Reviews (6)

Critical book for research design
This was a required text for one of my graduate Professional Communication classes. If I lost it, I would have to buy another one because it's that good. And these text books are expensive. My professors have entire libraries at their disposal, and they chose this particular book for one of their courses.'nuff said.

excellent
The contents are a little complex but comprehensive. It is a perfect book for my academic research.

Excelente
Es como una Biblia para los investigadores que quieren aprender sobre la investigaci�n cualitativa ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Research    2. Research & Methodology    3. Social Science    4. Social sciences    5. Sociology    6. Social Science / Research    7. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (33)

Bridge the gap
Statistics books are either too hard or way too basic for non-statisticians.
Lots of theory, not enough application
I've read the other reviews and I generally agree: This is a well written stats book, especially if you are trying to learn the underlying theories rather than just randomly banging around on a keyboard. However, don't expect this book to be a particularly good choice if you need to do anything much more difficult than a one-way ANOVA.Even though this book is 770+ pages long, Field doesn't address realistic scenarios. For example, even though he devotes about 210 pages to all sorts of ANOVA, there is no mention of repeated measures ANCOVA, which is not that unusual. In some places, he seems to suggest that something is really difficult (e.g., contrasts in repeated measures ANOVA) and then offers only weak examples of what to do about it with no mention of how to report what you've done. In fact, he offers very few examples of how to report results, and in some cases, his running examples are nonsignificant so his reporting examples stop short.All together, this is a good stats theory book with an intro to SPSS, but it's not the kind of book that is going to get you through many real-world analyses. I would recommend this book to undergraduates and graduate students who feel they need some more background, but folks in the field are better off looking elsewhere.

This was exactly what I was looking for!
The author provides clear explanation of various statistic techniques; what each of them means, when to be applied, and how to use them in a very understandable way. This was what I was exactly looking for. Good examples with step by step guide with actual dialog boxes from the SPSS window are also very helpful. I really like it a lot. It was a good priced book considering what it provides. Best stat book I've bought ever! Thank you!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Languages    2. Computers    3. Programming Languages - General    4. Research    5. Sociology    6. Statistics    7. Mathematical & statistical software    8. Probability & statistics    9. Social Science / Research   

Reviews (6)

The Practice of Social Research (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Practice of Social Research)
This book is a course requirement; otherwise it would not have been purchased.In my opinion this is unquestionably the worst textbook I have every read.I have read a lot of textbooks, over 60 boxes worth, both as a student and a professor.Some have been a good read, others not.In all of them I have found at least something worthwhile.Not this time.
Textbook
I use this for my text for an upper division Soc class - is a good book - easy to read - wish I had the CD!

Fast, Accurate and Great Condition
I was skeptical when the description said they ship same day but took the chance because I had waited till the last minute to order my books. I placed the order Monday morning and received the book Wednesday just in time for class!!! Thank you for the fast delivery with no extra charge to me!!! And of course as promised the book was in excellent condition and everyone in class was jealous because I paid less and got better service then most of them!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Methodology    2. Research    3. Social Science    4. Social sciences    5. Sociology    6. Marriage, family & other relationships    7. Social Science / Sociology / Marriage & Family    8. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (2)

Complete, Easy to Understand, and even...Entertaining
I really have to compliment Babbie on taking a potentially dry subject and making it fun.Not only is this book a very complete and easy to understand introduction to research methods, but it is also, at times, downright funny.I highly recommend this book.I gained a deeper understanding of research methods by reading The Basics of Social Research and Babbie's unique writing style made me want to learn more.

Easy to learn social research
I was dreading taking this required course in collge, "Methods of Social Research."This was the required text and it has made my life easier.I could actually understand the concepts.I highly recommend this text book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Methodology    2. Research    3. Social Science    4. Social sciences    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - Marriage & Family    7. Social Science / Sociology / Marriage & Family    8. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (3)

Great Transaction-Great Product-Fast Shipping
Everything went smooth!Not a single problem.Thank you Amazon.com!:)

Educational Research : Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (2nd Edition)
This is a wonderful detailed roadmap that I will use for my dissertation.

Talented Author, Extraordinary Book.
This book is an authoritative text on educational research. The method of organization is friendly and very logical. For advanced researchers, this book must be complemented by a comprehensive book of statistics. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Educational Research    4. Guidance & Orientation    5. Methodology    6. Research    7. Social Sciences Research    8. Education / Guidance & Orientation   

Reviews (14)

Helpful Textbook
My only complaint about it was that the cover is warped. I bought a new book, had it delivered next-day, and it won't close properly.
STINKS!!!!
This is one of the worst stats text books I have ever seen.It is very hard for someone with a logical mathematical background to understand.Most statistical problems are addressed in text versus examples.I would never suggest this book to anyone!!!

not restricted to just educational context
Much of the book's material is not restricted to educational research. It is generally applicable to anyone who wants to perform experimental studies in the social sciences. Where you need to deal with human subjects. Granted, in the book, these subjects are often primary school kids.
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Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Educational Psychology    4. Educational Research    5. Research    6. Education / Educational Psychology    7. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (1)

You don't need to be afraid of Statistics
This is a very friendly statistics book.It is easy to read and understand.The authors also throw in some humorous comments now and then that is something you wouldn't expect to find in a statistics book and this seemed to help with the reading.Many real world business examples are used in the book.The example problems and the end of section or chapter problems are from different areas of study such as business, political, social sciences, and science. This is great for understanding how to apply statistics in real life.I would have to say that all the topics and formulas are explained very well.In some cases there are more then one way to write a formula and Sanders and Smidt makes a point of giving you both formulas.You can decide which formula works for you.The book comes with a CD loaded with the data files for all the problems so you don't have to spend time keying in data.There are copies of the data files come in a variety of formats such as Minitab, Excel Windows, and Macintosh.For most of the example problems the book takes you through the steps using Minitab Statistical software and the TI-83 graphing calculator.You are not only learning statistics, but you are also learning how to use Minitab and the TI-83 graphing calculator.In this day and age if you are going to do statistics you need to be able to do it with a computer.I wish they would have also included examples using Microsoft Excel, which more people are apt to have then Minitab. Personally I use both Minitab and Excel. I actually enjoyed reading this book and looked forward to studying.Even though my statistics class is over this book will not be collecting dust for a while as I plan on going back through it to reread or finish reading what I missed or skimmed over. There are still a lot of the problems that I want to do to reinforce what I have already learned.This is a great statistics book to keep as a reference. More then once I have found coworkers looking up stuff in my book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mathematical Statistics    2. Mathematics    3. Probability & Statistics - General    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Statistics    6. Economic statistics    7. Epidemiology & medical statistics    8. Mathematics / Statistics    9. Probability & statistics    10. Social research & statistics    11. Statistical physics   

Reviews (12)

Comprehensive book!
A book that has helped me so far in critically thinking about conceptual frameworks and theories! I highly recommend!

Excellent
I thought this book was the exact opposite of "pedantic" and "verbose." In fact, the writing style is easy to read and, at only 200 pages with big text and plenty of tables and references, is not too focused on the details - no book can with that brief page limit. Regardless, this book was my first introduction to research design and it was perfect. The templates for writing qual., quan., and mixed methods papers were basic and simple, but yet thorough.
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 2nd Edition
The book was well organise in term of topic and content. The author have a good ideas when try to make a comparison between each 3 types of research design. The quotation use from scholar writing as an example make a sense to me about all part in research design. So I strongly recommend this book especially to post-graduate student who intent to write research proposal in area of humanity, social science, and psyology as well as education. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Methodology    3. Research    4. Research & Methodology    5. Social Science    6. Social sciences    7. Sociology    8. Statistical methods    9. Social Science / Research    10. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (1)

Student view of research
I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to study this book. It is extremely well wtitten, has explicit examples and provides a menu of wonderful supplimentary materials. Johnson and Christensen have reached the perfect meld of professional presentation and comprehensible material. Not only that, they are accessible for further elaboration. With the purchase of this book, the reader has a combination of knowledge and dedication to the education of research. It's one of the best Ihave come across in two years of doctoral level classes! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Educational Research    4. Research    5. Social Sciences Research    6. Education / Testing & Measurement   

Reviews (1)

Best around
I teach a research class at the Unversity of Arizona and have reviewed just about every book on the market in the area.This is the best all around book for an introduction into research. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Educational Psychology    4. Educational Research    5. Research    6. Education / Research    7. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (4)

Mandatory reading for using case studies in research
Case studies are very powerful yet often abused way of conducting research.Its often abused because the researcher or student does not know what constitutes good case study research.
Excellent work on case study methodology
This book is perhaps the prime book for those conducting case studies for qualitative research in the social sciences. People have developed PhD methodology entirely based on the contents of this book. The third edition contains updated material and up-to-date citations and case study examples.
A must read for scientists, under- or graduate students
Read it to prepare for my master's thesis and probably will use it for my doctoral thesis as well. Brings the detailed methodology for case study research in perfectly synchronized chapters. Extremely valuable information! Sometimes even Mr. Yin has so many info to provide he has some difficulty putting it all together, but after all everything makes a lot of sense. Has dozens of very good examples. I am purchasing "Applications of case study research" (the "sequel") because I was really satisfied for what I got in reading Case Study Reasearch (3rd ed). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Methodology    3. Research    4. Research & Methodology    5. Social Science    6. Social sciences    7. Sociology    8. Research methods: general    9. Social Science / Research    10. Social research & statistics   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    2. Dissertations, Academic    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Report writing    7. Research    8. Education / Research    9. Research methods: general    10. Writing & editing guides   

Subjects:  1. Mathematics    2. Probability & Statistics - General    3. Research    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Mathematics / Statistics    7. Probability & statistics   

Reviews (5)

A Tough Subject Clearly Explained
I'm a Junior at a large university, and this book is required for my Research Methods class.I've put off taking this class until now, since I'm not very math-oriented.This book explains research ideas in a very simple way, and each chapter has lots of examples from politics.My professor sometimes also has us read the sample articles that the chapters list.This is extra work, but seeing how real researchers use a method helps me understand it.By the way, there is math in the statistics section, but it's not really that bad.If you're not a natural whiz at research, this is the book for you.

Don't waste your gray matter!
This book talks down to the student. It is elementary to the extent of being obvious. The field has moved on and so should we. Get the King, Keohane and Verba book instead, which is written lucidly and actually isnpires thought.

A Solid and Accessible Textbook on Methodology
The book is clearly written, and I am using it this semester for an undergraduate class I teach. I am not a big fan of textbooks in general, as I rarely use them myself, and when I do, it is mostly for concrete and breif reference purposes. This book is very accessible. I especially liked the chapter on focus groups. The chapter on content analysis is also good, because it conveys very clearly the problems that one faces with this particular method, but at the same time the chapter is not mathematically deep. I find that most of my studnets find this book easy to use. As a book on statistics, it is not very powerful, and the presentation of even the basic methods could use better organization. But overall, this is still a useful text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Political Process - Leadership    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Research    7. Political Science / General    8. Political science & theory    9. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (2)

A Real Contribution to Grounded Theory
As someone who writes about grounded theory and supervises PhD students using grounded theory, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to them and anyone else using grounded theory. It isinfinitely superior to the Strauss and Corbin book which in my opinion is too restrictive and makes it difficult for graduate students to apply grounded theory. Charmaz also very cleverly avoids the schism that rose between Glaser and Strauss on the application of the method by giving the student several alternative steps. A scholarly book which is also very accessible. As someone using grounded theory, I am relieved that Kathy Charmaz wrote this book - she really does do a good job in reformulating it for 21st century researchers.

A great new book on grounded theory
As a qualitative researcher using grounded theory methods in the late stages of my dissertation process the last thing I thought I needed was yet another qualitative/grounded theory textbook.Because of the recommendation of a friend and because I am a bit of research methods nut I bought "Constructing Grounded Theory" - and I am glad that I did.I actually read the whole book.
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Subjects:  1. Grounded theory    2. Methodology    3. Research    4. Social Science    5. Social sciences    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - Social Theory    8. Social Science / Research    9. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (8)

The Clearest and Most Useful Book on HLM for Longitudinal Studies
This is simply the best book for those analyzing longitudinal data (data measured at more than one time point).Singer's coverage of Hierarchical Linear MOdeling (HLM) is clear, well-written (sprinkled with humor, it's like a lecture by the most popular prof. at your school), and geared towards researchers who need their programs to run, not just learn the mathematical underpinnings. Singer and Willett (the coauthor, not listed above!) set the standard for presenting math/statistics book examples.
Breaking down complex analyses
This is an excellent book. Multilevel modeling and survival analysis are becoming increasingly important in psychological studies, but are pretty complicated procedures. Singer & Willet offer both a conceptual background and practical ways to do the analyses in a clear, understandable manner. The book is very readable and will be an important reference for future analyses!

very clear and thorough
This book does a particularly good job of explaining the substantive meaning of the equations involved in multilevel modeling analyses.It spends a lot of extra time explaining what the equations mean in real world terms using examples from actual data sets.I teach a graduate level course on HLM and I much prefer this book to the Raudenbush & Byrk book because it not only does a better job of explaining the math (for graduate students less comfortable with statistics) but the chapters are also sprinkled with incredibly useful advice on actually running the analyses (getting them to converge, interpreting them, etc.)The Raudenbush & Bryk book probably does a slightly better job of presenting the equations, but it falls short on explanation and practical advice.If you were only going to buy one HLM book, I would start with this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Epidemiology    2. Longitudinal method    3. Mathematics    4. Probability & Statistics - General    5. Psychology    6. Research    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Social sciences    9. Statistics    10. Applied mathematics    11. Mathematics / Statistics    12. Probability & statistics    13. Psychology | Experimental    14. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (3)

A dissenting opinion
First, I want to say that I have NOT read this book;I have some commentsbased on its table of contents.I teach research methods in education, andhave served on over a hundred dissertation committees in education andother fields (including several dissertations in psychology), and I wouldnot use or recommend this book primarily because of its extremely limitedtreatment of qualitative research.Despite the book cover's claim that thebook deals with "the entire range of research methodologies inpsychology", the coverage of qualitative methods appears to be limitedto one chapter on naturalistic and case-study methods.(A second chapterwhich deals with field research in fact seems to focus onquasi-experimental and single-subject designs, which are not qualitative.) The rest of the book is heavily quantitative/experimental in its approach(there are three chapters on experimental design alone).It seemsrevealing that although there are sections on the limitations ofnaturalistic and case study research and correlational and differentialresearch, there is no explicit section on the limitations of experimentalresearch. There is also no discussion of one of the most commonqualitative approaches used in psychology--the qualitative interview study,which is different from a "case study".(For more on thisapproach, I recommend "Learning from Strangers:The Art and Method ofQualitative Interview Studies", by the psychologist RobertWeiss.) an excellent text with great web + cd support
I decided to adopt this text for my course as it is comprehensive, up-to-date, and includes a wealth of supplementary materials that are web-based, as well as available on the accompanying CD.Recommended highlyfor undergrad AND graduate students.

Good baseline book for those preparing for a dissertation
As a Ph.D. student that is about to start my dissertation I found thisbook extremely helpful in wading through the various research and analysismethods.Filled with examples (although principally focused onPsychology), the book has helped me plan my dissertation.A greatreference book and in my opinion a must have for those who are about tostart their dissertation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Methodology    3. Research    4. Research & Methodology    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Scientific Methodology And Research    8. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (44)

More appropriate for intermediate to advance readers
For someone who is new to probability theories and statistics, you might consider something else more basic and introductory.I've had classes in probability and number theories in college.This book stumped me.It could be retitled: Cartoons for Statisticians.Definitely not a book for beginners as it may have been intended.

Excellent Intro to Stats
Stats isn't an easy thing to learn, but the Cartoon Guide to Stats is the easiest way to learn the basics.In particular it makes hypothesis testing clear.Hypothesis testing is often one of the more difficult areas for new stats students to understand.
Fun & worthwhile
This book is, in fact, full of cartoons but, even so, is actually a useful statistics book.I am a chemist who has long forgotten her math and this book was suggested to me by a co-worker who was given the book (earlier edition) by her sister (a medical person).So, this book has a long history of being helpful to those of us in technical fields who are not math experts but who need occasional help with stats. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Caricatures and cartoons    5. General    6. Mathematical Statistics    7. Probability & Statistics - General    8. Statistics    9. Humour    10. Probability & statistics    11. Social research & statistics    12. Study Aids / General   

Reviews (7)

Review from aFocus Group Moderator
If you're looking for practical information that you can apply quickly, I suggest picking up this book. You'll flip through it time and again. As the owner of www.MyFocusGroupModerator.com, I see a lot of poorly written material. Krueger has done a good job in making this guide immediately impactful to the reader.

Helpful guide to focus groups
Kreuger and Casey's book provided helpful information for conducting focus groups to novice practioners. From room arrangement to recruitment, the guide covered all the basics.

Wow, Surprisingly Good....
If you are looking for a solid foundation in conducting focus groups, this is your book.From initial planning to post group interview analysis, it provides a fantastic and comprehensive overview on preparing and conducting focus group research.It is particularly useful for marketing and research professionals looking to take their first steps into the world of focus groups.I purchased the book to help with my consulting practice and have been very pleased.Overall grade: A-/A ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Focused group interviewing    2. Methodology    3. Research    4. Social Science    5. Social sciences    6. Sociology    7. Social Science / Research    8. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (4)

the nuts and bolts to put the thing together
I am working on my dissertation.This book got me out of my thinking chair and to my writing desk.The philosophical approach to qualitative research is very contemporary and will take us into whole new areas of research to improve and 'polish' humanity.My only objection is the cost.Does a book like this really have to cost over $60?Too much.

This is just awesome. This opens up a whole universe for the qualitative researcher.
When one thinks of qualitaitve research one tends to think immediately of focus groups and face to face interviews - but increasingly with research the game is shifting toward online surveys that generate wonderful amounts of open-ended content, and research projects may also involve ethnography and content analysis to gain rich insights. In other words the focus of the professional must shift toward that quesiton: "what on earth do we do with all this 'soft' data?" Those verbatims, those observation notes... there's a huge amount of data waiting for interpretation. Can you systematically analyse it?
Great Resource
As an advisor of doctoral students, I keep several copies of this book on the shelf so I always have one on hand to loan to students. I find it a very useful resource for students who are planning qualitative research. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Research    3. Social Science    4. Social sciences    5. Sociology    6. Statistics    7. Social Science / Research    8. Social research & statistics