Research essentials: an introduction to designs and practices

Research Essentials: An Introduction to Designs and Practices, by Stephen D. Lapan and Mary Lynn Quartaroli, Editors, is an accessible and practical introduction to research that addresses the broadest spectrum of research methodologies of interest to the student or new research, from experimental and survey approaches to program evaluation and ethnography. Unlike introductory research texts that focus on traditional experimental and correlational approaches, Research Essentials includes key interpretive and qualitative strategies. For students who are most likely to take just one course, this text will help them become effective consumers, as well as producers, of research. The book begins with a discussion of sources of knowledge and the role that research plays in the social sciences and education, followed by an overview of research traditions, making explicit distinctions between disciplines of inquiry (approaches ormethodologies) and data collection procedures (techniques or methods). Succeeding chapters address ethics in research, conducting literature reviews, and an array of specific approaches used in designing research studies. The research approach chapters address background, definitions, contrasting approaches, sampling and design alternatives, data collection and analysis, and appropriateuses of study results. Practical examples and relevant resources across the disciplines in the social sciences and education will also be offered, including the presentation of a representative article for analysis to be made available on the publishers website. Closing chapters provide guidance in feminine perspectives, mixed method approaches, meta-analysis, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and reporting, and the interpretation of research and its confluence with practice and public policy. Other features include study questions placed throughout each chapter; lists of relevant journals, web sites, and organizations; and glossary.

• ISBN: 978-0-470-18109-6
• Editorial: John Wiley & Sons
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Páginas: 384
• Fecha Publicación: 13/02/2009
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés