Description Adventures in Social Research: Data Analysis Using IBM® SPSS® Statistics offers a practical, hands-on introduction to the logic of social science research for students in many disciplines. The fully revised Tenth Edition offers step-by-step instruction on data analysis using the latest version (24.0) of SPSS and current data from the General Social Survey. Organized to parallel most introductory research methods texts, this text starts with an introduction to computerized data analysis and the social research process, then takes readers step-by-step through univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis using SPSS Statistics. The range of topics, from beginning to advanced, make Adventures in Social Research appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate courses.
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
The text is fully updated to include screenshots and instructions for the latest release of SPSS.
All exercises are fully compatible with IBM® SPSS® Statistics v24.0, which can be bundled with the text.
Uses data from the 2016 General Social Survey and reflects the latest characteristics, behaviors, and attitudes of the U.S. population.
KEY FEATURES:
Includes applications and examples from a wide range of disciplines including sociology, social work, political science, criminal justice, communication, and health studies.
Each chapter includes basic research principles, techniques, and effective step-by-step demonstrations of how to use SPSS Statistics to support beginning users who have no prior experience with research or SPSS as well as more advanced users who want to hone their research or data analysis skills.
Chapters are structured around instruction techniques followed by concrete, hands-on exercises that encourage students to design their own hypotheses, choose their own variables, and interpret the results.
Two final chapters focus on doing primary and secondary research and writing research reports.
The text captures students’ curiosity by getting them to do research on issues that already interest them, such as religion, gender roles, the environment, sexual attitudes, and gun control.
The authors enliven abstract material with a variety of pedagogical features including
Clear tables, screenshots, and illustrations;
Writing Boxes that show how a social scientist might describe the findings being discussed;
Review Questions to test mastery of the material; and
SPSS Statistics Lab Exercises to apply what is being learned.
Table of Contents PART I. PREPARING FOR DATA ANALYSIS
Chapter 1. Introduction: The Theory and Practice of Social Research
Chapter 2. The Logic of Measurement
Chapter 3. Description of Data Sets: The General Social Survey
PART II. UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS
Chapter 4. Using SPSS Statistics: Some Basics
Chapter 5. Describing Your Data: Religiosity
Chapter 6. Presenting Your Data in Graphic Form: Political Orientations
Chapter 7. Recoding Your Data: Religiosity and Political Orientations
Chapter 8. Creating Composite Measures: Exploring Attitudes Toward Abortion in More Depth
Chapter 9. Suggestions for Further Analysis
PART III. BIVARIATE ANALYSIS
Chapter 10. Examining the Sources of Religiosity
Chapter 11. Political Orientations as Cause and Effect
Chapter 12. What Causes Different Attitudes Toward Abortion?
Chapter 13. Measures of Association for Nominal and Ordinal Variables
Chapter 14. Correlation and Regression Analysis
Chapter 15. Tests of Significance
Chapter 16. Suggestions for Further Bivariate Analyses
PART IV. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
Chapter 17. Multiple Causation: Examining Religiosity in Greater Depth
Chapter 18. Dissecting the Political Factor
Chapter 19. A Powerful Prediction of Attitudes Toward Abortion
Chapter 20. Suggestions for Further Multivariate Analyses
PART V. THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES
Chapter 21. Designing and Executing Your Own Survey
Chapter 22 Further Opportunities for Social Research
Earl Babbie - Chapman University, USA William E. Wagner, III - California State University, Channel Islands, USA Jeanne Zaino - Iona College, USA