About the Book:
Fundamentals of Social Research conceptualizes the main current of ideas put forward by scholars from the sixteenth century up to the present to comprehend social phenomena and to engage in discovering new ways of seeing the social world. It provides methodological guidelines to researchers engaged in the study of human activity and society and the role of observation and logic in understanding social reality. It deals with the rules of collection of data without any subjective understanding, preconceived notions or prejudices; concerned with theory building in social research; how to keep away the entry of researcher's value in sociological research, how to test hypothesis and how to cope with diversities in social research.

This volume will prove useful for researchers pursuing degrees like M.Phil. and Ph.D. in the various disciplines of social science. It will also be valuable for academicians who are supervising research work. It is also beneficial for professionals engaged in the arena of market research, public opinion poll, communication studies, advertisement, book publishing, media studies, political party propaganda, public administration, development projects administration and implementation, personnel management, labour studies and civil society organizations.

Contents:
Preface | Introduction

Part I : Nature and Growth of Social Research
1. Nature of Social Research
2. Growth of Social Research

Part II : Philosophical Foundations of Social Research
3. Rationalism
4. Empiricism
5. Idealism
6. Positivism

Part III : Contemporary Social Theory
7. Functional Theory
8. Structuralism
9. Critical Theory
10. Post Modernism
11. Phenomenology
12. Hermeneutics
13. Symbolic Interactionism
14. Feminism

Part IV : Methodological Guidelines for Social Research
15. Observation and Logic in Social Research
16. Rules of Data Collection
17. Concern with Theory in Social Research
18. How to Test Hypothesis
19. Managing Diversities in Social Research

Conclusion | Bibliography | Index

About the Author:
Lokesh K. Prasad is Professor of Political Science and International Relations working in the Department of Higher Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh for the last three decades. He has graduated from Hindu College, University of Delhi, and has completed M.A. from School of Social Sciences, and M.Phil and Ph.D from School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. He is a reputed author who has published numerous books and articles including in edited volumes covering the areas of democratic decentralization, participatory democracy, political economy, international security, research methodology, etc.