As straightforward as its title, How to Build Social Science Theories sidesteps the well-traveled road of theoretical examination by demonstrating how new theories originate and how they are elaborated. Essential reading for students of social science research, this book traces theories from their most rudimentary building blocks (terminology and definitions) through multivariable theoretical statements, models, the role of creativity in theory building, and how theories are used and evaluated. Authors Pamela J. Shoemaker, James William Tankard, Jr., and Dominic L. Lasorsa intend to improve
Access options:
The following links lead to the full text from the respective local libraries:
The various soc sci's have not, so far, contributed equally to the development of peaceful cooperation through UNESCO. This is due, in part, to the fact that the sci's have varied in degree of their acceptance into the structures of the U's, &, in part, by the fact that the various sci's differ in the degree to which they can free themselves from an ideological context & concentrate on problems which are chiefly technical in nature. In this latter respect, pol'al sci is at a serious disadvantage. Tr by J. A. Broussard from IPSA.
Objective: This article advances understanding of social work science by examining the content and methods of highly utilized or cited journal articles in social work. Methods: A data base of the 100 most frequently cited articles from 79 social work journals was coded and categorized into three primary domains: content, research versus nonresearch, and, for research articles only, method used. Results: Findings show that knowledge utilization occurs on a conceptual level (related to professional developments, theory, and service needs of specific populations) as well as an instrumental level (such as related to intervention effectiveness). Fifty-one percent of highly cited articles were empirical and, of these, 33% relied on descriptive methods, 45% on explanatory methods, and 22% on control methods used primarily to study intervention effectiveness. Conclusion: Operationalizing the utilization of scientific knowledge in terms of the demand for specific journal articles reveals the content and methodological domains that characterize extant social work science. Six strategies in research, practice, and education are proposed to advance the further development of social work science.
• Summary: This article is based on an analysis of the German debate on the need and possibilities of developing a science of social work (see Göppner and Hämäläinen, 2003, 2004). Basic elements of a programme for developing a science of social work are discussed. • Findings: The results have been enormously influential in demonstrating that the confusion regarding the theoretical foundation of social work may inconvenience social work practice as well as the development of the field as a functional system. • Applications : It is argued that the need for avoiding theoretical atomism and incoherence can be met more adequately through developing a science of social work than by confusing a number of theories.
Errata at end of text of vol. 2. ; Author's name appears on t.p. on separate volumes. ; v. 1. Etudes sur les constitutions des peuples libres -- v. 2-3. Etudes sur l'économie politique. ; Mode of access: Internet.
