Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences


Book Description

Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences, Fourth Edition employs a problem-focused approach to present a clear and comprehensive introduction to research methods. Award-winning teacher and author Gregory J. Privitera fully integrates the research methods decision tree into the design process to help students choose the most appropriate method for the research question they are seeking to answer. The book’s conversational writing style and student-focused features empower students to view research methods as something they can both understand and apply. Over the course of the book, students learn how to structure a study to answer a research question and navigate through the process of choosing an appropriate analysis or statistic to write a research report. New elements to the Fourth Edition include a new standalone chapter on qualitative research, assumptions testing throughout chapters on quantitative research, and updated examples and figures to communicate the latest updates in behavioral science research.







Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences


Book Description

The Fourth Edition of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences by award-winning author Gregory Privitera aims to inspire students to use statistics properly to better understand the world around them.




Participant Observation


Book Description

Participant observation is the foundation of ethnographic research design and supports and complements other types of qualitative and quantitative data collection. Qualitative research in such diverse areas as anthropology, sociology, education, medicine draws on the insights gained through the use of participant observation. The authors have written a guide to the collection of systematic data in naturalistic settings - communities in many different cultures - to achieve an understanding of the most fundamental processes and patterns of social life. This book serves as a basic primer for the beginning researcher and as a useful reference and guide for experienced researchers in many fields who wish to reexamine their own skills and abilities in light of best practices of participant observation. This new edition includes discussions of participant observation in nontypical settings, such as the Internet, participant observation in applied research, and ethics of participant observation. It also explores in greater depth the use of computer-assisted analysis of textual data in issues of sampling and in linking method with theory.







Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research


Book Description

Almost entirely rewritten and reformatted with many more learning tools, this classic text now has even greater appeal to today’s students. This edition features much more discussion of how research methods are relevant for practitioners, and many examples are based on field research and service delivery scenarios. This comprehensive treatment of single-subject or within-subject design focuses on the strategic (the overall goal) and tactical (the methods and procedures) options available to investigators as they try to determine the most effective way of addressing research questions. The authors guide readers to consider the rationale for different ways of measuring behavior and designing experimental comparisons. At every point, the text explains the strengths and weaknesses of alternative choices so that readers can make the best decision in each situation. Highlights of the new third edition include: Rewritten in a straightforward and accessible style for students without a background in this area, this edition features many more field-based examples and applications. Increased focus on the application of research methods to the needs of practitioners in measuring behavior change and evaluating interventions under field conditions. Increased use of learning aids, including a "built-in study guide," summary tables, figures, boxed discussions of special topics, key terms with definitions, chapter summaries, suggested readings, discussion questions and exercises, and a glossary. Instructor’s resource materials available on a password-protected website with digital access to figures, tables, definition of new terms by chapters, multiple choice test questions, and content from the book’s learning aids, including study guide questions and suggested topics for class discussion and exercises. With a focus on direct behavioral measurement and within-subject design, this book is intended for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in behavioral research methods, basic or applied behavior analysis, or single-/within-subject design taught in psychology (especially clinical and counseling psychology), social work, education, developmental disabilities, and other social and health science programs that deal with human behavior in research or practice settings. Although the book is written for students without a background in behavioral research, its comprehensive approach to designing procedures for measuring behavior and creating experimental comparisons also make it a valuable resource for investigators and professionals.




Collecting Qualitative Data


Book Description

Provides a very practical and step-by-step guide to collecting and managing qualitative data,




Handbook of Special Education


Book Description

The purpose of the Handbook of Special Education is to help profile and bring greater clarity to the already sprawling and continuously expanding field of special education. To ensure consistency across the volume, chapter authors review and integrate existing research, identify strengths and weaknesses, note gaps in the literature, and discuss implications for practice and future research. The second edition has been fully updated throughout to take into account recent changes to federal laws as well as the most current academic research, and an entirely new section has been added on research methods in special education.




Seeing for Yourself


Book Description

This handbook provides information to help the policymaker or educator understand the research process in order to study problems and opportunities associated with the education of girls in Africa. In Africa, girls account for only 57% of the school-age population. They are more likely to drop out of school and to score lower on the examinations that determine their enrollment at postprimary levels. Research into the education of girls has the potential to improve their opportunities, and to raise the educational level of society in African countries. The purpose of research is outlined, and steps in planning a research project are defined. The discussion of the planning phase includes a discussion of sampling and sample size selection. Part III of this manual reviews the basic tools of the social science researcher. Literature reviews, techniques such as surveys and interviews, and qualitative research are described. A final section considers working with research findings and using the results. Appendixes present a sample research outline, an example data grid, and a list of some research instruments commonly used in the study of education of girls. Suggested readings are listed with each chapter. (Contains 36 figures, 50 tables, 33 illustrative boxes, and 104 references.) (SLD)