Reading and Understanding Research
- Lawrence F. Locke - University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA
- Stephen J. Silverman - Teachers College, Columbia University, USA
- Waneen Wyrick Spirduso - The University of Texas at Austin, USA
This edition is completely reorganized to separate quantitative and qualitative research with four new distinct sections (research reports, quantitative research, qualitative research, and research reviews. The authors presume no special background in research, and begin by introducing and framing the notion of reading research within a wider social context. Next they offer insight on when to seek out research, locating and selecting the right reports, and how to help evaluate research for trustworthiness.
I have made this book a recommended text for introduction to research course for undergraduates. It gives clear outline of how to read research papers, and it is extremely comprehensive. I made it recommended instead of required because some students may find it out of their reach. If the course were geared to honors-level undergraduates, I would have made it required, but these are ordinary undergraduates who are only taking the course because it is required.
Clear language and easy for undergraduates to understand.
For the first doctoral class, this text is excellent as it helps students understand how to review journal articles - a skill that is critical for success in graduate studies. The class is the very first doctoral class, and the first research methods class, thus the skills of reading, analyzing and synthesizing literature are paramount to their ability to write good research-based papers.
accessible, flexible, clear writing, well suited for the specific application in our introductory graduate course
Liked the changes from the 2nd edition. Students in the course found the text useful and keep it as a reference.
This will be a great text for students beginning graduate school. It will be helpful to them as they write papers and read research papers for class discussion.
The authors give concrete advice for a beginner who is reading research reports. In addition to that, the authors use a very clear writing style to convey major concepts. The "Graphic Tools" section in Chapter 3 provides a practical exercise for students to visualize the components of a research project, which makes a perfect assignment for students in the early stages of a research course!
Clear and easy to read with great information and examples
Provides a thorough overview of reading and understanding research--appropriate for our beginning level reserach class.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1 - The Research Report
Chapter 4 - The Use, Misuse, and Misunderstanding of Research