MA Social Research Preliminary Reading List

We’re very keen on the MA that our research methods training is considered and applied with reference to your own substantive research interests.  As such we would emphasise the importance of reading in your own area of interest and in the literature that interests you the most. ?

In terms of research methods, there are a number of introductory texts and accessible resources that may also be of use. The following ought to be a good start:

• Delanty, G. (2005) Social Science: Philosophical and Methodological Foundations (2nd Edition). Berkshire: Open University Press.
• Mason, J. (2017) Qualitative Researching. London: SAGE.
• Imai, K (2017) Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Bell, A., Hartman, T., Piekut, A., Rae, A. and Taylor, M. (2019) Making Sense of Data in the Media. London: SAGE.
• Dilnot, A. and Blastland, M. (2010) The Tiger That Isn’t: Seeing the World of Numbers. London: Profile Books.

Engaging with some quantitatively-based news stories/data journalism may also be helpful. So things like the Guardian Data Blog. Also the Royal Statistical Society's Significance magazine.

Using the Library

The Library has developed a range of online resources to help you make the most of our library services. A good place to begin exploring these resources is the 'Discovering' section of the Library web pages. This section explains basic skills that you'll use throughout your programme, including the use of resource lists and how to conduct a search using StarPlus.