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Reading and Understanding Research
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Reading and Understanding Research

Third Edition


September 2009 | 312 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
There is virtually no way to complete one's education without encountering a research report. The book that has helped demystify qualitative and quantitative research articles for thousands of readers, from the authors of the best-selling Proposals that Work, has been revised.

This edition is completely reorganized to separate quantitative and qualitative research with four new distinct sections (research reports, quantitative research, qualitative research, and research reviews. The authors presume no special background in research, and begin by introducing and framing the notion of reading research within a wider social context. Next they offer insight on when to seek out research, locating and selecting the right reports, and how to help evaluate research for trustworthiness.

 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
Part I: The Nature and Uses of Research Reports
 
Chapter 1: The Research Report
 
Chapter 2: When to Believe What You Read: The Sources of Credibility
 
Chapter 3: How to Select and Read Research Reports
 
Chapter 4: The Use, Misuse, and Misunderstanding of Research
 
Chapter 5: Types of Research: An Overview of Variety
 
Part II: Quantitative Research
 
Chapter 6: Quantitative Research Designs
 
Chapter 7: Staying Organized When Reading a Quantitative Report
 
Chapter 8: Explaining as a Tool for Learning to Read Reports
 
Chapter 9: Reading Reports of Quantitative Research-Critically: Things to Notice and Questions to Ask
 
Part III: Qualitative Research
 
Chapter 10: The Paradigms for Qualitative Research
 
Chapter 11: Staying Organized When Reading a Qualitative Report
 
Chapter 12: Reading Reports of Qualitative Research-Critically: Things the Reader Should Expect
 
Part IV: Reading Research Reviews
 
Chapter 13: Staying Organized When Reading Research Reviews
 
Appendix A: Annotated Bibliography of Supplementary References
 
Appendix B: Statistics: A Beginner's Guide
 
References
 
Name Index
 
Subject Index
 
About the Authors

This is a useful and essential book for graduate students who want to have a solid understanding of research and dissemination of results. I use this book as a complementary textbook for my Educational research course.

Dr Amin Mousavi
Educational Psychology , University Of Saskatchewan
September 7, 2016

The textbook meets the needs of our program, i.e., with a practical focus on research that is useful for clinicians in training.

Dr Lorene Jabola
Marriage Fam Child Cnsl Dept, Pacific Oaks College
May 19, 2016

This text will be used in my summer 2014 methods class. It really allows for students to understand research in a meaningful way.

Professor Todd Milford
Education , University of Victoria
October 5, 2013

very practical, clear writing style; accessible to undergraduate students; straight forward and thorough presentation of concepts.

Dr Deborah Seale
Health Info Management Dept, St Louis University
August 8, 2013

This is a really useful text which I will be strongly recommending to my students. There is an excellent breadth of topics meaning that it is useful for all the students on our wide variety of courses.

Dr Don Vinson
Faculty of Sport, Health and Social Care, Gloucestershire University
February 13, 2013

easy to read and thorough coverage of material for upper level undergraduates

Dr M. Allison Williams
Physical Education Dept, Grove City College
February 1, 2013

Very good introductory book for teaching students how to read research. I use it for an interdisciplinary class for first year master's students. They each enter the class with a range of academic experiences and backgrounds. This book is a good place to start.

Saran Donahoo
Educational Admin Dept, Southern Illinois University
December 13, 2012

Book is exactly the right level for our master's program that serves practitioners who need to understand research (but not necessarily conduct it).

Professor Paula Weissman
Communications , Johns Hopkins University, AAP
September 17, 2012

We liked this book but are reflecting on which course it might be used in other than the DOL 720 Critical Inquiry course for which we were considering it. I would highly recommend the book it simply didn't work in the course for which we were reviewing it.

Dr LaVerne Ludden
Graduate Studies in Leadership, Indiana Wesleyan University
July 25, 2012

required text

Dr Yulia Tolstikov-Mast
PhD in Global Leadership , Indiana Technology
June 7, 2012

For instructors

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ISBN: 9781412975742
£81.00