Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the Age of AI: A First-Year Undergraduate Text for UK Higher Education

This book is written for first-year undergraduate students in the United Kingdom who are encountering research methods for the first time. It assumes no prior knowledge of statistics, philosophy, or social science methodology. Its purpose is straightforward: to give students the conceptual vocabulary, practical skills, and critical habits of mind they need to read research intelligently, to design a modest research project of their own, and to progress with confidence into second- and third-year modules that build on these foundations. Research methods teaching often suffers from a false choice: courses either drown students in statistical formulae before they understand why any of it matters, or they gesture vaguely at "being critical" without giving students the tools to do so. This text tries to avoid both traps. Each chapter opens with a real dilemma a researcher might face, works through the logic of how researchers have addressed that dilemma, and closes with practical guidance a student can apply directly to a coursework assignment or dissertation proposal. Two convictions shape the whole book. First, that quantitative and qualitative research are not rival ideologies but complementary toolkits, each suited to particular questions and poorly suited to others; a competent researcher chooses methods to fit the question, not the other way around. Second, that ethics and rigour are not late add-ons to research design but run through every decision a researcher makes, from the first formulation of a research question to the final presentation of findings. Each chapter includes learning outcomes, worked examples drawn from education, health, business, and social policy contexts typical of UK undergraduate programmes, and end-of-chapter exercises suitable for seminar discussion or self-study. A glossary of key terms and a consolidated reference list appear at the end of the book.