Just starting out with social research? With contributions from experts across the social sciences, this book equips you with the tools for successfully investigating society and culture. It shows you how to prepare for research, generate and analyse data, and present your findings. Balancing theory with practice, it covers foundational concepts in methods and methodology alongside contemporary developments. This radically updated new edition: Sees all chapters fully rewritten in a friendly, accessible style; Offers additional chapters on participatory research and online 'big' data; Includes multiple case studies of real-world research from across the globe in every chapter; Celebrates the dynamic, reflexive nature of research as engagement with the world.