Research Methods in Practice
Strategies for Description and Causation
- Dahlia K. Remler - Baruch College, CUNY, USA
- Gregg G. Van Ryzin - Rutgers University, Newark, USA
Introduction to Research Methods | Research Methods & Experimental Psychology | Research Methods in Counseling | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | Research Methods in Education | Research Methods in Geography | Research Methods in Health Psychology | Research Methods in Mass Communication | Research Methods in Political Science | Research Methods in Social Work | Research Methods in Sociology |
The Second Edition of Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for Description and Causation sets an entirely new standard for presenting and learning research methods. The perspective gained from this text makes it a truly necessary tool for such applied disciplines as public affairs and administration, public policy, psychology, urban affairs, education, sociology, social work, business, public health, political science, economics, communications and criminal justice.
Imbued with a deep commitment to make social and policy research methods accessible and meaningful, the Second Edition of Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for Description and Causation compels and inspires students to truly grasp the logic—and limits—of the latest research appearing in academic journals, government reports, and the media. Authors Dahlia K. Remler and Gregg G. Van Ryzin cover the most pertinent issues and methods, emphasizing the critical interpretation and practical application of research findings. Both causation and description—and the distinction between them—are emphasized and maintained thematically throughout the text. Concepts are taught through in-depth examples, such as “Fighting Malaria in Kenya,” “The U.S. Poverty Measure,” “The Fallout from Hurricane Katrina,” “Family Dinners and Teenage Substance Abuse,” and “The Effect of Poverty on Mental Health.” The realistic trade-offs, uncertainties, habits, and excitement of the research experience come through on every page.
Praise for Research Methods in Practice
“The organization is the most straightforward and accessible of any research methods text I know…The depth of presentation is a perfect balance between the fundamentals and an introduction to advanced topics.” - Richard Tardanico, Florida International University
“I really like this book and so do my students. It fills a much-needed gap in available textbooks on research methods, by speaking to practical and applied research without ‘dumbing it down’…It strikes a nice balance between accessible and rigorous – a balance that I haven’t seen in other books.” - Jennifer Shea, San Francisco State University
“The clear language and carefully organized examples (e.g., boxes of information) of various concepts, and the real-life examples (Hurricane Katrina, poverty in the US, the flu epidemic, recent economic downturn) that provide a context for the topics are the greatest strengths of the textbook.” - Dr. Sevil Sonmez, University of North Carolina Greensboro
“I believe this is the best text available for teaching students the fundamentals of research design and statistics, and introducing them to the difficulties inherent in evaluation research and causal inference.” - Dave E. Marcotte, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
“Clear to the point and detailed, just makes fairly complex points in a very understandable manner…and explains things in ways students new to research can understand. I like the organization as it blends stats and methods better than most textbooks.” - Glenn A Zuern, Albany State University
“It includes all the crucial bits that standard research methods textbooks leave out: what happens after all the data collection and analysis – and why do it at all? The authors write in a friendly and accessible style, very much in the real world, and so well structured that it is easy to dip in and out, to take exactly what the researcher want from it.” - Prof. Osarumwense Iguisi, London Millennium College / University of Benin, Nigeria
“If students are looking to purchase one text that will provide sound coverage of research methods coupled with examples that provide clarity of application this is it.” - Matthew Cooper, Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College
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Authors Dahlia K. Remler and Gregg G. Van Ryzin joined us for SAGE talks in October 2014 where they presented "Teaching Research Methods: How to Make it Meaningful to Students". To view the webinar recording and materials presented during the webinar, please see below:
- Recorded webinar on YouTube
- Webinar Handout
- Authors' PowerPoint Presentation
- SAGE Connection blog with Q&A segment
Available with Perusall—an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class
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Password-protected Instructor Resources include the following:
- A Microsoft® Word® test bank is available containing multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter. The test bank provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
- A Respondus electronic test bank is available and can be used on PCs. The test bank contains multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter and provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding. Respondus is also compatible with many popular learning management systems so you can easily get your test questions into your online course.
- Sample course syllabi for semester and quarter courses provide suggested models for use when creating the syllabi for your courses.
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- EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide student interpretation. Combine cutting-edge academic journal scholarship with the topics in your course for a robust classroom experience.
- Lecture notes summarize key concepts on a chapter-by-chapter basis to help with preparation for lectures and class discussions.
- Lively and stimulating ideas for class activities that can be used in class to reinforce active learning. The activities apply to individual or group projects.
- Carefully selected, web-based video links feature relevant interviews, lectures, personal stories, inquiries, and other content for use in independent or classroom-based explorations of key topics. When relevant, related questions for discussion are included.
- Web exercises direct both instructors and students to useful and current web sites, along with creative activities to extend and reinforce learning or allow for further research on important chapter topics.
- Web resources are included for further research and insights.
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The open-access Student Study Site includes the following:
- Mobile-friendly eFlashcards reinforce understanding of key terms and concepts that have been outlined in the chapters.
- Mobile-friendly web quizzes allow for independent assessment of progress made in learning course material.
- Carefully selected, video links feature relevant interviews, lectures, personal stories, inquiries, and other content for use in independent or classroom-based explorations of key topics.
- EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide your interpretation.
- Web exercises direct you to useful and current web resources, along with creative activities to extend and reinforce learning or allow for further research on important chapter topics.
Research Methods in Practice offers a combination of academic weight, coupled clarity and an easy to follow style that will allow students and practitioners to take their research skills to a level otherwise considered unrealistic. If students are looking to purchase one text that will provide sound coverage of research methods coupled with examples that provide clarity of application this is it.
The text is very well organized. Often reading research methods texts can lead to more confusion than the student originally had. This text, by contrast is presented in a clear, logical, tool box approach.
Remler and Van Ryzin have filled a void that has too long complicated the job of teaching statistical methods and research design to graduate students of applied social science and public policy.
I believe this is the best text available for teaching students the fundamentals of research design and statistics, and introducing them to the difficulties inherent in evaluation research and causal inference.
What do you get when you cross writings from an electrical engineering-health economist (Dahlia Remler) with a psychologist-geographer (Gregg Van Ryzin)? An eclectic array of fundamental ideas on research portrayed and measured across multidisciplinary domains, i.e., Research Methods in Practice. Just about every topic you might consider for developing theory and building research questions, to formulating knowledge and identifying relevant methods is discussed. Accordingly, experimental approaches, data analyses, and research methods are exposed to the reader in a clear, concise fashion.
Research Methods in Practice is the go-to book for that quick start in learning how to do research.
The strengths of this text include the many contemporary references to current events, the language and graphics. The strength is also the simplicity (which is effective) of research, that we do it daily and that it should not be seen as a laborious task (although it may be), but rather as a necessary part of whatever we plan to do in life as scholars, researchers, civil servants, doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc. The ease of applicability of research and the research process as a deliberate, strategic, systematic way to gather credible and useable data/information is one of the most effective aspects of the textbook.
This is a well-organized book that deals with a good number of issues. It develops the discussion into an appropriate depth for the students on undergraduate and post graduate programmes without confusion.
[This book] gives the student the opportunity to see things in a different way from the standard texts.
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Available formats
| ISBN: 9781544312866 | Electronic Version | Suggested Retail Price: $80.00 | Bookstore Price: $64.00 |
| ISBN: 9781483355894 | Electronic Version | Suggested Retail Price: $80.00 | Bookstore Price: $64.00 |
| ISBN: 9781452276403 | Paperback | Suggested Retail Price: $100.00 | Bookstore Price: $80.00 |
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