LBST 202: Labour Research for Social Change - Methods and Approaches

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For Library research help, please contact Moninder Lalli, Librarian for Sociology / Anthropology by email moninder_lalli@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian.

Course outline for LBST 202

Specialized guides

Background information

  • Encyclopedia of Social Justice and Activism [online]
  • Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods [online]

Methodology resources

Sage Research Methods Online
Sources on research methods, including ebooks, articles, reference sources, and videos. Also includes research tools and instructional content.

  • Little Green Books: Introductory texts on quantitative research topics, such as regression and data analysis, in the social sciences.
  • Little Blue Books: Introductory texts on qualitative research topics, such as ethnography and participatory action research, in the social sciences.

Search the Library Catalogue for books on research methods. Browse the Catalogue by Subject: Research--Methodology, Qualitative research, Quantitative research, or Mixed methods research. If the methodology that you wish to investigate is not used as a subject heading, search for your term using keywords.

For more search tips, check out the Library Catalogue search guide.

Below are a few suggestions to get you started:

  • A social justice approach to survey design and analysis [print]
  • An applied guide to research designs : quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods [print]
  • Change matters: Critical essays on moving social justice research from theory to policy [print]
  • Handbook of social justice theory and research [online]
  • Working method: Research and social justice [print or online]

Reports

Canada Commons (formerly, Canadian Electronic Library from desLibris) - for public policy documents from Canadian institutes, think-tanks and research groups.

Canadian Research Index - (formerly, Microlog) - covers publications of research value by the Canadian Government. This includes publications produced by federal, provincial, territorial & municipal governments, government agencies & departments, research institutes and government laboratories.

Research Studies

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives 
"Independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice."

The Fraser Institute
"Independent, non-partisan research and educational organization based in Canada."

Human Rights Internet
Studies, reports, and other documents from international organizations and the Government of Canada on civil and political rights, economic law, human rights and, and more.

Social Justice Sexuality Project
"[k]nowledge-based study that investigates the sociopolitical experiences of this population around five themes:  racial and sexual identity; spirituality and religion; mental and physical health; family formations and dynamics; civic and community engagement."

Data and statistical resources

Guides on finding data and statistics: Canadian Census, Statistics Canada, Statistical sources.

Keyword search the Library Catalogue and filter Resource type to Research Datasets or view a list of databases by content type: Datasets or Statistical Sources.

Canada

Census Program
Census datasets and data visualization products

The Daily
Statistics Canada's official release bulletin. Find high-level research summaries and chain back to sources.

Labour Force Survey
A monthly survey which measures the current state of the Canadian labour market and is used, among other things, to calculate the national, provincial, territorial and regional employment.

Minimum Wage Database
Information on current and forthcoming minimum hourly wage rates for adult workers, young workers and workers occupying specific occupations across Canada

Open Data
Data repositories by province or municipality.

Statistics Canada
Current and historical Canadian socio-economic statistics. Try narrowing down by clicking the Subject tab.

Local

Guide on finding BC data and statistics: BC Statistics

BC Labour Market Statistics
Statistics that reflect the labour market characteristics of the population of B.C.

Metro Vancouver Regional Data and Statistics 
Local data and statistics for Metro Vancouver

International

International Labour Organization
Reports, papers, briefs, and statistics on international labour standards and issues by the United Nations agency.

OECD iLibrary 
Reports and statistics on socio-economic issues from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. For reports, try browsing by Theme and Country.  For statistics, click the Statistics tab and search by keyword and then narrow down by Country. 

UNdata 
United Nations and agency statistics, covering economic, social, financial and development topics.

Writing

Citing data