Analyzing Social and Political Change A Casebook of Methods

"the editors provide a solid introduction to each chapter. . . . There is an excellent index--something which is not a feature of all article collections. . . . a good knowledge of statistical theory is generally assumed, but this book should be in every institute library." --John G. Taylor in Technology and Political Science Researchers across the social sciences often encounter the need to analyze and understand change over time. When confronted with this need, the question arises as to which methodological technique or method is best suited to a given research study. Analyzing Social and Political Change provides researchers with a clear and accessible guide on the potential and problems of relevant methods of analysis. Outlining the nature of such techniques, this book examines the variety of methods available for the analysis of change over time, the kinds of research objectives to which individual techniques are suited, the limitations and constraints of individual methods, the different philosophies that underlie particular approaches, and the respective value of cross-sectional and longitudinal data in the analysis of change. Making quantitative and statistical techniques accessible to a broad range of researchers, this volume is an essential tool for all those engaged in researching social change.Dale, Angela is the author of 'Analyzing Social and Political Change A Casebook of Methods' with ISBN 9780803982987 and ISBN 0803982984.