Multimethod Research offers an explanation of how a planned synthesis of various research techniques (fieldwork, surveys, experiments, and nonreactive studies) can be purposely used to improve social science knowledge. John Brewer and Albert Hunter discuss the many aspects of the multimethod research approach, including the formulation of research problems, data collection, sampling and generalization, measurement, reliability and validity, hyposthesis testing and causal analysis, and writing and publicizing results.
The book is a must-read for beginning to intermediate students and professionals who need to gain a better conceptual understanding of how to do social and behavioral science research more effectively.
'This is a book I wish I had written. Although nearly every page contains an interesting methodological insight, its the synthesizing nature of the multimethod perspective that I find most satisfying. Instead of a patchwork of precepts and procedures, Professors Brewer and Hunter present a coherent synthesis of the principal quantitative and qualitative research styles.' -- Kenneth O. Doyle, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
'This is a superb resource for anyone undertaking research in the social sciences. Going beyond simple descriptions of how to use each of the individual methods, Brewer and Hunter provide compelling arguments for systematically synthesizing different research styles at each stage of the research process. In doing so, they help us to see social science research as both an art and a science. By focusing our attention on how a multimethod approach can enhance each stage of the research, they avoid the simplistic dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative research and provide us with a much more sophisticated way of looking at the multimethod approach.' -- Sue R. Faerman, University at Albany-SUNY
Table of Contents:
Preface
Historical Introduction
1. The Multimethod Approach and Its Promise
Four Imperfect But Useful Research Methods
A Broader Multimethod View
Finding Consensus in a House of Many Mansions
A Systematic Approach
2. A Healthy Skepticism About Theory and Method
Orienting Theory Toward Research and Vice Versa
A Healthy Skepticism
An Assessment of Four Research Styles
The Multimethod Approach: A Fifth Research Style
3. Formulating Research Problems
The Role of Research Problems in the Research Process
The Empirical Unfolding of Research Problems
The Role of Theory in Problem Formulation
4. Collecting Data with Multiple Methods
A Variety of Data-Collecting Methods
Validation Versus Exploration
Cost/Benefit Analyses of Different Methods of Data Collection
5. Finding the Objects to Study
The Dilemma of the Few and the Many
Units and Variables
6. Measuring Concepts and Assessing Measurement Validity
Defining Social Scientific Measurement
Judging Measurements Success from Facts Rather than Fiction
Designing Validation Studies
What to Do if Measurement Fails (and How to Guard Against Failure)
7. Explaining Social Phenomena Causally
Causation and Causal Explanation
Modes of Causal Analysis
Assessing the Validity of Causal Research
Multitest Validity
8. A Postscript on Postmodernism
The Postmodern Critique
Some Research Examples
The Technology of Method
9. Making Research Public: The Social Context of Multimethod Research
Internal Politics
External Politics
Multimethod Research in Relation to Society
References
Index
About the Authors
Industry Reviews
This is a superb resource for anyone undertaking research in the social sciences. Going beyond simple descriptions of how to use each of the individual methods, Brewer and Hunter provide compelling arguments for systematically synthesizing different research styles at each stage of the research process. In doing so, they help us to see social science research as both an art and a science. By focusing our attention on how a multimethod approach can enhance each stage of the research, they avoid the simplistic dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative research and provide us with a much more sophisticated way of looking at the multimethod approach. -- Sue R. Faerman This is a book I wish I had written. Although nearly every page contains an interesting methodological insight, it's the synthesizing nature of the multimethod perspective that I find most satisfying. Instead of a patchwork of precepts and procedures, Professors Brewer and Hunter present a coherent synthesis of the principal quantitative and qualitative research styles. -- Kenneth O. Doyle
