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There are many books on research methods, including some excellent introductorylevel texts. Our selection here is not definitive though these are all very useful. Try a few to see which you find most accessible.

Newcomers to sociology need a text that is both informative and practical, so something like Judith Bell and Stephen Walters’s (2018) Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers (7th edn, London: Open University Press) is a very good place to begin. Similarly, Keith F. Punch’s (2014) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches (3rd edn, London: Sage) does exactly what it says. Helen Kara’s (2016) Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide (Bristol: Policy Press) covers recent developments in mixed-methods research, using technology and other increasingly popular methods.

For something a little more detailed and comprehensive, try Alan Bryman’s (2016) Social Research Methods (5th edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press), which is widely adopted by lecturers for their courses. Nicholas Walliman’s (2016) Social Research Methods (2nd edn, London: Sage) is detailed and comprehensive.

For an introduction to statistics and the SPSS software package, Neil J. Salkind and Bruce B. Frey’s (2019) Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics (7th edn, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage) is lively and accessible for beginners as well as those with more experience. One other worthwhile book is Darrell Huff’s (1991) How to Lie with Statistics (London: Penguin), which is apparently ‘the best-selling statistics book ever written’ (see J. M. Steele (2005), ‘Darrell Huff and Fifty Years of How to Lie with Statistics’, Statistical Science, 20(3): 205–9). This is probably because of its irreverent tone, but it remains an excellent guide to the misuse of statistical information and has a serious message.

A good dictionary is an excellent investment, and Victor Jupp’s (2006) The Sage Dictionary of Social Research Methods (London: Sage) covers most topics.

For a collection of readings on research methods and different methodological approaches, see the accompanying Sociology: Introductory Readings (4th edn, Cambridge: Polity, 2021).