Understanding and Applying Research Design


Book Description

A fresh approach to bridging research design with statistical analysis While good social science requires both research design and statistical analysis, most books treat these two areas separately. Understanding and Applying Research Design introduces an accessible approach to integrating design and statistics, focusing on the processes of posing, testing, and interpreting research questions in the social sciences. The authors analyze real-world data using SPSS software, guiding readers on the overall process of science, focusing on premises, procedures, and designs of social scientific research. Three clearly organized sections move seamlessly from theoretical topics to statistical techniques at the heart of research procedures, and finally, to practical application of research design: Premises of Research introduces the research process and the capabilities of SPSS, with coverage of ethics, Empirical Generalization, and Chi Square and Contingency Table Analysis Procedures of Research explores key quantitative methods in research design including measurement, correlation, regression, and causation Designs of Research outlines various design frameworks, with discussion of survey research, aggregate research, and experiments Throughout the book, SPSS software is used to showcase the discussed techniques, and detailed appendices provide guidance on key statistical procedures and tips for data management. Numerous exercises allow readers to test their comprehension of the presented material, and a related website features additional data sets and SPSS code. Understanding and Applying Research Design is an excellent book for social sciences and education courses on research methods at the upper-undergraduate level. The book is also an insightful reference for professionals who would like to learn how to pose, test, and interpret research questions with confidence.




A Survival Guide For Health Research Methods


Book Description

This book ultimately aims to answer the questions students have about research in a no nonsense style and can be used as a guide to the main methodologies and tools used in the field.




Applied Research Methods in Public and Nonprofit Organizations


Book Description

A complete guide to applied research, featuring original data and detailed case studies Applied Research Methods in Public and Nonprofit Organizations takes an integrative approach to applied research, emphasizing design, data collection, and analysis. Common case studies across chapters illustrate the everyday nature of research, and practical exercises reinforce concepts across all sections of the text. The book includes forms and formats for data collection and analysis, plus writing excerpts that demonstrate results reporting and presentation. The accompanying instructor's guide features assignments, discussion questions, and exercises referenced in the book, and the authors' own data sets are available for use online. Conducting research, analyzing results, and synthesizing the findings for key stakeholders is fundamental to the study and practice of public and nonprofit management. Aligned with management curriculum for both sectors, the book focuses on the common ground these organizations share when it comes to planning, conducting, and using research in day-to-day professional activities. The original research examples presented are in the context of this shared commonality, including resource acquisition, evaluative processes, and future planning through the lens of common social policy issues facing leaders today. Topics include: The research process and applied research designs Applied research questions and literature Data collection in the field and survey research Data analysis, writing, and presentation The examples highlight intergovernmental institutions in which public service occurs, and provide expanded reach to nonprofit organizations and the networked collaborations that make up a significant portion of today's public service. For students and practitioners of public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management, Applied Research Methods in Public and Nonprofit Organizations provides a comprehensive reference to this critical skillset.







Research Design in Business and Management


Book Description

This textbook on research designs provides undergraduate and graduate students with detailed guidance to tackle their research projects. It has been recommended and developed for university courses in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The authors offer students relevant research designs in business and management. They show how to overcome the common qualitative and quantitative methods divide. For this purpose, the textbook focuses on the scientific problem-solving process. It emphasizes the importance of an appropriate research design to produce intellectual contributions. The authors describe the most relevant research designs in business and management research. They assess each research design about its suitability to answer specific research questions. The textbook also covers academic writing and provides valuable tips about the whole research process. It not only serves students as a resource to conduct their research projects. Moreover, it is also a helpful reference throughout the entire academic career.




Research Methods and Design Beyond a Single Discipline


Book Description

Research Methods and Design Beyond a Single Discipline presents and discusses 15 research methods after an overview of each, an illustration of the research process, and an examination of related topics. The focus of this book is on data collection techniques (e.g., interviewing, observation, questionnaires) and research design. Research methods are named and categorized by data collection techniques in this book rather than by the quantitative and qualitative dichotomy used for data analysis techniques. Each of the 15 research methods included in the book is depicted regarding its functions, features, applications, and dos and don’ts, with examples and case studies from various disciplines. Research methodology development in research design starts with selection of data collection techniques, which takes into consideration research questions of a study and research method features. Data analysis techniques and selection are described as part of the research methodology development to help readers choose the most appropriate methodology for their own research, and put research design into practice. This book is essential for masters and doctoral students, and researchers who wish to learn about research methods and design comprehensively and systematically, as well as instructors delivering research methods courses across the social and behavioral sciences.




Psychology Research Methods


Book Description

Psychology Research Methods: A Writing Intensive Approach provides instruction in critical concepts and processes in behavioral science research methods and skills in formulating and writing research papers. The book creates an experiential approach to learning, with chapters organized around the task of writing a complete APA-style research paper.The chapters consist of instructional text, excerpts from published research articles, and learning activities. The reading activities help students develop skills in reading scientific research, evaluating and analyzing scientific information, and assembling evidence to make a scientific argument. The writing activities help students to break down the process of writing a research paper into manageable and meaningful components. As students complete the chapter activities, they assemble their research paper.The book teaches research methods in a clinical context, inspired by the National Institute of Health's Science of Behavior Change Program. Students acquire knowledge about research methods as they read research articles about behavioral health disorders, including studies about their prevalence, causes, and treatment. Teaching research methods with a clinical focus helps students appreciate the value of psychological research.Psychology Research Methods: A Writing Intensive Approach provides instruction in critical concepts and processes in behavioral science research methods and skills in formulating and writing research papers. The book creates an experiential approach to learning, with chapters organized around the task of writing a complete APA-style research paper.The chapters consist of instructional text, excerpts from published research articles, and learning activities. The reading activities help students develop skills in reading scientific research, evaluating and analyzing scientific information, and assembling evidence to make a scientific argument. The writing activities help students to break down the process of writing a research paper into manageable and meaningful components. As students complete the chapter activities, they assemble their research paper.The book teaches research methods in a clinical context, inspired by the National Institute of Health's Science of Behavior Change Program. Students acquire knowledge about research methods as they read research articles about behavioral health disorders, including studies about their prevalence, causes, and treatment. Teaching research methods with a clinical focus helps students appreciate the value of psychological research.Psychology Research Methods: A Writing Intensive Approach provides instruction in critical concepts and processes in behavioral science research methods and skills in formulating and writing research papers. The book creates an experiential approach to learning, with chapters organized around the task of writing a complete APA-style research paper.The chapters consist of instructional text, excerpts from published research articles, and learning activities. The reading activities help students develop skills in reading scientific research, evaluating and analyzing scientific information, and assembling evidence to make a scientific argument. The writing activities help students to break down the process of writing a research paper into manageable and meaningful components. As students complete the chapter activities, they assemble their research paper.The book teaches research methods in a clinical context, inspired by the National Institute of Health's Science of Behavior Change Program. Students acquire knowledge about research methods as they read research articles about behavioral health disorders, including studies about their prevalence, causes, and treatment. Teaching research methods with a clinical focus helps students appreciate the value of psychological research.




Quantitative Research Methods in Communication


Book Description

This textbook is an advanced introduction to quantitative methods for students in communication and allied social science disciplines that focuses on why and how to conduct research that contributes to social justice. Today’s researchers are inspired by the potential for scholarship to make a difference for society, to push toward more just and equitable ends, and to engage in dialogue with members of the public so that they can make decisions about how to navigate the social, cultural, and political world equipped with accurate, fair, and up-to-date knowledge. This book illustrates the mechanics and the meaning behind quantitative research methods by illustrating each step in the research design process with research addressing questions of social justice. It provides practical guidance for researchers who wish to engage in the transformation of structures, practices, and understandings in society through community and civic engagement and policy formation. It contains step-by-step guidance in quantitative methods—from conceptualization through all the stages of execution of a study, including providing a detailed guide for statistical analysis—and demonstrates how researchers can engage with social justice issues in systematic, rigorous, ethical, and meaningful ways. This text serves as a core or supplementary textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in research methods for communication and social sciences and fills a gap for a methods text that is responsive to the desire of scholars to conduct socially impactful research.




Understanding Nursing Research


Book Description

This textbook explicitly links understanding of nursing research with evidence-based practice, and focuses on how to read, critique, and utilize research reports. Organized around questions students have when reading reports—how the conclusions were reached, what types of patients the conclusions apply to, how the study was done, and why it was done that way—the text explains the steps of the research process to answer these questions. Chapters include clinical vignettes, highlighted key concepts, and out-of-class exercises. Appendices present a variety of research examples. This edition includes significant new material on evidence-based practice and more distinction between qualitative and quantitative research.




Energy Storage and Conversion Materials


Book Description

This book explores the fundamental properties of a wide range of energy storage and conversion materials, covering mainstream theoretical and experimental studies and their applications in green energy. It presents a thorough investigation of diverse physical, chemical, and material properties of rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, and fuel cells, covering the development of theoretical simulations, machine learning, high-resolution experimental measurements, and excellent device performance. Covers potential energy storage (rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors) and energy conversion (solar cells and fuel cells) materials Develops theoretical predictions and experimental observations under a unified quasi-particle framework Illustrates up-to-date calculation results and experimental measurements Describes successful synthesis, fabrication, and measurements, as well as potential applications and near-future challenges Promoting a deep understanding of basic science, application engineering, and commercial products, this work is appropriate for senior graduate students and researchers in materials, chemical, and energy engineering and related disciplines.