Single Case Research Methodology

In this anticipated new edition of Single Case Research Methodology, David L. Gast and Jennifer R. Ledford detail why and how to apply standard principles of single case research methodology to one’s own research or professional project. Using numerous and varied examples, they demonstrate how single case research can be used for research in behavioral and school psychology, special education, speech and communication sciences, language and literacy, occupational therapy, and social work. This thoroughly updated new edition features two entirely new chapters on measurement systems and controversial issues in single subject research, in addition to sample data sheets, graphic displays, and detailed guidelines for conducting visual analysis of graphic data. This book will be an important resource to student researchers, practitioners, and university faculty who are interested in answering applied research questions and objectively evaluating educational and clinical practices.

Previous edition published as Single subject research methodology in behavioral sciences by David L. Gast. 2009.

In this anticipated new edition of Single Case Research Methodology, David L. Gast and Jennifer R. Ledford detail why and how to apply standard principles of single case research methodology to one’s own research or professional project. Using numerous and varied examples, they demonstrate how single case research can be used for research in behavioral and school psychology, special education, speech and communication sciences, language and literacy, occupational therapy, and social work. This thoroughly updated new edition features two entirely new chapters on measurement systems and controversial issues in single subject research, in addition to sample data sheets, graphic displays, and detailed guidelines for conducting visual analysis of graphic data. This book will be an important resource to student researchers, practitioners, and university faculty who are interested in answering applied research questions and objectively evaluating educational and clinical practices.

Kazdin's text is a notable contrast to the quantitative methodology approach that pervades the biological and social sciences. The methodology in Single-Case Reasearch Designs focuses on a widely applicable methodology for evaluating interventions, such as treatment, or psychotherapy, using applied behavior anlaysis. However, this revision aims to encompass a broader range of research areas that utilize single-case designs. The text will convey the pertinence of this research methodology to disciplines ranging from psychology and medicine to business and industry. The first edition of this book, which was published in 1982, still sells a steady amount of copies today. The fact that professors continue to use the first edition of this book more than twenty years after it was published is a testament to the quality of information, organization, and narrative throughout the text. The possibility of a revision has professors excited that they can expose their students toa well-written, clear, and updated text that will reflect the current status of single-case research.

This text ntroduces readers to the history, epistemology, and strategies of single-case research design. The authors offer concrete information on how to observe, measure, and interpret change in relevant outcome variables and how to design strategies that promote causal inferences. Key Features Includes case vignettes on specific single-case designs Describes clinical and applied case studies Draws on multiple examples of single-case designs from published journals across a wide range of disciplines Covers recent developments in applied research, including meta-analysis and the distinction between statistical and clinical significance Provides pedagogical tools to help readers master the material, including a glossary, interim summaries, end-of-chapter review questions, and activities that encourage active processing of material. Intended Audience This text is intended for students and practitioners in a variety of disciplines—including psychology, nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy—who are increasingly called upon to document the effectiveness of interventions.

This book is written for student researchers, practitioners, and university faculty who are interested in answering applied research questions and objectively evaluating educational and clinical practices. The basic tenet of single-subject research methodology is that the individual is of primary importance and that each individual study participant serves as his or her own control. It is because of this focus on the individual that clinicians and educators have been using single-subject research designs for over 40 years to answer applied research questions. Although the methodology has its roots in behavioral psychology and applied behavioral analysis, it has been used by applied researchers across a variety of disciplines such as special education, speech and communication sciences, language and literacy, therapeutic recreation, occupational therapy, and social work. Key features include the following: Applied Focus – More than any other text, this one focuses on the nuts and bolts of how to use single-subject research in constructing one’s research project or in evaluating one’s professional practice. Numerous and Varied Examples – The book abounds in examples from special education and other disciplines and populations within the applied research literature. Reader Friendly – The text is written in a reader friendly style, features sample data sheets and graphic displays, and includes detailed guidelines for conducting visual analysis of graphic data. Expertise – The author’s long and distinguished career in teaching single-subject research is augmented in this book by contributions from other experts in the field.

Thanks to remarkable methodological and statistical advances in recent years, Single-Case design (SCD) research has become a viable and often essential option for researchers in applied psychology, education, and related fields. This text is a compendium of information and tools for researchers considering SCD research, a methodology in which one or several participants (or other units) comprise a systematically-controlled experimental intervention study. SCD is a highly flexible method of conducting applied intervention research where it is not feasible or practical to collect data from traditional groups of participants. Initial chapters lay out the key components of SCDs, from articulating dependent variables to documenting methods for achieving experimental control and selecting an appropriate design model. Subsequent chapters show when and how to implement SCDs in a variety of contexts and how to analyze and interpret results. Authors emphasize key design and analysis tactics, such as randomization, to help enhance the internal validity and scientific credibility of individual studies. This rich resource also includes in-depth descriptions of large-scale SCD research projects being undertaken at key institutions; practical suggestions from journal editors on how to get SCD research published; and detailed instructions for free, user-friendly, web-based randomization software.

This book is a practical resource designed for clinicians, researchers, and advanced students who wish to learn about single-case research designs. It covers the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of single-case designs, as well as their practical application in the clinical and research neurorehabilitation setting. The book briefly traces the history of single-case experimental designs (SCEDs); outlines important considerations in understanding and planning a scientifically rigorous single-case study, including internal and external validity; describes prototypical single-case designs (withdrawal-reversal designs and the medical N-of-1 trial, multiple-baseline designs, alternating-treatments designs, and changing-criterion designs) and required features to meet evidence standards, threats to internal validity, and strategies to address them; addresses data evaluation, covering visual analysis of graphed data, statistical techniques, and clinical significance; and provides a practical ten-step procedure for implementing single-case methods. Each chapter includes detailed illustrative examples from the neurorehabilitation literature. Novel features include: A focus on the neurorehabilitation setting, which is particularly suitable for single-case designs because of the complex and often unique presentation of many patients/clients. A practical approach to the planning, implementation, data analysis, and reporting of single-case designs. An appendix providing a detailed summary of many recently published SCEDs in representative domains in the neurorehabilitation field, covering basic and instrumental activities of daily living, challenging behaviours, disorders of communication and cognition, mood and emotional functions, and motor-sensory disabilities. It is valuable reading for clinicians and researchers in several disciplines working in rehabilitation, including clinical and neuropsychology, education, language and speech pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. It is also an essential resource for advanced students in these fields who need a textbook for specialised courses on research methodology and use of single-case design in applied clinical and research settings.