Methods of Educational and Social Science Research : An Integrated Approach

This invaluable, highly successful volume presents an integrating framework that will improve readers’ understanding of the research process. The author outlines four important goals for those interested in educational and social science research: to understand science as a social process through which findings become accepted as knowledge; to comprehend how the criteria by which research is judged flow from the knowledge development process, with implications for how research is done and reported; to be able to read, analyze, understand and evaluate research using a variety of approaches; to understand the importance of responsibly ethical research and value choices involved therein. To achieve these goals, a variety of learning aids are incorporated into this comprehensive text, including hallmark sections (signals of research quality), tips sections (actions that improve research quality), and key terms, application problems and exercises for each chapter.

"This rivals Kerlinger's Foundations of Behavior Research, 4/E in its completeness, thoroughness, rigor, care for detail, and readability. In fact, it's probably better overall." -- Patrick T. Terenzini, Penn State University

"This is the book I was looking for. It provides the knowledge base to understand research concepts. It is comprehensive and illustrates with powerful applications problems that students can learn and transfer to real life in their schools. Awesome organization in sections within each chapter! A+++." -- Maria Cardette-Elawar, Arizona State University West

"The text is complete and goes into details on the major subjects. I especially liked the qualitative section." -- James Watson, Columbia International University

"This is, I believe, the best comprehensive textbook for an introductory graduate-level course in research methods." -- Alan Davis, University of Colorado

"The second edition amounts to a genuine tour de force. It succeeds, admirably, in accomplishing precisely what the author set out to do: to delineate an `integrating framework' for understanding and conducting social science research." -- Christopher J. Lucas, University of Arkansas

"A well-documented, detailed, and comprehensive text. Research scholars will certainly find this a most useful text." -- Vic Madho, College of St. Vincent

"It's an excellent book. I've used it in class the past two years and found it to be comprehensive, clear, and concise. Students value it." -- John Pavlik, Rutgers University