Researching the City

"An invaluable guide to urban research design for undergraduate and graduate students alike. Writing in a friendly, conversational, tone Kevin Ward and an impressive collection of influential urbanists provide the novice researcher a wealth of practical advice on theory, methods, writing style, and everything else one needs to know to design and manage a successful urban research project. I wish this book had been available when I started my research career!" - Byron Miller, Director, Urban Studies Program, University of Calgary "Extends a warm welcome to students who have come face-to-face with the daunting task of producing a dissertation. This thoroughgoing collection deals with the nitty-gritty of researching the city: how to get started, what goes in a literature review, what methods would best suit the project (chapters on an array of different methods are offered) and strategies for writing up.All-in-all, this book is not only a must-have for the student, but also for those of us looking to give sound, supportive and practicably useful guidance to our students" - Kim England, University of Washington This practical guide for students focuses on the city and on the different ways to research it. Kevin Ward and eight colleagues - all leading urban researchers - explain how research is done, from the original idea to design and implementation, through to writing up and representation. Substantive chapters explain each method in detail, from using archival methods, interviews, ethnography, questionnaires, discourse analysis and diaries, to using GIS and visual methods. With real world examples throughout and guided further reading for each chapter, this is an inspiring guide for students doing their own research in urban geography, urban planning, urban studies and urban sociology.