This slim volume is one of a number of excellent guides published as part of Oxford's "Pocket Guide to Social Work Research Methods" series. Compact but comprehensive, it provides a thorough introduction to one of the fastest-growing genres of research in the social work field today: secondary data analysis. After an all-too-brief summary of what constitutes this genre and a balanced analysis of its advantages and disadvantages, Vartanian (Bryn Mawr) provides guidelines for those considering the feasibility and appropriateness of using secondary data in their work. He then offers extensive summaries of 29 of the most commonly used secondary data sets. For all of the data sets, he provides a full and complete description, including key characteristics and where and how to access them. He also provides, most valuably, citations to examples of how researchers have recently used them in their empirical work. Rather redundantly, a similar package of information appears in appendixes at the end of the book. This is an admirable contribution whose only detractions are the rather random and poorly identified screenshots and other "pictures" interspersed throughout the text. Those seriously considering using secondary data analysis in their research should find this book immensely beneficial. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty/researchers. Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by J. C. Altman.

One central and enduring image of the social science researcher is of an individual who commits a great deal of time to collecting original, primary data from a field of enquiry. This approach is often underpinned by a sincerely held belief that key research questions can only be explored by the collection of ever new, and ever greater amounts of data, or that already existing data are insufficient for researchers to test their ideas. Yet such an approach to social science research can be problematic not least because the collection of primary data can be an expensive, time-consuming, and even wasteful approach to social enquiry. Secondary analysis can serve many purposes, as well as being a valid approach in its own right. However, despite its widespread application, secondary analysis is often undervalued or perceived to be the preserve of only those interested in the re-use of large-scale survey data. Highlighting both the theory and practice of secondary analysis and the use of secondary sources, this collection considers the nature of secondary analysis as a research tool; reflects on the definitional debates surrounding terms such as secondary analysis, data re-use and restudies; illustrates how secondary analysis is used in social science research; and finally reviews the practical, methodological and ethical aspects of secondary analysis. Volume One: Using Secondary Sources and Secondary Analysis Volume Two: Quantitative Approaches to Secondary Analysis Volume Three: Qualitative Data and Research in Secondary Analysis Volume Four: Ethical, Methodological and Practical Issues in Secondary Analysis

Many professional, high-quality surveys collect data on people′s behaviour, experiences, lifestyles and attitudes. The data they produce is more accessible than ever before. This book provides students with a comprehensive introduction to using this data, as well as transactional data and big data sources, in their own research projects. Here you will find all you need to know about locating, accessing, preparing and analysing secondary data, along with step-by-step instructions for using IBM SPSS Statistics. You will learn how to: Create a robust research question and design that suits secondary analysis Locate, access and explore data online Understand data documentation Check and ′clean′ secondary data Manage and analyse your data to produce meaningful results Replicate analyses of data in published articles and books Using case studies and video animations to illustrate each step of your research, this book provides you with the quantitative analysis skills you′ll need to pass your course, complete your research project and compete in the job market. Exercises throughout the book and on the book′s companion website give you an opportunity to practice, check your understanding and work hands on with real data as you′re learning.

Secondary data is a powerful tool for providing context to an otherwise small-scale study, as well as being an efficient way of bringing together a large amount of data, particularly where access to the field may be difficult. This comprehensive guide introduces students to the use of secondary data in educational and social research, and provides a practical resource for researchers who are new to the field of secondary data analysis. The author encourages researchers to consider the potential for using secondary data both as their primary research method, but also as a useful strategy in mixed methods designs. The first part of the book explores the role of secondary data analysis in contemporary social research. It considers the arguments for and against its use and addresses its particular benefits in mixed method research designs, especially those in the political arithmetic tradition. The second part introduces worked examples which show the potential for using secondary sources to answer a varied range of research questions. It provides step-by-step guidance on how to manipulate and analyse secondary data. The inclusion of recent national and international datasets as exemplars allows students to place their research in a 'real life' context and to consider current and topical research issues.

Annotation This text describes and explains for researchers and professionals in criminology and criminal justice the various approaches to the evaluation and analysis of secondary data.

Secondary Data in Mixed Methods Research by Daphne C. Watkins, the latest contribution to the Mixed Methods Research Series, offers unique and necessary instruction in this growing topic. With the increasing amount of secondary data available through journals and repositories, researchers have a trove of sources for new investigations at their fingertips, but few books to guide them. This brief text provides readers with a step-by-step procedure for incorporating secondary data into various mixed methods research designs, as well as identifying key characteristics of existing datasets that make them good candidates for mixed methods projects and giving ideas for new uses of secondary data. Introductory chapters help the reader understand the “what” and “why” of secondary data. Subsequent chapters address the use of secondary data in convergent, exploratory sequential, explanatory sequential, and other complex research designs. The final chapters delve into writing and reporting on projects before, during, and after the project. Quotes throughout the chapter help readers remember key bits of knowledge, while learning objectives and summaries in each chapter structure the reading experience. Application questions at the end of each chapter help readers recall information and apply it to their own research projects. By emphasizing how to use existing qualitative and quantitative datasets in mixed methods research, Secondary Data in Mixed Methods Research will help readers answer new and ongoing questions in social science research.

The A-Z is a collection of entries ranging from qualitative research techniques to statistical testing and the practicalities of using the Internet as a research tool. Alphabetically arranged in accessible, reader-friendly formats, the shortest entries are 800 words long and the longest are 3000. Most entries are approximately 1500 words in length and are supported by suggestions for further reading.

Research into spatial influences on people's everyday activities and experiences presents many conceptual and methodological complexities. Written by leading authorities, this book provides a comprehensive framework for collecting and analyzing reliable person?environment?behavior data in real-world settings that rarely resemble the controlled conditions described in typical texts. An array of research designs are illustrated in chapter-length examples addressing such compelling issues as spatial patterns of voting behavior, ways in which disabilities affect people's travel and wayfinding, how natural and built environments evoke emotional responses, spatial factors in elementary teaching and learning, and more. A special chapter guides the student or beginning researcher to craft a successful research proposal.

Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "PASW Statistics Student Version 18"--CD-ROM label.