MA Social Research Preliminary Reading List
Here's a list of possible readings to browse ahead of your course starting - there is no expectation that you complete any reading in advance.
We’re very keen on the MA that our research methods training is considered and applied with reference to your own substantive research interests. As such we would emphasise the importance of reading in your own area of interest and in the literature that interests you the most.
In terms of research methods, there are a number of introductory texts and accessible resources that may also be of use. The following ought to be a good start:
- Delanty, G. (2005) Social Science: Philosophical and Methodological Foundations (2nd Edition). Berkshire: Open University Press.
- Mason, J. (2017) Qualitative Researching. London: SAGE.
- Imai, K (2017) Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Bell, A., Hartman, T., Piekut, A., Rae, A. and Taylor, M. (2019) Making Sense of Data in the Media. London: SAGE.
- Dilnot, A. and Blastland, M. (2010) The Tiger That Isn’t: Seeing the World of Numbers. London: Profile Books.
Engaging with some quantitatively-based news stories/data journalism may also be helpful. So things like the Guardian Data Blog. Also the Royal Statistical Society's Significance magazine.
For some accessible examples of social research in action and inspiration of the kinds of topics you might study, you could explore the blogs from The British Library Social Science, National Centre for Social Research or Understanding Society.
Using the Library
The Library has developed a range of online resources to help you make the most of our library services. A good place to begin exploring these resources is the 'Discovering' section of the Library web pages. This section explains basic skills that you'll use throughout your programme, including the use of resource lists and how to conduct a search using StarPlus.