Blaikie, N. (2009). Designing Social Research. ch. intro, 1 (4)

Page 1: Title

Quote: "It is a nuisance, but God has chosen to give the easy problems to the physicists." (Lave and March 1975)
Purpose of the Book:
- Three main phases of social research: Planning, Execution, Reporting.
- The focus of the book is on planning the research design.
- Proper planning is crucial to avoid losing control and ensuring successful completion.
- Some exploratory research may be necessary for decision-making in research design.
- Emphasizes the difference between:
  - Logic in use vs. Reconstructed logic (how research is done vs. how it appears to have been done).

Adds the concept of 'logic of anticipation' to Kaplan's categories of research processes.
Recognizes limitations in following the anticipated logic due to unforeseen challenges in research.
Observations about novice researchers lacking thorough planning leading to precarious outcomes.
Emphasizes the need for visible designs in large-scale studies and importance for individual researchers.
Argues for clearly stating ontological and epistemological assumptions in research designs.

Target Audience: Primarily for postgraduate students in social sciences starting empirical research projects.
May also benefit academics new to supervising research students.
Useful across various social science disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, social psychology, etc.

Author’s background and experiences that shaped the book's content.
Difficulty in formulating research designs identified as a challenge for students from diverse disciplines.
Book aims to provide practical guidance developed from teaching and experience in research methodology.

Experiences in two institutions highlighted similarities in student struggles to formulate research designs.
Conveyed convictions about the necessity for thorough planning, clarity on research questions, and understanding research methods.

Book elaborates on main elements required in a research design:
- Chapter 1: Requirements for a research design, differences from proposals.
- Chapter 2: Conventional views vs. new perspectives on research designs.
- Chapters 3-7: Discuss major design elements, research questions, strategies, the role of concepts, types of data, and analysis methods.
- Chapter 8: Presents sample research designs to illustrate cohesive packages.

Outdated notions of scientific method challenged.
Variety of logics of enquiry recognized in social sciences.
Notion of there being one scientific method is insufficient; researchers need to choose from among available methods.

Five key concepts identified: research questions, purposes, strategies, paradigms, and methods.
Emphasis on formulating clear research questions. Highlights importance of defining types of knowledge sought through research purposes.
Differentiates between research strategy and research methods, clarifying assumptions underpinning each.

Assertions about social research, including the necessity of research questions, types of research purposes, and appropriate strategies.
Research strategies outlined as Inductive, Deductive, Retroductive, and Abductive.

Highlights that research questions must inform the selection and justification of data collection and analysis methods.
Cautions against relying solely on statistical significance testing when using non-probability samples.

Distinction between research design (a private, working document) and research proposal (a public document).
Emphasizes the importance of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the research design before execution.

Purposes of research proposals discussed, including academic and funding contexts.
Common sections to include in proposals: title, research problem, and significance.

Importance of understanding and preparing a structured research design highlighted.
Brief overview of forthcoming chapters providing in-depth exploration of each core element of the research design.