Research Methods and Design Beyond a Single Discipline

This book presents and discusses 15 research methods after an overview of each, an illustration of the research process and an examination of related topics. The focus of this book is on data collection techniques (e.g., interviewing, observation, questionnaires) and research design.

Heting Chu is a Professor at Palmer School of Library and Information Science, Long Island University, USA.

Part I. Introduction and Overview 1. Research Methods: An Overview 2. The Research Process and Research Design; Part II. Stand-Alone Methods 3. Questionnaire 4. Interview 5. Observation 6. Theoretical Approach 7. Metrics-Based Research Methods: From Bibliometrics to Altmetrics 8. Other Stand-Alone Methods; Part III. Super-Methods, Meta-Methods, and Contingent Methods 9. Content Analysis: A Super-Method 10. Meta-Methods: Experiments 11. Meta-Methods: Ethnography/Field Study 12. Contingent Methods; Part IV. Research Design and Method Selection: A Further Look 13 Techniques for Data Analysis and Their Selection 14 Research Design via Method Selection