Understanding Research Methods : An Overview Of The Essentials - 3rd edition

Part A Introduction to Research Methods

1. Introduction to Empirical Research
2. Experimental vs. Nonexperimental Studies
3. Experimental vs. Causal-Comparative Studies
4. Types of Nonexperimental Research
5. Variables in Nonexperimental Studies
6. Variables in Experimental Studies
7. Research Hypotheses, Purposes, and Questions
8. Operational Definitions of Variables
9. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research: I
10. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research: II
11. Program Evaluation
12. Ethical Considerations in Research
13. The Role of Theory in Research

Part B Reviewing Literature

14. Reasons for Reviewing Literature
15. Locating Literature Electronically
16. Writing Literature Reviews

Part C Sampling

17. Biased and Unbiased Sampling
18. Simple Random and Systematic Sampling
19. Stratified Random Sampling
20. Other Methods of Sampling
21. Introduction to Sample Size
22. A Closer Look at Sample Size

Part D Measurement

23. Introduction to Validity
24. Judgmental Validity
25. Empirical Validity
26. Judgmental-Empirical Validity
27. Reliability and Its Relationship to Validity
28. Measures of Reliability
29. Norm- and Criterion-Referenced Tests
30. Measures of Optimum Performance
31. Measures of Typical Performance

Part E Experimental Design

32. True Experimental Designs
33. Threats to Internal Validity
34. Threats to External Validity
35. Pre-Experimental Designs
36. Quasi-Experimental Designs

Part F Understanding Statistics

37. Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
38. Introduction to the Null Hypothesis
39. Scales of Measurement
40. Descriptions of Nominal Data
41. Introduction to the Chi Square Test
42. A Closer Look at the Chi Square Test
43. Shapes of Distributions
44. The Mean, Median, and Mode
45. The Mean and Standard Deviation
46. The Median and Interquartile Range
47. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient
48. The t Test
49. One-Way Analysis of Variance
50. Two-Way Analysis of Variance
51. Practical Significance of Results
52. Introduction to Effect Size

Appendices

A. The Validity Structure of Qualitative Research
B. Excerpt from a Literature Review
C. Indices to Journal Articles
D. Selected Sources of Statistical Information
E. Other Methods of Determining Reliability
F. A Closer Look at the Standard Deviation
G. Introduction to Meta-Analysis