Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials

By Mildred L. Patten

Book Overview

A perennial bestseller since 1997, this updated tenth edition of Understanding Research Methods provides a detailed overview of all the important concepts traditionally covered in a research methods class. It covers the principles of both qualitative and quantitative research, and how to interpret statistics without computations, so is suitable for all students regardless of their math background. The book is organized so that each concept is treated independently and can be used in any order without resulting in gaps in knowledge--allowing it to be easily and precisely adapted to any course.

It uses lively examples on contemporary topics to stimulate students' interest, and engages them by showing the relevance of research methods to their everyday lives. Numerous case studies and end-of-section exercises help students master the material and encourage classroom discussion.

The text is divided into short, independent topic sections, making it easy for you to adapt the material to your own teaching needs and customize assignments to the aspect of qualitative or quantitative methods under study--helping to improve students' comprehension and retention of difficult concepts. Additional online PowerPoint slides and test bank questions make this a complete resource for introducing students to research methods.

New to this edition:

New topic section on design decisions in research Additional material on production of knowledge and research methods Significant development of material on ethical considerations in research Fresh and contemporary examples from a wide variety of real, published research Topic-specific exercises at the end of each section now include suggestions for further steps researchers can take as they build their research project.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415790530
• ISBN13: 9780415790536
• Release Date: July 2017
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.1" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Succinct

Something akin to Cliff's Notes; you should have an understanding of research. It's a good review and worksheets help drill concepts.

Excellent overview of research methods

I found this book extremely helpful for a graduate course in research. Very straightforward explanations and examples. I would recommend it without reservation.

Understanding Research Methods

Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials This book is easy to ready. The topics are will thought out and placed. The wonderful examples and the topic questions add to the usefulness of the book. The writer took what could be a complicated subject and broke it into simple pieces. It's a great way to start learning about research methods. In fact the book can be used by beginners or for by more advanced persons who just need a quick review. However an advanced person may need more than this book can offer.

Understanding Research Methods

There was great turn around time from when I placed my order and when I received the order.

Exactly what it claims to be

I am a master's student taking a course in research methods, and this was the first book of the semester. If you want an in-depth examination of research methods, no, this is not what you're looking for. But it did a great job of kicking off this course, which is designed for administrators who will more often be consumers of research than in-depth researchers themselves.It says it is "An Overview of the Essentials," and it is just that. It is broken down into one-page topics that are written on a good level for those of us who haven't had a strong math/statistics background. Each topic is followed by a page of discussion questions that make it easy to make sure the concepts are grasped before moving on. It's in almost a workbook format, and I would recommend this as a self-guided study tool to any professional faced with the need to deal with these topics in the line of work.