniques can be mutually reinforcing and can contribute to solving research problems at multiple levels.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
'Countering a trend in social research that values novelty over cumulative knowledge, this book advocates for a reorientation of the discipline. Smith reviews many classic and recent studies that link qualitative with quantitative methods and theory with data. In the process, he points the way toward developing a more coherent, policy-relevant science.' - Judith M. Tanur, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita, Department of Sociology, Stony Brook University
'This book fills a substantial void in social inquiry. Smith has carried off a very solid exposition of the role of cumulative inquiry at a time when many eschew the importance of systematic programs of research in favor of the novel and titillating. He shows how qualitative and quantitative research has contributed to the identification and solution of research problems at multiple levels, including theory development, method choice, and measurement implementation.' - Robert Shelly, Department of Sociology, Ohio University
'Smith's book poses a fundamental though rarely uttered question about the state of sociology. It is certainly older, but is it any wiser? Pointing to the discipline's penchant for novelty, fashion, and celebrity worship, Smith urges a return to core values, demonstrating that cumulative knowledge is something that needs to be worked for rather than taken for granted. He goes beyond a philosophical wish list to offer a practical manifesto, including dozens of examples showing how explanations can be made to cumulate through programs of sustained empirical work. With something to say to both novices and veterans, this book deserves a worldwide readership.' - Ray Pawson, Professor of Social Research Methodology, University of Leeds 'Smith's book poses a fundamental though rarely uttered question about the state of sociology. It is certainly older, but is it any wiser? Pointing to the discipline's penchant for novelty, fashion, and celebrity worship, Smith urges a return to core values, demonstrating that cumulative knowledge is something that needs to be worked for rather than taken for granted. He goes beyond a philosophical wish list to offer a practical manifesto, including dozens of examples showing how explanations can be made to cumulate through programs of sustained empirical work. With something to say to both novices and veterans, this book deserves a worldwide readership.' - Ray Pawson, Professor of Social Research Methodology, University of Leeds
'Countering a trend in social research that values novelty over cumulative knowledge, this book advocates for a reorientation of the discipline. Smith reviews many classic and recent studies that link qualitative with quantitative methods and theory with data. In the process, he points the way toward developing a more coherent, policy-relevant science.' - Judith M. Tanur, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita, Department of Sociology, Stony Brook University
'This book fills a substantial void in social inquiry. Smith has carried off a very solid exposition of the role of cumulative inquiry at a time when many eschew the importance of systematic programs of research in favor of the novel and titillating. He shows how qualitative and quantitative research has contributed to the identification and solution of research problems at multiple levels, including theory development, method choice, and measurement implementation.' - Robert Shelly, Department of Sociology, Ohio University
'Reading this book made me proud to be a social scientist. Robert B. Smith has explored and connected vast territories of exciting ideas and approaches. When we look back at the 20th Century we will see that everything was there, waiting for Smith and fellow cumulativists and unificationists to put it all together.' - Guillermina Jasso, Department of Sociology, New York University
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Maße
Höhe: 234 mm
Breite: 156 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-59385-653-3 (9781593856533)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Robert B. Smith is a senior statistician at Cytel, Inc., in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is an advisory editor of the journal Quality & Quantity. Previously, he taught political sociology, research methods, and theory development at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research there focused on the social consequences of war, generalizations of path analysis, and computer simulations of social processes. Since then, he has worked extensively in applied research. His publications include articles on political and social processes; the three volumes of the edited Handbook of Social Science Methods, which links qualitative and quantitative methods; and applications of multilevel models to aspects of human development. His recent research at the University of Cambridge-MIT Institute assesses student exchange programs and pedagogical experiments. He was a Fulbright lecturer in structural sociology at Ghent University, Belgium, and has served as president of the Boston chapter of the American Statistical Association.
Introduction. Cumulative Social Inquiry: Theoretical Paradigms, Social Research, and Empirically Based Theorizing. Linking Quality and Quantity. Building Quantitative Studies on the Qualitative. Qualitative and Quantitative Social Structural Theorizing. Statistical Methods and Process Models. Transforming Novelty into Innovation. Conclusion.
