Research Methodology & Methods

I believe that understanding methodology is important to the discerning researcher. The list in this page, is a collection of books and articles, that I found to be relevant/ interesting/important/classic for doing research. I have focused on research in social sciences. Some books that I have come across in natural sciences are also included below. Credit for this list goes to my colleagues and professors. I came to know of many good books through them. Some of these books are out-of-print.

I have divided this section into Methodology and Methods. Running a regression model, building a game theoretic model or conducting a field experiment is Method. In that case, what is Methodology? (Think!)

Research methodology

"The field of science is unlimited; its material is endless; every group of natural phenomena, every phase of social life, every stage of past or present development is material for science. The unity of all science consists alone in its method, not in its material."- Karl Pearson (1892)

Karl Pearson (1892), The Grammar of Science.

Émile Durkheim (1895), The Rules of Sociological Method.

Adam Leroy Jones (1909), Logic, Inductive and Deductive: An Introduction to Scientific Method.

Morris Cohen, Ernest Nagel (1934), An Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method.

Max Weber (1949), Methodology of Social Sciences.

Edgar Bright Wilson (1952), An Introduction to Scientific Research.

Paul Lazarsfeld & Morris Rosenberg (1955), The Language of Social Research: A Reader in the Methodology of Social Research.

Jacques Barzun, Henry Graff (1957), The Modern Researcher.

William Beveridge (1957), The Art of Scientific Investigation.

Russell Ackoff (1962), Scientific Method: Optimizing Applied Research Decisions.

Fred Kerlinger (1964), Foundations of Behavioral Research. [Thanks to The Monk (a Professor who does not wish to be cited) for introducing me to this book]

Carl Hempel (1966), Philosophy of Natural Science.

Philip Runkel, Joseph McGrath (1972), Research on Human Behavior: A Systematic Guide to Method

Martin Bulmer (1977), Sociological Research Methods.

Julian Simon (1978), The Art of Empirical Investigation.

John Campbell, Richard Daft, & Charles Hulin (1982), What to Study: Generating and Developing Research Questions.

William Crano & Marilynn Brewer (1986), Principles and Methods of Social Research.

Arthur Stinchcombe (1987), Constructing Social Theories.

Donald T Campbell (1988), Methodology and Epistemology for Social Science.

Peter Frost & Ralph Stablein eds. (1992), Doing Exemplary Research. [Must-read]

Terry Hedrick, Leonard Bickman, Debra Rog (1993). Applied Research Design: A Practical Guide.

L L Cummings & Peter Frost eds. (1995), Publishing in the Organizational Sciences. [Must-read]

Jennifer Platt (1996), A history of sociological research methods in America: 1920-1960.

Peter Frost & Susan Taylor eds. (1996), Rhythms of Academic Life. [Not on methodology. But, a must-read]

Rae Andre & Peter Frost eds. (1997), Researchers Hooked on Teaching. [Not on methodology. But, a must-read]

Leonard Bickman (2000), Research Design: Donald Campbell's Legacy.

Ralph Stablein & Peter Frost eds. (2004), Renewing Research Practice. [Not on methodology. But, a must-read]

Research methods

William Feller (1957, 1968), An Introduction to Probability Theory and Its Applications, Volumes 1 & 2.

Murray Sidman (1960), Tactics of Scientific Research: Evaluating Experimental Data in Psychology

Morris Rosenberg (1968), The Logic of Survey Analysis.

Charles Lave & James March (1975), An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences.

George Box et al. (1978), Statistics for Experimenters: An Introduction to Design, Data Analysis, & Model Building.

Jum Nunnally (1978), Psychometric Theory. [Thanks to The Monk]

Anne Anastasi (1954), Psychological Testing. [Thanks to The Monk]

Benjamin Winer (1962), Statistical Principles in Experimental Design.

R.G.D. Allen (1938), Mathematical Analysis for Economists.

William Baumol (1961), Economic Theory and Operations Analysis.

Eugene Webb, Donald Campbell & others (1966), Unobtrusive Measures: Nonreactive Research in the Social Sciences.

Hubert Blalock (1964), Causal Inferences in Non-experimental Research.

Thomas Cook & Donald Campbell (1979), Quasi-Experimentation: Design and Analysis Issues for Field Settings.

Richard Brandt (1972), Studying Behavior in Natural Settings.

Philip Runkel (1990), Casting Nets and Testing Specimens: Two Grand Methods of Psychology

work-in-progress...