A succinct and engaging introduction to social research, this book outlines how to study social and cultural phenomena, explains the difference between qualitative and quantitative analysis, and examines the relationship between social research and society.

By comparing the work of the academic researcher to that of the detective in terms of how they gather clues, weigh up the facts and present them as evidence, this book takes the mystery out of social science research. By contextualizing the historical and intellectual development of the `sociological imagination', the book enables students to integrate their knowledge of social theory, social history and social structure into a coherent conception of contemporary social research.