The Craft of Research, Fourth Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) - Softcover

Booth, Wayne C.; Colomb, Gregory G.; Williams, Joseph M.; Bizup, Joseph; FitzGerald, William T.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 022623973X ISBN 13: 9780226239736

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2016

With more than three-quarters of a million copies sold since its first publication, The Craft of Research has helped generations of researchers at every level—from first-year undergraduates to advanced graduate students to research reporters in business and government—learn how to conduct effective and meaningful research. Conceived by seasoned researchers and educators Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, this fundamental work explains how to find and evaluate sources, anticipate and respond to reader reservations, and integrate these pieces into an argument that stands up to reader critique.

The fourth edition has been thoroughly but respectfully revised by Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald. It retains the original five-part structure, as well as the sound advice of earlier editions, but reflects the way research and writing are taught and practiced today. Its chapters on finding and engaging sources now incorporate recent developments in library and Internet research, emphasizing new techniques made possible by online databases and search engines. Bizup and FitzGerald provide fresh examples and standardized terminology to clarify concepts like argument, warrant, and problem.

Following the same guiding principle as earlier editions—that the skills of doing and reporting research are not just for elite students but for everyone—this new edition retains the accessible voice and direct approach that have made The Craft of Research a leader in the field of research reference. With updated examples and information on evaluation and using contemporary sources, this beloved classic is ready for the next generation of researchers.

About the Author:

Wayne C. Booth (1921–2005) was the George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. His many books include The Rhetoric of Fiction and For the Love of It:Amateuring and Its Rivals, both published by the University of Chicago Press. Gregory G. Colomb (1951–2011) was professor of English at the University of Virginia and the author of Designs on Truth: The Poetics of the Augustan Mock-Epic. Joseph M. Williams (1933–2008) was professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago and the author of Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Joseph Bizup is associate professor in the Department of English at Boston University. He is coeditor of the thirteenth edition of the Norton Reader and editor of the eleventh edition of Williams’s Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. William T. FitzGerald is associate professor in the Department of English at Rutgers University–Camden.

Review:

“A well-constructed, articulate reminder of how important fundamental questions of style and approach, such as clarity and precision, are to all research.” (Praise for previous edition Times Literary Supplement)

“I recommend it to my students . . . and keep a copy close at hand as the first option offered to students who ask, ‘Just how should I begin my research?’” (Praise for previous edition Business Library Review)

“What sets The Craft of Research apart from these other resources is that it teaches the reader how to think deeply about research in a more general sense. . . . The ample, updated examples of present-day research propositions used to illustrate such thought exercises help to keep the approach fresh and contemporary for a new generation of readers. Information professionals and experienced researchers will especially appreciate the expanded and updated sections on how to find resources in today’s information-rich, digital environment.” (Reference Reviews)

“For those writers in search of solid research to fuel their writing, this well-structured, accessible and affordable book is a gem.” (Praise for previous edition Writer)

“Accessible, readable and jargon-free. . . . The Craft of Research pays close attention to readers’ needs and anxieties.” (Praise for previous edition Teaching in Higher Education)

"This thorough but inexpensive book is foundational for understanding the research process from beginning to end, and the appendix lists sources for disciplinary-specific guidance that might be improved by including literature on particular research methods." (Choice)

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 022623973X
• ISBN 13: 9780226239736
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 336