Fundamentals of Social Research Methods – An African Perspective

Product Details:
Author(s):
Sithole, S ,
Roestenburg, W and
Sikhitha, T
Year Published:
2026
Edition
6th Edition
Type:
Print | Soft Cover
Language:
English
About this publication
Successful societies can only be built on a realistic understanding of people and their world. The call for African solutions to the continent’s problems demands an innovative pool of knowledgeable and skilled social researchers. With this vision in mind, the sixth edition of Fundamentals of Social Research Methods: An African Perspective has been transformed to include a far broader set of research skills, compared to previous editions. 
This edition covers qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, and includes an extensive new section on the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. The new edition therefore offers a solid and comprehensive foundation for the practice of social research. Fundamentals of Social Research Methods: An African Perspective draws examples from a broad spectrum of fields including agriculture, public health, social welfare, community development and regional planning. 
The material is compatible with social science research methodology courses in anthropology, public health, sociology, economics, political science, psychology and education. The textbook is suitable for students and non-professional researchers who are interested in conducting social research, whether they are practitioners, community activists, government administrators, policymakers or businesspeople. The fifth edition of this textbook is developed for a modern audience. As authors we believe the world is a different place. Knowledge is available to almost everyone, and competitive social media is accessible to even people in remote areas. The book is still focused upon a wide range of professions such as social work, psychology, sociology, criminology, nursing, business studies and other social contexts such as community development and governments. The book is still intended to be a practical book, for novice researchers, as well as for more experienced researchers.  
The authors recognise the growing role of generative artificial intelligence, large language models and machine learning that increasingly play a disruptive role in people’s ways of negotiating the world. Within this unstable and dynamic social world context, we still believe in solid textbooks that teach the fundamentals of social research in a practical and applied manner. Africa, like the rest of the world is no exception. With increased internet accessibility and the opening of learning abilities for all, the world has become a smaller place, and most people now have the potential to tap into the vast resources and tools for social science researchers. We trust that this text remains a fundamentally essential text for Africa, for general social researchers, and those who aspire to master the skills of research. 
The present revision not only updates the material but also introduces substantial additions. We follow a simple, narrative and illustrative manner of describing highly abstract concepts, with real-world examples and case studies to assist us in transferring the essentials of social science research methodologies. In this sense, this is a local work and an indigenous way of knowledge transfer. The chapters end with questions and tasks to be answered by the reader, intended to reinforce learning. Many of the questions can be used for assessment purposes, all to increase the excitement of learning about social research. The authors are passionate about research and eager to make available and unlock the complexities of the philosophy of research. We trust the reader will enjoy this text and gain from the many examples, case studies and situations that pose challenges to everyday researchers.
Content
PART 1 THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Chapter 1 Identification and selection of a research topic
Chapter 2 Doing your background to the study
Chapter 3 Dynamics of a good research problem statement
Chapter 4 What makes the significance of the study plausible?
Chapter 5 The general purpose and specific objectives of the research
Chapter 6 Designing the main and the sub-research questions
Chapter 7 Research hypothesis and relationships with statistical tools
Chapter 8 Scope/delimitations of the study and definition of operational terms
 
PART 2 STRUCTURE OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Chapter 9 The essence of the literature review
Chapter 10 The link between theory, empirical studies and research
 
PART 3 METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
Chapter 11 The synergy between paradigms and research approaches
Chapter 12 Research designs: meaning, rationales and types
Chapter 13 The research study site
Chapter 14 Target population, samples and sample selection
Chapter 15 Selecting your instruments for data collection
Chapter 16 Validity, reliability, piloting and instrument trustworthiness
Chapter 17 Data collection procedures
Chapter 18 Data analysis and interpretation procedures
Chapter 19 Ethical issues in humanities, social sciences and science education
 
PART 4 REPORTING THE RESEARCH PRODUCT
Chapter 20 Presentation of qualitative research results
Chapter 21 Hypothesis testing and reporting of quantitative research results
Chapter 22 Presentation of the summary of the research findings
Chapter 23 Discussion of the research findings
Chapter 24 Key steps in presenting the summary of a study
Chapter 25 Writing a good conclusion to a study
Chapter 26 Writing limitations, recommendations and suggestions for further studies
Chapter 27 Avoiding plagiarism and writing good references in research
 
Interest / Benefit to
Students
Non-professional researchers
Practitioners
Community activists
Government administrators
Policy-makers
Business people