Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Research Methods in the Social Sciences

Encompassing theoretical, epistemological, and methodological strategies and approaches, this Concise Encyclopedia provides an interdisciplinary overview of social science research methods. Leading international scholars explore the meta-theoretical presuppositions of social research, along with entries spanning diverse topics including among others the role of art, artificial intelligence, digitalization and oral history. The Encyclopedia traces the evolution of historical research within the field, while highlighting contemporary digital, longitudinal, militant ethnography and other innovations. It promotes methodological pluralism and multi-method research, combining quantitative and qualitative strategies in its investigation of social phenomena and processes. This Concise Encyclopedia is a valuable resource for scholars, students and researchers across the social sciences looking to orient themselves in this important field. Key Features: • Adopts flexible and interdisciplinary perspectives • Contains 46 accessible and highly informative entries • Engages with constructive debates about different methodological approaches • Covers both broad and specialized topics