Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials

by Mildred L. Patten

• Designed for students who are getting lost in the details of research methods and not getting the big picture, this short book provides an overview of the essential concepts traditionally covered in a research methods class. •Lively examples on contemporary topics stimulate students’ interest and show the relevance of research methods to their everyday lives. •Divided into short sections, this book makes it easy for you to give customized assignments. Assign only the sections your students need. •Shows students how to interpret statistics without computations. •Factual Questions at the end of each section allow students to check their comprehension. •Questions for Discussion stimulate classroom dialogue.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Reference, Research, Research Methods, Textbooks, Science

184 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and SHORT CHAPTERS! The ideal textbook.

[Alynda Worrell-Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

not exactly a thrilling topic, but very readable. so thank you for that, mildred

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to read it for a class...that usually dooms a book from the start! It was a good approach to scientific research and the methodology involved, would recommend for anyone interested in research.

[Erica Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well laid out in simple chapters with lots of text features to clue the reader to the important parts. I am glad this class is over, however.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an assigned book in my Library Sciences research methodologies course. While this isn't necessarily 100% tailored to Library Sciences, it still did a great job of offering information about research, methodological approaches, and really helped everyone grasp big concepts. Definitely would recommend it for those interested in learning more about the research process and its methodologies.

[Lergia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a terrible research methods textbook, but for someone with no background knowledge, a lot of times it didn’t have enough information to understand the concepts fully, and I found myself searching for other open source textbooks for additional information.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the format of this book as it made it easier for me to understand the concepts by reinforcing ideas with the exercises after each topic. I also appreciated that the topics were short, usually no longer than a page. My biggest complaint about this book is that it doesn't contain a section for the answers. There were times that I wasn't sure about a topic & my corresponding answer and I wished that I knew that I fully understood the topic. If answers were provided, I would be apt to give this book at least 4 stars.

[Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great aid in learning the methods for conducting research in both quantitative and qualitative methodology. It also explains the math needed to create the number that the readers will understand. Very helpful resource.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mandatory reading for a college class. A lot of information in a short time.... I was not thrilled when the authors themselves wrote "too complicated to be written in detail in this book." So why add that specific item?

[Mirra · Rating 1 out of 5]

The horrid book I had to read for my Research Methods class. It was...horrible. But I read it. The end.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 506 course was long.

[Aaaa]

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