Research Methods For The Behavioral And Social Sciences

A comprehensive introduction to research methods and best practices for designing,conducting, interpreting, and reporting findings This text is designed to develop in students a passion for conducting research and an understanding of the practical value of systematic information- gathering and decision-making. It features step-by-step coverage of the research process including research design, statistical considerations, and guidance on writing up and presenting results. Recognized leaders in the field—authors Bart Weathington, Christopher Cunningham, and David Pittenger—present: Introductions to multiple research designs—including single-participant, multi-group, longitudinal, correlational, and experimental designs—accompanied by examples Bibliographic research and methods for appropriate sampling Identifying, developing, and evaluating reliable and valid approaches to measurement The issues and steps common to all single-factor and multifactor studies, as well as single-subject and nonexperimental methods How to summarize research in writing that conforms to the editorial guidelines of the American Psychological Association A comprehensive review of research methods and the statistical concepts that support them, Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences offers the best techniques for studying behavior and social phenomena.

Written by an interdisciplinary team of global experts, this book is an invaluable tool for anyone learning about research methods.

A comprehensive introduction to research methods and bestpractices for designing,conducting, interpreting, and reportingfindings This text is designed to develop in students a passion forconducting research and an understanding of the practical value ofsystematic information- gathering and decision-making. It featuresstep-by-step coverage of the research process including researchdesign, statistical considerations, and guidance on writing up andpresenting results. Recognized leaders in the field—authors Bart Weathington,Christopher Cunningham, and David Pittenger—present: Introductions to multiple research designs—includingsingle-participant, multi-group, longitudinal, correlational, andexperimental designs—accompanied by examples Bibliographic research and methods for appropriate sampling Identifying, developing, and evaluating reliable and validapproaches to measurement The issues and steps common to all single-factor and multifactorstudies, as well as single-subject and nonexperimental methods How to summarize research in writing that conforms to theeditorial guidelines of the American Psychological Association A comprehensive review of research methods and the statisticalconcepts that support them, Research Methods for the Behavioraland Social Sciences offers the best techniques for studyingbehavior and social phenomena.

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.

Highlighting the progress made by researchers in using Web-based surveys for data collection, this timely volume summarizes the experiences of leading behavioral and social scientists from Europe and the US who collected data using the Internet. Some chapters present theory, methodology, design, and implementation, while others focus on best practice examples and/or issues such as data quality and understanding paradata. A number of contributors applied innovative Web-based research methods to the LISS panel of CentERdata collected from over 5,000 Dutch households. Their findings are presented in the book. Some of the data is available on the book website. The book addresses practical issues such as data quality, how to reach difficult target groups, how to design a survey to maximize response, and ethical issues that need to be considered. Innovative applications such as the use of biomarkers and eye-tracking techniques are also explored. Part 1 provides an overview of Internet survey research including its methodologies, strengths, challenges, and best practices. Innovative ways to minimize sources of error are provided along with a review of mixed-mode designs, how to design a scientifically sound longitudinal panel and avoid sampling problems, and address ethical requirements in Web surveys. Part 2 focuses on advanced applications including the impact of visual design on the interpretability of survey questions, the impact survey usability has on respondents’ answers, design features that increase interaction, and how Internet surveys can be effectively used to study sensitive issues. Part 3 addresses data quality, sample selection, measurement and non-response error, and new applications for collecting online data. The issue of underrepresentation of certain groups in Internet research and the measures most effective at reducing it are also addressed. The book concludes with a discussion of the importance of paradata and the Web data collection process in general, followed by chapters with innovative experiments using eye-tracking techniques and biomarker data. This practical book appeals to practitioners from market survey research institutes and researchers in disciplines such as psychology, education, sociology, political science, health studies, marketing, economics, and business who use the Internet for data collection, but is also an ideal supplement for graduate and/or upper level undergraduate courses on (Internet) research methods and/or data collection taught in these fields.

This text acquaints the student with the diverse methods used in the social, psychological and behavioural sciences. The scientific question at hand affects the researcher's choice of methods, and this book helps students develop an appreciation for the sorts of hypotheses and questions that can be most profitably investigated with each method. The text emphasizes that the student needs to be acquainted with a variety of research methods, as there is no single perfect method. Along with the illustrative research in each chapter, the advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed.