Fundamentals of Social Research, 5th Edition |

Dr. Earl Babbie (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) is the Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University. While interested in social problems such as overpopulation, prejudice, and world hunger, his career has centered on authorship of numerous textbooks about social research methods. In 2012, the Earl Babbie Research Center was officially dedicated at Chapman University. The Babbie Center encourages faculty-student collaboration and supports cutting edge interdisciplinary research with a global focus. Topics of interest include human rights, social justice, social conflicts, and environmental sustainability. Throughout his career, Professor Babbie has been active in the American Sociological Association and served on the ASA’s executive committee. He is also past president of the Pacific Sociological Association and California Sociological Association. Earl Babbie currently lives in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.

Jason D. Edgerton was the first person in his working-class family to graduate from university. After completing his MEd, Jason spent nearly a decade doing frontline work with marginalized youth, equipping them to re-enter into the mainstream (e.g., remedial classes, life skills, and vocational skills classes). As a sociologist and an educator, Jason’s efforts are aimed at helping students come away from classes—and this text—with increased critical awareness and capacity for analytical thought that will serve them constructively not only in the workplace, but also as future citizens/parents/leaders in their communities. Jason’s teaching practice is guided by this desire to illustrate, and excite awareness of, the everyday relevance of sociological thought and methods to students’ lives.

Lance W. Roberts was born in Calgary, grew up in Edmonton, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He is a Fellow of St. John’s College and Professor of Sociology at the University of Manitoba, where he teaches Introductory Sociology as well as research methods and statistics courses. In the last decade, he has received several teaching awards, including his university’s Dr. and Mrs. H. H. Saunderson Award for Excellence in Teaching. His current research interests cover the comparative charting of social change, educational concerns, and mental health issues. In addition to publishing in research journals, Lance recently coauthored The Methods Coach, The Statistics Coach, and Understanding Social Statistics: A Student’s Guide through the Maze (Oxford University Press), all aimed at helping students master fundamental research techniques. He enjoys teaching Introductory Sociology and is currently developing a variety of tools to enlarge his students’ sociological imaginations.