Encyclopedia of Research Design / Edition 1

by Neil J. Salkind

Overview

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Research design can be daunting for all types of researchers. At its heart it might be described as a formalized approach toward problem solving, thinking, and acquiring knowledge—the success of which depends upon clearly defined objectives and appropriate choice of statistical tools, tests, and analysis to meet a project's objectives.

Comprising more than 500 entries, the Encyclopedia of Research Design explains how to make decisions about research design, undertake research projects in an ethical manner, interpret and draw valid inferences from data, and evaluate experiment design strategies and results. Two additional features carry this encyclopedia far above other works in the field: bibliographic entries devoted to significant articles in the history of research design and reviews of contemporary tools, such as software and statistical procedures, used to analyze results.

Key Features

• Covers the spectrum of research design strategies, from material presented in introductory classes to topics necessary in graduate research
• Addresses cross- and multidisciplinary research needs, with many examples drawn from the social and behavioral sciences, neurosciences, and biomedical and life sciences
• Provides summaries of advantages and disadvantages of often-used strategies
• Uses hundreds of sample tables, figures, and equations based on real-life cases

Key Themes

Descriptive Statistics

Distributions

Graphical Displays of Data

Hypothesis Testing

Important Publications

Inferential Statistics

Item Response Theory

Mathematical Concepts

Measurement Concepts

Organizations

Publishing

Qualitative Research

Reliability of Scores

Research Design Concepts

Research Designs

Research Ethics

Research Process

Research Validity Issues

Sampling

Scaling

Software Applications

Statistical Assumptions

Statistical Concepts

Statistical Procedures

Statistical Tests

Theories, Laws, and Principles

Types of Variables

Validity of Scores

The Encyclopedia of Research Design is the perfect instrument for new learners as well as experienced researchers to explore both the original and newest branches of the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412961271
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	06/23/2010
Pages:	3427
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.70(h) x 5.70(d)

About the Author

Neil J. Salkind received his PhD from the University of Maryland in Human Development, and taught for 35 years at the University of Kansas in the Department of Psychology and Research in Education. His early interests were in the area of children’s cognitive development, and after research in the areas of cognitive style and (what was then known as) hyperactivity, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Bush Center for Child and Family Policy. His work then changed direction and the focus was on child and family policy, specifically the impact of alternative forms of public support on various child and family outcomes. He delivered more than 150 professional papers and presentations; and wrote more than 100 trade and textbooks; and is the author of Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics (Sage), Theories of Human Development (Sage), and Exploring Research (Prentice Hall). He edited several encyclopedias, including the Encyclopedia of Human Development, the Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics, and the recently published Encyclopedia of Research Design. He was editor of Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography for 13 years.

Editorial Reviews

"The content is well illustrated when appropriate, and the articles are clear and well written. Most academic and larger public libraries should acquire this modestly priced, valuable reference set. No recent similar sources are available.Summing Up: Highly recommended. *** Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers."

CHOICE

"SAGE is to be congratulated for creating an encyclopedia that brings all of this information together and serves multiple needs. Serious researchers will be grateful to have a reference that serves as a practical and useful tool.... Less experienced researchers will be happy to have quick and easy access to definitions of basic concepts and design methods. Four-year college and university libraries are the obvious audience for the Encyclopedia of Research Design, but individual researchers will also benefit from having it on their personal shelves."-Against the Grain

Against the Grain November 2010 - Against the Grain

"The content is well illustrated when appropriate, and the articles are clear and well written. Most academic and larger public libraries should acquire this modestly priced, valuable reference set. No recent similar sources are available.Summing Up: Highly recommended. *** Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. "

Choice Magazine

Salkind and associate editors Bruce Frey and Donald Dougherty—all highly published and recognized researchers—have gathered an international cadre of contributors for this comprehensive three-volume work. Topics were selected to be "sufficiently technical to enlighten the naive but educated reader." Volume 1 begins with a very useful Reader's Guide, where entries are organized into 28 broad categories and which includes a list of the entries that fall into each category. The two things that make this work distinctive are the inclusion of reviews of 15 seminal articles in the field (identified in the Reader's Guide under "Important Publications") and reviews of 11 popular research tools (in the Reader's Guide under "Software Applications"). Entries are organized alphabetically and range in length from 1000 to 3000 words (roughly four paragraphs to four or five pages). Entry length was purposely set based on the editors' judgments of each topic's importance. Entries on statistical tests include explicit instructions for their calculation as well as the underlying assumptions and, often, a brief example (e.g., the entry on the Kruskal-Wallis test). Cross-references are included throughout, as are pointers to further readings. Entries are signed by their contributors, often recognized experts on their topics (e.g., Klaus Krippendorff authored entries on Content Analysis and Krippendorff's Alpha). The only potential disappointment to some will be the relatively few entries on qualitative and mixed-methods design topics. BOTTOM LINE Essential for academic libraries, this is one of a handful of resources that covers such a broad spectrum of research designs. It will also be a useful addition to public library collections but may be slightly too advanced for most high-school libraries.—Sarah Sutton, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Corpus Christi

Library Journal