Research methods in health : investigating health and health services / Ann Bowling.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Investigating health services and health: the scope of research--Evaluating health services: multidisciplinary collaboration--Social research on health: sociological and psychological concepts and approaches
--Health needs and their assessment: demography and epidemiology--Costing health services: health economics--Philosophy, theory and practice of research--Philosophical framework of measurement--Principles of research--Quantitative research: sampling and research methods--Sample size and sampling of quantitative research--Quantitative research: surveys--Quantitative research: experiments and other analytic methods of investigation--Sample selection and group assignment methods in experiments and other analytic methods--Tools of quantitative research--Data collection methods in quantitative research: questionnaires, interviews and their response rates--Questionnaire design--Techniques of survey interviewing--Preparation of quantitative data for coding and analysis--Qualitative and combined research methods, and their analysis--Unstructured and structured observational studies--Unstructured interviewing and focus groups--Other methods using both qualitative and quantitative approaches: case studies, consensus methods, action research and document research