Research begins with passion and ends, hopefully, with a thoroughly explored answer to an important question. At the beginning of the research design process, the focus is broad and diverse. Then, with each decision the researcher makes, that breadth is narrowed. Like water through a funnel picks up speed, the research project gathers momentum and the once unmanageable idea transforms into a legitimate project.

In Designing Religious Research Studies, Woods gives the prospective researcher an overview of all the steps required to transform that initial passion into a doable project. He draws on his classroom experience teaching research to provide a simple overview of the process.

This introductory-level volume is void of technical jargon and could be read by anyone interested in how studies are designed. In a sense, this 125 page volume is like the abstract of a research paper: it offers a high-level overview of the topic at hand: research design.

Woods, Jeff C. Designing Religious Research Studies: From Passion to Procedures. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016.