Preparing students to do research and understand what research can do. Basics of Social Research helps students understand what research can and cannot do, become better consumers of research, and learn why properly conducted research is important. This text teaches students to be better consumers of research results and understand how the research enterprise works, preparing them to conduct small research projects. Upon completing this text, students will gain an awareness of the capabilities and restrictions of research, and learn why properly conducted research is important. Using clear, accessible language and examples from real research, this text discusses both qualitative and quantitative approaches to social research, emphasizing the benefits of combining various approaches. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: Recognize that social research is simultaneously a very important enterprise and one that is not beyond you - you can understand it Become better consumers and understand what research can and cannot do Learn how to properly conducted research Acquire a foundation for further learning about doing research and understand that this activity requires dedication, creativity, and mature judgment Note: MySearchLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySearchLab, please visit: www.mysearchlab.com or you can purchase a ValuePack of the text + MySearchLab with Pearson eText (at no additional cost). ValuePack ISBN-10: 0205863671/ ValuePack ISBN-13: 9780205863679

Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods 7e is a highly regarded text that presents a comprehensive and balanced introduction to both qualitative and quantitative approaches to social research with an emphasis on the benefits of combining various approaches. New this edition: MyResearchKit--Social Research Methods 7E can be packaged with this text at no additional cost (ISBN: 0205751342) or purchased separately. MyResearchKit includes: * Multiple-choice practice test questions* Flashcards of key terms* Short research exercises (previously in the workbook)*Social Explorer: census data from 1790 - present* A Social Research in the News blog*Writing tutorial: covers documenting sources, avoiding plagiarism, and various kinds of writing assignments (literature reviews, abstracts, research proposals, etc.)*MySearchLab: a search engine for retrieving scholarly research articles from hundreds of academic journals

Understanding Research is an accessible and visually-appealing introduction to research. Whether students become producers or consumers of research, this text shows them that the subject is both interesting and highly relevant for their lives and professional work.

Criminal Justice and Criminology Research Methods, Third Edition, is an accessible and engaging text that offers balanced coverage of a full range of contemporary research methods. Filled with gritty criminal justice and criminology examples including policing, corrections, evaluation research, forensics, feminist studies, juvenile justice, crime theory, and criminal justice theory, this new edition demonstrates how research is relevant to the field and what tools are needed to actually conduct that research. Kraska, Brent, and Neuman write in a pedagogically friendly style yet without sacrificing rigor, offering balanced coverage of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. With its exploration of the thinking behind science and its cutting-edge content, the text goes beyond the nuts and bolts to teach students how to competently critique as well as create research-based knowledge. This book is suitable for undergraduate and early graduate students in US and global Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Justice Studies programs, as well as for senior scholars concerned with incorporating the latest mixed-methods approaches into their research.

Criminal Justice and Criminology Research Methods, Third Edition, is an accessible and engaging text that offers balanced coverage of a full range of contemporary research methods. Filled with gritty criminal justice and criminology examples including policing, corrections, evaluation research, forensics, feminist studies, juvenile justice, crime theory, and criminal justice theory, this new edition demonstrates how research is relevant to the field and what tools are needed to actually conduct that research. Kraska, Brent, and Neuman write in a pedagogically friendly style yet without sacrificing rigor, offering balanced coverage of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. With its exploration of the thinking behind science and its cutting-edge content, the text goes beyond the nuts and bolts to teach students how to competently critique as well as create research-based knowledge. This book is suitable for undergraduate and early graduate students in US and global Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Justice Studies programs, as well as for senior scholars concerned with incorporating the latest mixed-methods approaches into their research.