This paper considers the potential and limitations of the case, survey and
aggregate statistical approaches to empirical research in the field of employment relations. The use of the various methods in mapping the state of employment relations, in ‘description’, is first considered. As a prelude to an assessment of the leverage of these methods in the causal exploration central to social science, the paper then turns to consider the critical issue of the place of structure and of agency in interpretative frameworks. In this light, the contributions of the case and variable oriented approaches to explanation, or ‘analysis’, are assessed. Particular attention is given to the deficiencies of the ‘hard science’ often confidently presented as the proper vehicle of social research. Finally, a synthetic approach to research in the area is proposed, and the vital role of theoretical pluralism in advancing understanding is stressed.
