Hello,
I've just completed an MA in social anthropology and am applying for jobs as a researcher. I started off applying for the fascinating social research jobs but have had no luck.
Is it a good idea to apply for jobs in market research, just to get experience working on projects, and then progress to social research? What other research jobs are there for people with an MA?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated :-)

Have you considered a research degree as your next move? If you want a research career, it's likely to be the next logical step for you.

i agree with ann - but then, you CAN get into research without a PhD (at least in the social sciences you can, don't know about the rest).
however, your first research job will be the hardest to get. you'll need lots of perseverance and will have to deal with lots of turn-downs. that's not always easy.
in my experience, those of my friends who went into market research - for lack of other alternatives, mostly - never came back. perhaps while it won't hurt having market research experience on your CV, it won't help much either.
the people i know who are in research without having a PhD all started with tiny projects, badly paid, usually from non-profit organisations, charities, non-commercial organisations who want something researched but can't afford to employ a 'real' researcher. that way they built up experience and got a list of publications and references - every next project was easier.

have you had someone review your CV? maybe your research and transferable skills could be better presented?

your uni's careers centre will know how to write CVs for research jobs