Understanding Research Methods : An Overview of the Essentials: An Overview of the Essentials

by Michelle Newhart, Mildred L. Patten

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.

625 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2022

About the author

I earned my Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I enjoy teaching on topics of research methods, social problems, and social science health topics. For about a decade, my sociological research has been primarily focused on medical cannabis, especially among middle-aged and older Americans. Societal attitudes are shifting and a large natural experiment is currently underway. The changes in attitudes and behaviors around cannabis include all kinds of lessons about attitude formation, stigma and stereotypes, behavior around medicines, and how people translate science when making decisions. Not only is there a need for data collection and research in this area, but the topic has great opportunities for innovative thinking to understand the issue and think through the best ways to approach regulation.

Reviews

[Emma Wissman · Rating 5 out of 5]

solid textbook. i liked that the chapters were short.