Research Methods for the Social Sciences

The existing PDF was provided by LibreTexts. What I love about LibreTexts is the mission: providing high-quality learning materials that are freely available and openly improvable. That open, community-driven approach is a big inspiration for what we’re building with Brixus: helping educators keep ownership of their materials, while making learning more engaging through practice-first experiences with interactive exercises and instant feedback.

This book is designed to introduce students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This text will introduce you to the fascinating and important study of the methods of inquiry in the Social Sciences. You will learn both the logic behind – and the procedures for – a wide variety of research methods, including correlational and experimental designs. If you are the curious type, and if you like to think rationally, I believe you will enjoy this course.