Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for Description and Causation (NULL)

The Second Edition of Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for Description and Causation sets an entirely new standard for presenting and learning research methods. The perspective gained from this text makes it a truly necessary tool for such applied disciplines as public affairs and administration public policy psychology urban affairs education sociology social work business public health political science economics communications and criminal justice. Imbued with a deep commitment to make social and policy research methods accessible and meaningful the Second Edition of Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for Description and Causation compels and inspires students to truly grasp the logicand limitsof the latest research appearing in academic journals government reports and the media. Authors Dahlia K. Remler and Gregg G. Van Ryzin cover the most pertinent issues and methods emphasizing the critical interpretation and practical application of research findings. Both causation and descriptionand the distinction between themare emphasized and maintained thematically throughout the text. Concepts are taught through in-depth examples such as "Fighting Malaria in Kenya " "The U.S. Poverty Measure " "The Fallout from Hurricane Katrina " "Family Dinners and Teenage Substance Abuse " and "The Effect of Poverty on Mental Health." The realistic trade-offs uncertainties habits and excitement of the research experience come through on every page. "This is the best text available for teaching students the fundamentals of research design and statistics and for introducing them to the difficulties inherent in evaluation research and causal inference." Dave E. Marcotte University of Maryland Baltimore County