About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about four other methods often used in social research, focusing in particular on: (i) documentary research – the textual analysis of existing secondary documents, such as diaries; (ii) case studies – research into a single institution or phenomenon thought to be typical of all similar cases; (iii) digital research – research using information gathered from digital technologies, such as analysis of people’s social media profiles; (iv) comparative analysis – the comparison of similar phenomena in different contexts.

About the lecturer

Professor Tim May is Honorary Distinguished Professor at Cardiff University. He has a wide range of expertise relating to research methodologies, sociological theory, and the philosophy of social science. His recent publications include Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process (2021, co-authored with Beth Perry), Thinking Sociologically (2019, co-authored with Zygmunt Bauman), Reflexivity: The Essential Guide (2017, co-authored with Beth Perry).