Understanding Research: A Consumer's Guide, 2nd edition

PART One: An Introduction to Understanding Research

• CHAPTER 1: The Process of Research: Learning How Research Is Conducted and Reported
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY REPORTS OF RESEARCH?
  • WHY DO YOU NEED TO READ RESEARCH REPORTS?
  • WHERE DO YOU FIND REPORTS OF RESEARCH?
  • WHAT STEPS DO RESEARCHERS TAKE WHEN CONDUCTING THEIR STUDIES?
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS WITHIN THE MAJOR SECTIONS OF A RESEARCH ARTICLE?
  • LET’S APPLY THE RESEARCH PROCESS TO READING ACTUAL STUDIES
  • AN EXAMPLE OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: THE PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY-IN—MIDDLE-SCHOOLS STUDY
  • AN EXAMPLE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: THE PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY-AT-DAYCARE STUDY
• CHAPTER 2: Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Understanding Different Types of Study Reports
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDIES?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES?

PART Two: Understanding the Introductions to Research Reports

• CHAPTER 3: The Statement of the Problem: Identifying Why a Study Is Important
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM IN A RESEARCH STUDY?
  • WHY DO RESEARCHERS NEED TO STUDY RESEARCH PROBLEMS?
  • HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TYPES OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS FOUND IN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE ELEMENTS OF A STUDY’S STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM IN A RESEARCH STUDY?
  • AN EXAMPLE OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: THE BULLYING-INTERVENTION STUDY
• CHAPTER 4: The Literature Review: Examining the Background for a Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE LITERATURE REVIEW IN A RESEARCH STUDY?
  • HOW DO RESEARCHERS USE LITERATURE IN THEIR STUDIES?
  • HOW DOES THE USE OF LITERATURE DIFFER IN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES?
  • WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT YOU CAN USE TO REVIEW THE LITERATURE?
  • HOW DO YOU SYNTHESIZE LITERATURE AND WRITE A LITERATURE REVIEW?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE A LITERATURE REVIEW IN A RESEARCH STUDY?
  • AN EXAMPLE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: THE ADOLESCENT-HOMELESSNESS STUDY
• CHAPTER 5: Purpose Statements, Research Questions, and Hypotheses: Identifying the Intent of a Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE IN A RESEARCH STUDY?
  • HOW DOES THE RESEARCH PURPOSE DIFFER IN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES?
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY VARIABLES IN QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND PURPOSE STATEMENTS, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AND HYPOTHESES IN QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH?
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY A CENTRAL PHENOMENON IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND PURPOSE STATEMENTS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE PURPOSE IN A RESEARCH STUDY?

PART Three: Understanding the Method Sections and Results Sections of Quantitative Research Reports

• CHAPTER 6: Quantitative Research Designs: Recognizing the Overall Plan for a Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE RESEARCH DESIGN IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
  • WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENT QUANTITATIVE
  • RESEARCH DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND FIVE COMMON QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE RESEARCH DESIGN IN A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE RESEARCH DESIGN IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
  • AN EXAMPLE OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: THE EARLY-INTERVENTION-OUTCOMES STUDY
• CHAPTER 7: Participants and Data Collection: Identifying How Quantitative Information Is Gathered
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE PARTICIPANTS AND DATA COLLECTION IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SELECTION OF SITES AND PARTICIPANTS IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUMENTS USED TO GATHER QUANTITATIVE DATA IN A STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE PROCEDURES THAT RESEARCHERS USE WHEN COLLECTING QUANTITATIVE DATA?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE PARTICIPANTS AND DATA COLLECTION IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
• CHAPTER 8: Data Analysis and Results: Examining What Was Found in a Quantitative Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND A STUDY’S QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE RESULTS IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY?

PART Four: Understanding the Method Sections and Results Sections of Qualitative Research Reports

• CHAPTER 9: Qualitative Research Designs: Recognizing the Overall Plan for a Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE RESEARCH DESIGN IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
  • WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND FOUR COMMON QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE RESEARCH DESIGN IN A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE RESEARCH DESIGN IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
  • AN EXAMPLE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: THE ADOPTION-OF-PEDAGOGICAL-TOOLS STUDY
• CHAPTER 10: Participants and Data Collection: Identifying How Qualitative Information Is Gathered
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE PARTICIPANTS AND DATA COLLECTION IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SELECTION OF SITES AND PARTICIPANTS IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
  • WHAT TYPES OF QUALITATIVE DATA DO RESEARCHERS COLLECT?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE COMMON QUALITATIVE DATA-COLLECTION PROCEDURES?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES THAT ARE REPORTED ABOUT QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE PARTICIPANTS AND DATA COLLECTION IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
• CHAPTER 11: Data Analysis and Findings: Examining What Was Found in a Qualitative Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND A STUDY’S QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE FINDINGS IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY?

PART Five: Understanding Reports That Combine Quantitative and Qualitative Research

• CHAPTER 12: Mixed Methods Research: Studies That Mix Quantitative and Qualitative Research
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THAT A STUDY USED MIXED METHODS RESEARCH?
  • WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR RESEARCHERS TO HAVE USED MIXED METHODS RESEARCH IN THEIR STUDIES?
  • WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENT MIXED METHODS DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE COMMON MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE A MIXED METHODS RESEARCH STUDY?
  • AN EXAMPLE OF MIXED METHODS RESEARCH: THE MIXED METHODS STUDENT NOTE TAKING STUDY
• CHAPTER 13: Action Research Designs: Research for Solving Practical Problems
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THAT A STUDY USED ACTION RESEARCH?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND ACTION RESEARCH DESIGNS?
  • HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR OWN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY?
  • AN EXAMPLE OF ACTION RESEARCH: THE LEARNING-BY-TALKING ACTION RESEARCH STUDY

PART Six: Understanding the Final Sections of Research Reports

• CHAPTER 14: Conclusions: Identifying the Interpretations and Implications of a Study
  • HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE CONCLUSIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION IN A STUDY REPORT?
  • HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE ELEMENTS DISCUSSED IN A STUDY’S CONCLUSION SECTION?
  • HOW ARE CONCLUSIONS SIMILAR AND DIFFERENT AMONG THE DIFFERENT RESEARCH APPROACHES?
  • WHAT INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN THE BACK MATTER OF A RESEARCH REPORT?
  • HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE CONCLUSIONS AND BACK MATTER OF A RESEARCH REPORT?

Appendix A-Suggested Answers to Short-Answer Questions from the Practicing Your Skills Activities

Appendix B-Example of a Paper Written in the APA Style

Glossary

References

Name Index

Subject Index