A look at the research methods in development across the global South Social science researchers in the global South, and in South Africa particularly, utilise research methods in innovative ways in order to respond to contexts characterised by diversity, racial and political tensions, socioeconomic disparities and gender inequalities. These methods often remain undocumented – a gap that this book starts to address. Written by experts from various methodological fields, Transforming Research Methods in the Social Sciences is a comprehensive collation of original essays and cutting-edge research that demonstrates the variety of novel techniques and research methods available to researchers responding to these context-bound issues. It is particularly relevant for study and research in the fields of applied psychology, sociology, ethnography, biography and anthropology. In addition to their unique combination of conceptual and application issues, the chapters also include discussions on ethical considerations relevant to the method in similar global South contexts. Transforming Research Methods in the Social Sciences has much to offer to researchers, professionals and others involved in social science research both locally and internationally.

Table of Contents:
Tables and figures Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Research as practice: Contextualising applied research in the South African context – Sherianne Kramer, Angelo Fynn and Sumaya Laher Section 1 Quantitative methods Chapter 2 Non-experimental research designs: Investigating the spatial distribution and social ecology of male homicide – Lu-Anne Swart, Sherianne Kramer, Kopano Ratele and Mohamed Seedat Chapter 3 Longitudinal designs: The RANCH-SA study – Kate Cockcroft, Paul Goldschagg and Joseph Seabi Chapter 4 Establishing factorial validity of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: A cross-sectional design – Malose Makhubela and Solomon Mashegoane Chapter 5 Using the WAIS-III to illustrate test norming strategies for valid cognitive assessment: A non-experimental design – Ann B. Shuttleworth-Edwards Chapter 6 Quasi-experimental designs in applied behavioural health research – Brendon R. Barnes Chapter 7 Experimental research: Randomised control trials to evaluate task-shifting interventions – Goodman Sibeko and Dan J. Stein Chapter 8 Repeated-measures Factorial Design: Exploring working memory interactions in earworms – Thomas Geffen and Michael Pitman Chapter 9 Q Methodology: Patterns of subjectivity in academic misconduct – Gillian Finchilescu and Saloshni MuthalSection 2 Qualitative methods Chapter 10 Systematic case study research in clinical and counselling psychology – David J.A. Edwards Chapter 11 Doing psychobiography: The case of Christiaan Barnard – Roelf van Niekerk, Tracey Prenter and Paul Fouché Chapter 12 Narrative research in career counselling: The career construction interview – Jacobus G. Maree Chapter 13 Interrogating grounded theory in meaning-making of voluntary medical adult male circumcision for HIV prevention – Lynlee Howard-Payne Chapter 14 Feminist approaches: An exploration of women’s gendering experiences – Peace Kiguwa Chapter 15 The power of critical discourse analysis: Investigating female-perpetrated sex abuse victim discourses – Sherianne Kramer Chapter 16 Using ethnomethodology and conversation analysis to study racial social categories in radio talk – Kevin A. Whitehead Chapter 17 Autoethnography: Locating the voice of the self in post-apartheid South Africa – Jeanette Schmid Chapter 18 Genealogy in practice: Labour, discipline and power in the production of the South African mine worker – Brett Bowman, Ian Siemers and Kevin A. WhiteheadSection 3 Transparadigmatic methods Chapter 19 Transformative mixed methods research in South Africa: Contributions to social justice – Brendon R. Barnes Chapter 20 Design research: Developing effective feedback interventions for school-based monitoring – Elizabeth Archer Chapter 21 Appreciative inquiry as transformative methodology: Case studies in health and wellness – Kathryn Nel and Saraswathie Govender Chapter 22 Photovoice methodologies for social justice – Shose Kessi, Debbie Kaminer, Floretta Boonzaier and Despina Learmonth Chapter 23 Action and community-based research: Improving local governance practices through the community scorecard – Diana Sanchez-Betancourt and Elmé Vivier Chapter 24 Trends in social science research in Africa: Rigour, relevance and responsibility – Sumaya Laher, Angelo Fynn and Sherianne Kramer Contributors Index