In this confrontational text Martyn Hammersley looks at the key issues in current social research methodology, it is a must-read for those interested in the state of this field.

Structured as a series of probing questions, and covering a range of methods, this book reflects on the challenge posed by the idea that social research should serve evidence-based practice.

This book engages with key intellectual challenges facing social science today, at a time when it is under considerable pressure to demonstrate its value. It addresses questions that carry implications for research practice, quantitative or qualitative, by making use of contemporary examples, such as the London riots.