Finding your Social Science Project by John Gerring, Jason Se... - 9781009114912

Finding your Social Science ProjectThe Research Sandbox\nAuthor(s): John Gerring, Jason Seawright\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9781009114912, 978-1009114912\nSynopsis\nThe most important step in social science research is the first step finding a topic. Unfortunately, little guidance on this crucial and difficult challenge is available. Methodological studies and courses tend to focus on theory testing rather than theory generation. This book aims to redress that imbalance. The first part of the book offers an overview of the book's central concerns. How do social scientists arrive at ideas for their work? What are the different ways in which a study can contribute to knowledge in a field? The second part of the book offers suggestions about how to think creatively, including general strategies for finding a topic and heuristics for discovery. The third part of the book shows how data explora.