Reading and Understanding Research
- Lawrence F. Locke - University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA
- Stephen J. Silverman - Teachers College, Columbia University, USA
- Waneen Wyrick Spirduso - The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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.
found another book better suited.
Provides a thorough overview of reading and understanding research--appropriate for our beginning level reserach class.
very practical, clear writing style; accessible to undergraduate students; straight forward and thorough presentation of concepts.
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.
For the first doctoral class, this text is excellent as it helps students understand how to review journal articles - a skill that is critical for success in graduate studies. The class is the very first doctoral class, and the first research methods class, thus the skills of reading, analyzing and synthesizing literature are paramount to their ability to write good research-based papers.
Clear language and easy for undergraduates to understand.
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.
Clear and easy to read with great information and examples
easy to read and thorough coverage of material for upper level undergraduates
The authors give concrete advice for a beginner who is reading research reports. In addition to that, the authors use a very clear writing style to convey major concepts. The "Graphic Tools" section in Chapter 3 provides a practical exercise for students to visualize the components of a research project, which makes a perfect assignment for students in the early stages of a research course!
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1 - The Research Report
Chapter 4 - The Use, Misuse, and Misunderstanding of Research