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
Ideal for students, novice researchers, or professionals, this indispensable resource serves as a road map for readers who need to analyze and apply research findings. It helps them think critically about the credibility of what they are reading by showing them how to identify problems and develop constructive questions.
Key Features
- Assumes no prior knowledge of research procedures
- Provides readers with a step-by-step format for decoding the complex language and formats used in reports and reviews
- Includes the most common formats for both quantitative and qualitative inquiry
- Offers both illustrative examples and powerful training exercises
- Gives specific attention to strategies for critically appraising reported research
- Presents completely updated references as well as an annotated bibliography
Intended Audience
This text is appropriate for both upper-level undergraduate and graduate students across the social sciences enrolled in introductory research courses as well as students in professional preparation programs.
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I have made this book a recommended text for introduction to research course for undergraduates. It gives clear outline of how to read research papers, and it is extremely comprehensive. I made it recommended instead of required because some students may find it out of their reach. If the course were geared to honors-level undergraduates, I would have made it required, but these are ordinary undergraduates who are only taking the course because it is required.
Clear language and easy for undergraduates to understand.
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.
accessible, flexible, clear writing, well suited for the specific application in our introductory graduate course
Liked the changes from the 2nd edition. Students in the course found the text useful and keep it as a reference.
This will be a great text for students beginning graduate school. It will be helpful to them as they write papers and read research papers for class discussion.
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!
Clear and easy to read with great information and examples
Provides a thorough overview of reading and understanding research--appropriate for our beginning level reserach class.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1 - The Research Report
Chapter 4 - The Use, Misuse, and Misunderstanding of Research