International Journal of Social Research Methodology

Reflections on editing a methods journal over the last decadeJulia BrannenRosalind Edwards(founding and co-editors)

Website address / e-journal access / free copy request:

www.routledge.com/journals

IJSRM:

• publishes 5 issues per year

• international coverage

• covers all social science disciplines and methods

IJSRM aims to provide:

• A focus for on-going and emerging methodological debates across a range of approaches as these relate to philosophical, theoretical, ethical, political and practical issues.

• An international medium for the publication of discussions of social research methodology and practices across social science disciplines and interests.

• A forum for researchers based in all sectors to consider and evaluate research methods.

Recent examples of published articles:

• Grounded theory and the analysis of audio-visual texts

• The feasibility of linking household survey and administrative record data

• Optimal matching analysis using ideal types to describe the lifecourse

• Islam, ethnography and politics• Emotions and research• Triangulation and theoretical understanding• Developing a syllabus for a mixed-methods

research course

Examples of special issues:

• Cross-national research• Qualitative data analysis software• Longitudinal qualitative research• Community studies• Combining qualitative and quantitative

methods• Quality in social research• Child cohort studies

Why a need for critical reflection:

Research expanding and changing:

• Textbooks and courses marketed worldwide

• Investment in methods training and methodological ‘innovation’

• Increased governance of research practice

• Policy/practice emphasis on ‘what works’ and user engagement

Resulting opportunities and dangers:

• Enhanced research skills at the cost of the relationship between theory and methodology?

• Increased ethical governance at the cost of methodological regulation?

• Methodological innovation at the cost of ignoring enduring methodological issues?

The future?

Access to journal articles

• the purpose of issues?

• open access?