Clear, comprehensive, and trusted, Bryman's Social Research Methods has guided over a quarter of a million students through their research methods course and student research project. The thoroughly updated sixth edition offers unrivalled coverage of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods with renewed focus and a fresh, modern feel.

The authors have worked closely with lecturers and students in thoroughly updating the sixth edition to reflect the current social science landscape, and carefully streamlining content to make it relevant and appealing to today's students. As a result, the text's comprehensive coverage - which includes many new examples and additional material on areas such as social media research and big data - is now even clearer, more focused, and easier to navigate.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

• Thoroughly but sensitively updated by three new authors. Dr Tom Clark, Dr Liam Foster, and Dr Luke Sloan bring specialist expertise and have worked closely with students and lecturers to build on Alan Bryman's impressive legacy.
• Extensively streamlined to provide even more focused coverage of the key aspects of social research, with adjustments made throughout to improve clarity and aid navigation.
• A clean, attractive new design makes the material easier than ever to read and use.
• Coverage - including citations and real research examples - has been broadened to better reflect the concerns and contexts of the book's geographically diverse, multi-disciplinary readership. Discussions of feminist perspectives have also been updated to highlight wider issues relating to marginalised groups and power dynamics in research, and inclusive, ethical practices are consistently endorsed.
• New material on recent developments within social research, including social media research and big data, has been embedded throughout and the numerous examples of real research have been thoroughly updated.
• In new 'Learn from experience' boxes, recent social science graduates from across the UK and Europe share their experiences of conducting a student research project. These candid accounts will inspire readers and help them to avoid common pitfalls and emulate successful approaches.
• Expanded digital resources now include a 'research process in practice' simulation, answers to the end-of-chapter questions, videos from the new 'Learn from experience' graduate panel, and screencast tutorials covering the data analysis software packages SPSS, Nvivo, R, and Stata.

The eBook offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with functionality tools, navigation features and links that offer extra learning support: Find the eBook on VitalSource.

Part 1: The research process
1: The nature and process of social research
2: Social research strategies: quantitative research and qualitative research
3: Research designs
4: Planning a research project and formulating research questions
5: Reviewing the literature
6: Ethics and politics in social research

Part 2: Quantitative research
7: The nature of quantitative research
8: Sampling in quantitative research
9:  Structured interviewing
10: Self-completion questionnaires
11: Asking questions
12: Structured observation
13: Content analysis
14: Using existing data
15: Quantitative data analysis

Part 3: Qualitative research
16: The nature of qualitative research
17: Sampling in qualitative research
18: Ethnography and participant observation
19: Interviewing in qualitative research
20: Focus groups
21: Language in qualitative research
22: Documents as sources of data
23: Qualitative data analysis

Part 4: Mixed methods research and writing up
24: Combining quantitative and qualitative research
25: Writing up social research

Tom Clark - Lecturer in Research Methods, The University of Sheffield.

Liam Foster - Senior Lecturer in Social Policy & Social Work, The University of Sheffield.

Luke Sloan - Reader at the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University.

Alan Bryman - Former Professor of Organizational and Social Research, The University of Leicester.

Social Research Methods, sixth edition, is accompanied by the following student resources:

• Over 300 multiple choice questions
• A 'Research process in practice' simulation
• Student researcher's toolkit
• Answers to the end-of-chapter questions, including audio commentary from the authors
• A flashcard glossary
• Data analysis software tutorials covering SPSS, Nvivo, R, and Stata
• Guidance on using Excel in data analysis
• 'Learn from experience' videos, expanding on the graduate insights provided in the book.

The following resources are available to lecturers who prescribe Social Research Methods, sixth edition, for their course:

• PowerPoint slides for every chapter
• 250 test bank questions
• 25 seminar outlines
• 75 exam- or coursework-based questions
• Figures and tables from the book