CONTENTS Preface xi Key to abbreviations xv 1 Introduction 1 Rationale for a focus on research design 2 Theoretical research and policy research 3 A classification of study types 9 Qualitative and quantitive research 12 The presentation of study types 14 Choices, strategies and practicalities 16 PARTI Types of research study 19 2 Research reviews, meta-analysis and secondary analysis 21 Research reviews 21 Meta-analysis 23 Secondary analysis 24 Population census studies 27 Cross-national comparative studies 29 Practical considerations 31 3 Qualitative research 34 Depth interviews and focus groups 35 Some illustrative examples 38 Cross-national comparative studies 40 Overlaps and combinations 40 Practical considerations 42 4 Administrative records and documents 46 Varieties of records-based research 48 The nature and quality of data from administrative records 50 Computerisation of administrative records 53 Record linkage 54 Documentary analysis 56 Cross-national comparative studies 56 verlaps and combinations 57 Practical considerations 57 5 Case studies 59 Individual case histories 63 Community studies 65 Case studies of social groups 66 Case studies of organisations and institutions 68 Case studies of events, roles and relationships 70 Cross-national comparative studies 71 Overlaps and combinations 72 Practical considerations 72 6 Ad hoc sample surveys 76 Surveys of individuals 79 Survey research on roles and relationships 83 Survey research on organisations 85 Cross-national comparative studies 86 Overlaps and combinations 88 Practical considerations 89 7 Regular surveys 95 Gross and net change 96 Types of regular survey 98 Cross-national comparative studies 102 Overlaps and combinations 105 Practical considerations 106 8 Longitudinal studies 109 Multi-purpose studies: panels and cohorts 114 Studies focused on specific groups or issues 119 Inter-generational studies 120 Retrospective studies 120 Cross-national comparative studies 121 verlaps and combinations 123 Practical considerations 123 9 Experimental social research 127 Experiments in real-life settings 132 Natural experiments 135 Experiments in artificial settings 137 Simulation and modelling 139 Cross-national comparative studies 141 Overlaps and combinations 142 Practical considerations 142 PART II Putting together a research design 145 10 Choices and combinations 147 Student dissertations and theses 149 Trading down to a cheaper design 150 Trading up to a more complex design 152 Simultaneous replication 153 Units of analysis: time, space and social units 156 11 Research programmes 164 Strategies for research programmes 166 Focused sampling 170 Selection effects 172 Multiple triangulation 172 Conflicting interests 174 Multi-disciplinary research 176 Programme organisation and management 179 Presentation of reports 181 12 The organisation and funding of research 184 Practical aspects of research design 185 Funding 188 Organisation and management of research work 193 Issues in research management 195 13 Cross-national comparative studies 200 The logic of comparative analysis 200 Organisation of research work 203 Funding and practical problems 206 14 Conclusions 211 Bibliography 216 Author index 248 Subject index 254