Reddit mentions: The best social sciences methodology books

We found 32 Reddit comments discussing the best social sciences methodology books. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 25 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

1. Field Methods in Archaeology, 7th Edition

    Features:
  • Used Book in Good Condition
Field Methods in Archaeology, 7th Edition
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Height8.75 Inches
Length7.38 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJanuary 2009
Weight1.99959271634 Pounds
Width1.01 Inches
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2. The Fundamentals of Political Science Research

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The Fundamentals of Political Science Research
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Length7 Inches
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3. Counterfactuals and Causal Inference: Methods and Principles for Social Research (Analytical Methods for Social Research)

Used Book in Good Condition
Counterfactuals and Causal Inference: Methods and Principles for Social Research (Analytical Methods for Social Research)
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Height8.75 Inches
Length6 Inches
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Weight0.992080179 Pounds
Width0.75 Inches
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4. You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist

Used Book in Good Condition
You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist
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Weight2.6 Pounds
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5. Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
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Height9.94 Inches
Length7.03 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateNovember 2017
Weight2.44933573082 Pounds
Width1.06 Inches
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6. Fieldwork Is Not What It Used to Be: Learning Anthropology's Method in a Time of Transition

Fieldwork Is Not What It Used to Be: Learning Anthropology's Method in a Time of Transition
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8. Constructing Grounded Theory (Introducing Qualitative Methods series)

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  • Sage Publications Ltd
Constructing Grounded Theory (Introducing Qualitative Methods series)
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Height9.53 Inches
Length6.69 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2014
Weight1.5652820602 Pounds
Width0.94 Inches
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9. Reclaiming a Scientific Anthropology

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  • Used Book in Good Condition
Reclaiming a Scientific Anthropology
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Height9.05 Inches
Length6.06 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 2008
Weight0.89948602896 Pounds
Width0.79 Inches
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10. Interviews in Qualitative Research

Interviews in Qualitative Research
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Length6.6 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJanuary 2019
Weight1.25 Pounds
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11. Foundations of Social Theory

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  • Used Book in Good Condition
Foundations of Social Theory
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Height9.24 Inches
Length6.4 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateAugust 1998
Weight2.5794084654 Pounds
Width1.67 Inches
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12. Archaeological Thinking: How to Make Sense of the Past

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  • Rowman Littlefield Publishers
Archaeological Thinking: How to Make Sense of the Past
Specs:
Height8.99 Inches
Length6.03 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateOctober 2014
Weight0.69004688006 Pounds
Width0.56 Inches
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13. Essential Ethnographic Methods: A Mixed Methods Approach, 2nd Edition (Ethnographer's Toolkit)

Altamira Press
Essential Ethnographic Methods: A Mixed Methods Approach, 2nd Edition (Ethnographer's Toolkit)
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Height8.96 Inches
Length5.9 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateOctober 2012
Weight1.26104413864 Pounds
Width1.16 Inches
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14. The Forest and the Trees: Sociology as Life, Practice, and Promise

The Forest and the Trees: Sociology as Life, Practice, and Promise
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Length5.5 Inches
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Weight0.65 Pounds
Width0.8 Inches
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15. Comparative Social Policy: Concepts, Theories and Methods

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Comparative Social Policy: Concepts, Theories and Methods
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Weight0.9810570659 Pounds
Width0.59055 Inches
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17. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches

    Features:
  • Research Design
  • John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell
  • 978-1506386706
  • 1506386709
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
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Height10 Inches
Length7 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateDecember 2017
Weight1.2 Pounds
Width0.69 Inches
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20. Modern Social Theory

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  • Used Book in Good Condition
Modern Social Theory
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Height8.5 Inches
Length5.5 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateMay 1997
Weight1.1243575362 Pounds
Width0.62 Inches
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🎓 Reddit experts on social sciences methodology books

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where social sciences methodology books are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 28
Number of comments: 2
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 7
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Total score: 6
Number of comments: 2
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Number of comments: 1
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Total score: -70
Number of comments: 2
Relevant subreddits: 1

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Top Reddit comments about Social Sciences Methodology:

u/hadhubhi · 3 pointsr/PoliticalScience

I'm a Political Methodologist; I'm happy to give you some help. It would be useful to know what your mathematical background is, and what sort of things you're interested in doing. You have to understand, to me, this question is a little bit like "I'm interested in American Politics; suggest an introductory text, please." There's a huge variety of stuff going on here, it's hard to know where to start.

Do you want to be able to read statistics wrt PoliSci? Or are you interested in figuring out how everything works, so that you can create / replicate?

If you want something very undergraduate centric, my undergrad research methods class used the Kellstedt and Whitten book. It was fine, but obviously very rudimentary. It will get you to understand some of the big picture type stuff, as well as some of the simple statistical nuts and bolts you'd want to understand. This class also used the everpresent King, Keohane and Verba text, which is oriented around qualitative work, but Gary King is the foremost quantitative methodologist in the discipline, so it's still pretty good (and "qualitative" certainly doesn't mean "non-rigorous" -- it's cited a lot because it really delves into deeply into research design). That said, I don't remember a whole lot about this class anymore, and I haven't looked in these books for ages. My feeling is that both of these books will probably be close to what you're looking for -- they're oriented around intuition and identifying the main issues in inference in the social sciences, without getting too bogged down in all of the math.

That said, if you have more math background, I'd suggest Mostly Harmless Econometrics which is often used as a first year graduate level quant methods book. It's absolutely fantastic, but it isn't easy if you don't have the math background. It may also assume some preexisting rudimentary probability or statistical knowledge. I'd also suggest the Morgan and Winship. These two books are structured more around causal inference, which is a subtle reframing of the whole "statistics in the social sciences".

For more nuts and bolts econometrics, Baby Wooldridge is one of the standards. I think it's pretty often used in undergrad econ classes.

In general, though, statistics is statistics, so if you want to learn it, find an appropriate level of statistics/econometrics book.

Take a look at those books in your library/online/etc and see if any of them are what you're looking for.

u/nwfisk · 2 pointsr/RPI

Well, we'll be focusing a lot on discussion, and I can promise no tests just so long as class participation is good. Right now, I'm about 90% sure we'll use Dalton Conley's "You May Ask Yourself" as a textbook, and I'll be throwing some other fun readings on the side.

The main goal is to get you thinking like a sociologist - looking at your everyday experiences in terms of the social. So, we'll be looking at race, class, gender, age, institutions - all the classic stuff.

I'm teaching it this semester - you'll benefit from the mistakes I've made - and everyone seems to be enjoying it so far! I keep things pretty relaxed, and am open to talking about (or more about) things the students are most interested in.

(Oops, my mistake. Edited the original post. Thanks!)

u/anthrowill · 14 pointsr/AskAnthropology

I agree with /u/keyilan that its not too late to go back to school in your 30s. I started my PhD at 33. I have a friend who started her MA (and is now in a PhD program) in her 50s. That being said, if you have a stable job you're happy with and want to avoid going into debt, and if you're not completely and totally sure you want to pursue a degree in anthropology, then it's probably better to be an autodidact.

Anyway, here's some suggestions for some stuff on sociocultural anthropology methodology (and historical descriptions of such things) that may be of interest to you.

Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches by H. Russel Bernard (he is the methods guy in sociocultural anthro--and this book is rather dry but super detailed and will teach you all the basics of anthro methodology.)

Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples by Linda Tuhiwai Smith (a classic text in indigenous methods.)

Participant Observation and The Ethnographic Interview by James Spradley

Fieldwork Is Not What It Used To Be edited by James Faubion and George Marcus (I have not read this, but have heard good things about it.)

Before Boas: The Genesis of Ethnography and Ethnology in the German Enlightenment by Han Vermeulen (this is a history of ethnographic methods rather than a book about methodology, but it's super interesting.)

u/kookingpot · 1 pointr/Archaeology

As everyone else has said, textbooks are not going to teach you the physical way of excavating anything. All it will do is describe to you the process and the thinking behind the process. For a thorough education in field methods, I always recommend participating in or volunteering on an actual excavation. It's the best way to determine whether archaeology or history is better for you (I have several friends who changed their major after not enjoying their first excavation).

Most universities offer a field school, a university sponsored excavation for the express purpose of introducing students into field methods and practice. The site I work at is the field school for a few universities, including Harvard.

Here is a link to the website, which includes a volunteer application, if you are interested in working in Israel.

http://digashkelon.com/

I realize you may be more interested in digging in Britain. By all means, look up field schools there. It is by far the best way of learning methods, and you learn far more than you can learn in a book. You learn how it feels, how to determine what tool to use, how certain decisions are made about where to dig and how to dig, how the recording process works, etc.

If you feel the need to read a book anyway, I suggest Field Methods in Archaeology.

http://www.amazon.com/FIELD-METHODS-IN-ARCHAEOLOGY-SEVENTH/dp/1598744283

This was my first textbook I ever purchased, and I still have it, though I have not read it since that first semester. It was actually a textbook used for a field school, so I think it would cover most of the issues you want to know.

u/timelady84 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The books that I most need are:

Principles of Archaeology

Field Methods in Archaeology

Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice

They are kinda pricey, which is why I haven't been able to get them yet, but nowhere near $100. And used is perfectly fine. I've just been borrowing from the library whenever they are available, so it's not urgent that I get them, but it would be nice to not have to stay in the library for hours, because you can't leave with textbooks. And in case it wasn't obvious, my major is Anthropology with a specialization in Archaeology. I am taking about four archeology classes this semester alone.

Also, if those are way too out of price range, I have a whole wishlist full of learning resources. Anything would help!

Archaeology Learning And Resources Wishlist

u/nnavenn · 4 pointsr/Professors

Buy this:
https://www.amazon.com/Methods-Discovery-Heuristics-Contemporary-Societies/dp/0393978141

Abbott is a qualitative sociologist, but his comparisons of different social science methods and how arguments are constructed is something I found very useful as a graduate student and now assign my own students (and they love it). Its good for thinking about your projects on the way to getting some pubs out, but also really helpful for learning how to teach the things we know to students.

u/foucaultlol · 3 pointsr/AskSocialScience

If you need help constructing and conducting qualitative interviews, I strongly recommend the following books:


Kathy Charmaz's (2014) Constructing Grounded Theory 2nd edition

This is a very readable introduction to Grounded Theory and has a good chapter on crafting/conducting intensive interviews.


Brinkmann & Kvale's (2015) InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing 3rd edition.
A comprehensive guide to conducting research interviews.


Rubin & Rubin's (2012) Qualitative interviewing: the art of hearing data 3rd edition.
A good overview of the responsive interviewing approach.

u/spokomptonjdub · 2 pointsr/Anarcho_Capitalism

> I get that you are using free market theory for the basis of your argument (like a Christian citing the bible), and that Graeber and anthropology disagrees with those free market theorists. I find that amusing but hardly challenging or even anything to be taken seriously.

So, back at ya I guess? You are citing a singular anarchist anthropologist, like a Christian citing the bible.

>the state already exists. Thus markets. That example doesn't refute Graeber at all. It proves him. Lol.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc. That argument does not follow.

>And anyhow, I've read the Hummel piece before, he clearly had an ideological blockage that prevented him from understanding what Graeber was saying.

I would argue that Graeber has an ideological blockage that prevents him from understanding economics and economic history. I like Graeber's analysis sometimes -- he's a good writer and has some things to contribute -- but he's a quintessential ideologue that works backwards from his established political conclusions. There are certainly instances where markets and money preceded barter, but the historical record does not reveal that this is always true or even that it was common.

>You need to understand the conditions prevailing then -- no one was buying or bartering anything and debt money was used to account for social ineaqualities and social relations (marriages, etc). And you didn't trade for equivalents. Thus, not barter and not markets. Sorry bro.

Going by Graeber's redefinition of barter, and the marxist definition of markets, correct. However using the consensus definition of both muddies the water a lot more. Graeber (saying again that I ike some of his work) unfortunately continues the recent trend (the last 30 years or so) of social anthropology that is deeply anti-science and draws dubious conclusions with a high level of confirmation bias. Dr. Lawrence Kuznar as well as Dr.Edward Dutton have both written great critiques of modern anthropologists and their dubious postulating.

u/Sadistic_Sponge · 13 pointsr/AskSocialScience

Your best shot is to read a book on the topic. My personal favorites are:

  1. Interviews in Qualitative Research by King and Horrocks

  2. For a briefer overview, see the chapter in Becoming Qualitative Researchers

    3) Learning from Strangers by Weiss is also a great introduction


    There is really no shortage of resources on the topic- there are also mountains of journal articles covering the topic as well.
u/halstattoo · 11 pointsr/sociology

Congrats! Economy and Society? [Foundations of Social Theory] (http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Social-Theory-James-Coleman/dp/0674312260/)? Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences? I'd go for the latter, definitely helped me the most (and I still use it regularly).

Also check out this list or this one.

EDIT: A question is also whether you want to have a book to put on your shelf or whether you actually want to read/use it.

u/Captain-Slug · 5 pointsr/Nerf

>First, can any of you recommend some good kid-friendly resources for learning the fundamentals of physics, electrical theory and engineering, particularly as they relate to Nerf blasters?

https://smile.amazon.com/Nerf-Blaster-Modification-Guide-Unofficial-ebook/dp/B07KGG7P89/

https://smile.amazon.com/Thinking-Physics-Practical-Lessons-Critical/dp/0935218068/

This same kind of thing can be accomplished using breadboard, nerf mod supplies, switches, battery packs, solid-core wire, and a multimeter.

https://smile.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-100-Electronics-Exploration/dp/B00008BFZH/

https://smile.amazon.com/3D-Printing-Projects-DK/dp/0241302218/

And then when a bit older

https://smile.amazon.com/Research-Design-Qualitative-Quantitative-Approaches/dp/1506386709/

u/CommodoreCoCo · 3 pointsr/AskAnthropology

I would strongly recommend Charles Orser's Archaeological Thinking: How to Make Sense of the Past as an introduction to how archaeologists collect data and interpret into cohesive ideas. It gets into the fascinating, fundamental questions of archaeological methodology without the boring fact dumps of a textbook like Greene's.

u/NovaSr · 3 pointsr/Anthropology

Archaeologist here (but married to a cultural anth ;-) ). I've found the Ethnographer's Toolkit series to be a good, clearly explained resource. There are seven volumes detailing different methods and stages of research. I've mostly used Vols 1 (Designing) and 5 (Analysing) and liked their explanations. Each book is about $35 so check with your libraries to see if they carry them or can order them. It also looks like the series editors have a one-volume edition of "Essential Ethnographic Methods" for $35 as well, but I haven't read that one. Might have to pick it up the next time I'm doing qualitative research though.

u/khakimage · 1 pointr/AskReddit

> Please tell me about your experiences, so that I can judge.

Amazing. In any case, the book was by Allan G Johnson.

u/doodahdoo · 7 pointsr/politics

>Because since they receive all these amazing perks by paying such a high tax rate, then wouldn’t it be logical to say that they could achieve perfection if they paid 100% in taxes.

That doesn't follow logic? The logic is that higher input (at a manageable % of income) + higher output (at a manageable % of GDP) = more productive society; not that 100% input = more productive society. I understand where it's possible to get confused, but it does take a bit of a leap to take it to the absolute extreme there.

It could be good for you to read Esping-Anderson's Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Clasen's Comparative Social Policy and Pierson's The Welfare State Reader, if you're confused about some of the logic behind Social Democratic states.

u/Yangel · 3 pointsr/TumblrInAction

Its taught in universities to some extent. The technical term is ethnic pseudoscience.

http://www.amazon.ca/Research-Is-Ceremony-Indigenous-Methods/dp/1552662810/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Q9BWXY159DD783MSEHQ

This sort of thing. I had a Social Justice class (which I failed) which tried to get us to take Vine Deloria's creationism seriously. Like I'm sorrying - genetics and linguistics kinda throw a wrench into that mystical horseshit.

u/Croc600 · 2 pointsr/sociology

If you ever feel like you need or want more math backround, you could try Mathematics for social sciences

u/PaperDahl · 1 pointr/GradSchool

Step 1: Deep breath.

​

Step 2: see if you can find this book at your school's library - it breaks down grounded theory in a way that makes it easy to digest and understand: https://www.amazon.com/Qualitative-Inquiry-Research-Design-Approaches/dp/1506330207

​

Step 3: Talk to your advisor about your confusion - explain how you've looked into what grounded theory is and you're unsure of how to use it with the data you've already collected. Can they talk you through some basics, or recommend another faculty member who can?

u/treeniebeenie · 1 pointr/ebooksclub

Looking for:

The Practice of Nursing Research. Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence (8e) – Gray, Grove, and Sutherland

ISBN-10: 9780323377584

ISBN-13: 978-0323377584

Amazon.ca - https://www.amazon.ca/Burns-Groves-Practice-Nursing-Research/dp/0323377580/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+practice+of+nursing+research&qid=1568254522&s=digital-skills&sr=8-1

Research Design (5 e.) – John Creswell

ISBN-10: 1506386709

ISBN-13: 978-1506386706

Amazon.ca - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1506386709/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=A1UCKYHWK5O0P5&psc=1

Women’s Health, Second Edition: Intersections of Policy, Research, and Practice – Armstrong and Pederson

ISBN-10: 0889615705

ISBN-13: 978-0889615700

Amazon.ca - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0889615705/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

Knowledge Development in Nursing: Theory and Process (8e) – Chinn and Kramer

ISBN-10: 0323530613

ISBN-13: 978-0323530613

Amazon.ca -https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0323530613/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A12UFBL1JPT2UF&psc=1