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Survey Research
The Basics

First Edition


April 2003 | 136 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

Survey Research can be used as an independent guide or as a workbook to accompany Keith F Punch's bestselling Introduction to Social Research (SAGE, 1998). It represents a short, practical `how-to' book on a central methodology technique aimed at the beginning researcher.

The focus of this book is on small-scale quantitative surveys studying the relationships between variables. After showing the central place of the quantitative survey in social science research methodology, it then takes a simple model of the survey, describes its elements and gives a set of steps and guidelines for implementing each element. The book then shows how the simple model of the quantitative survey generalizes easily to more complex models. It includes a detailed example of both simple and complex models, which readers should find very helpful.

It is directed primarily at beginning researchers - upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in any area of social science, who often have to do small scale surveys in projects and dissertations. Beyond this, it will be of interest to anybody interested in learning about survey research. It is written in non-technical language, aiming to be as accessible as possible to a wide audience.

 
Introduction and Purpose
 
Relationships between Variables
 
Elements of the Survey
Description

 
 
Elements of the Survey
Implementation

 
 
The Survey Report
 
Examples
 
Generalizing the Simple Model

`It's rare to come across a book with a research theme that has immediate relevance to nurses of all grades from trainees on undergraduate courses to senior academic staff. Survey Research: The Basics is just such a book' - Nurse Researcher


I have recommended this book to my Masters students as a great introduction to Survey research. It helps to demystify quantitative methods for students who may wish to adopt a mixed-methods approach to their own research.

Mrs Ruth Parkes
School of Social Work, University of Central Lancashire
May 24, 2015

Great resource. However, the course is a survey of research methods and this text would be more suitable for a quantitative methods course.

Professor Gabriel Paez
Public Management Dept, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
October 19, 2013

A clear text which provides a coherent path for researching, creating and analysing survey data. We will use this for our Dissertation students, for Researching Education (in Year 2) and I will be recommending it to postgraduate students who have no experience of surveys. Chapter 6 is particularly useful as an excellent outline for how to write up survey data in a systematic and professional way.

Dr Mary Richardson
Education , Roehampton University
September 21, 2011

Keith F Punch

For instructors

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ISBN: 9780761947059
£37.99

SAGE Research Methods is a research methods tool created to help researchers, faculty and students with their research projects. SAGE Research Methods links over 175,000 pages of SAGE’s renowned book, journal and reference content with truly advanced search and discovery tools. Researchers can explore methods concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method, conduct their research, and write up their findings. Since SAGE Research Methods focuses on methodology rather than disciplines, it can be used across the social sciences, health sciences, and more.