'This new edition of this excellent guide maintains the standard of the original whilst taking full account of developments in both methodological discussion and the techniques of social research. The organization of the text around the research process is a great strength of the text.' David Byrne, University of Durham

This third edition of Nigel Gilbert's hugely successful Researching Social Life covers the whole range of methods from quantitative to qualitative in a down-to-earth and unthreatening manner.

Gilbert's text offers students new to research methods the best coverage of the full scope of social research methods of any of the leading textbooks in the field, making this an essential text for any student starting a methods course or doing a research project.

This thoroughly revised text is driven by the expertise of a writing team comprised of internationally-renowned experts in the field.

New to the third edition are chapters on:

• Searching and Reviewing the Literature
• Refining the Question
• Grounded Theory
• Mixed Methods
• Action Research
• Virtual Methods
• Conversation Analysis and Discourse Analysis
• Narrative Analysis

Researching Social Life follows the 'life cycle' of a typical research project, from initial conception through to eventual publication. Its breadth and depth of coverage make this an indispensable must-have textbook for students on social research methods courses in any discipline.