Research Methods, Statistics, and Applications

Third Edition

Kathrynn A. Adams - Guilford College
Eva K. McGuire - Guilford College

Other Titles in:
Quantitative/Statistical Research (General) | Research Methods (General) | Research Methods in Psychology

February 2022 | 696 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Research Methods, Statistics, and Applications by Kathrynn A. Adams and Eva K. McGuire is designed to give students the experience of being a researcher by combining the interrelated concepts of research methods and statistics to better explain how the research process incorporates both elements. Employing a conversational tone throughout, coupled with an emphasis on decision-making, this best-selling text will spark students’ interest in conducting research and improve their ability to critically analyze research in their daily lives.

The Third Edition includes a new chapter on measurement to better highlight its critical importance, updates for the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, new examples related to social justice, additional sections on qualitative research methods, and more thorough integration of research ethics information and tips throughout each chapter.

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Preface

About the Authors

Chapter 1 • Thinking Like a Researcher

Learning Objectives

Critical Thinking

The Scientific Approach

Overview of the Research Process (a.k.a. The Scientific Method)

Thinking Critically About Ethics

The Big Picture: Proof and Progress in Science

Chapter Resources

Chapter 2 • Build a Solid Foundation for Your Study Based on Past Research

Learning Objectives

Types of Sources

Strategies to Identify and Find Past Research

Reading and Evaluating Primary Research Articles

Crediting Sources

The Big Picture: Use the Past to Inform the Present

Chapter Resources

Chapter 3 • Measuring Your Variables

Learning Objectives

Constructs and Operational Definitions

Four Scales of Measurement

Self-Report Measures

Behavioral and Physiological Measures

Archival Research

The Big Picture: How to Choose Measures For Your Study

Chapter Resources

Chapter 4 • The Cornerstones of Good Research: Reliability and Validity

Learning Objectives

Reliability and Validity Defined

Reliability and Validity of Measurement

Assessing Reliability of Measures

Assessing Validity of Measures

Reliability and Validity at the Study Level

The Big Picture: Consistency and Accuracy

Chapter Resources

Chapter 5 • Basics of Research Design: Description and Sampling

Learning Objectives

When is a Descriptive Study Appropriate?

Validity in Descriptive Studies

Defining the Population and Obtaining a Sample

Probability Sampling

Nonprobability Sampling

The Big Picture: Choosing a Sampling Method

Chapter Resources

Chapter 6 • Describing Your Sample

Learning Objectives

Ethical and Practical Issues in Describing Your Sample

Descriptive Statistics

Choosing the Appropriate Descriptive Statistics

Comparing Interval/Ratio Scores with z Scores and Percentiles

The Big Picture: Know Your Data and Your Sample

Chapter Resources

Chapter 7 • Beyond Descriptives: Making Inferences Based On Your Sample

Learning Objectives

Inferential Statistics

Hypothesis Testing

Errors in Hypothesis Testing

Effect Size, Confidence Intervals, and Practical Significance

The Big Picture: Making Sense of Results

Chapter Resources

Chapter 8 • Comparing Your Sample to a Known or Expected Score

Learning Objectives

Choosing the Appropriate Test

One-Sample t Tests

Calculating an Effect Size

Calculating a Confidence Interval

The Big Picture: Examining One Variable at a Time

Chapter Resources

Chapter 9 • Examining Relationships Among Your Variables: Correlational Design

Learning Objectives

Correlational Design

Basic Statistics to Evaluate Correlational Research

Regression

The Big Picture: Correlational Designs Versus Correlational Analyses

Chapter Resources

Chapter 10 • Examining Causality

Learning Objectives

Testing Cause and Effect

Eight Key Threats to Internal Validity

Basic Issues in Designing an Experiment

Validity in Experiments

The Big Picture: Benefits and Limits of Experimental Design

Chapter Resources

Chapter 11 • Independent-Groups Designs

Learning Objectives

Designs with Independent Groups

Designing a Simple Experiment

Analysis of Two Independent-Groups Designs

FORMULAS and CALCULATIONS: Independent-Samples t Test

Using a Data Analysis Program to Calculate Independent Samples t Tests

Designs with More than Two Independent Groups

Analysis of Multiple Independent-Groups Designs

Formulas and Calculations: One-Way Independent-Samples ANOVA

Using a Data Analysis Program to Calculate One-Way Independent-Samples ANOVAs

The Big Picture: Identifying and Analyzing Independent-Groups Designs

Chapter Resources

Chapter 12 • Dependent-Groups Designs

Learning Objectives

Designs with Dependent Groups

Designs with More than two Dependent Groups

Analysis of Dependent Multiple-Groups Designs

Formulas and Calculations: Within-Subjects ANOVA

The Big Picture: Selecting Analyses and Interpreting Results for Dependent-Groups Designs

Chapter Resources

Chapter 13 • Factorial Designs

Learning Objectives

Basic Concepts in Factorial Design

Rationale for Factorial Designs

2 × 2 DESIGNS

Two-Way Between Subjects ANOVA

Beyond the 2 × 2 Independent-Groups Design

The Big Picture: Embracing Complexity

Chapter Resources

Chapter 14 • Nonparametric Statistics

Learning Objectives

Parametric Versus Nonparametric Statistics

Chi-Square Goodness of Fit

Chi-Square Test For Independence

Dependent-Groups Designs with Nominal Outcome Measures

Spearman’s Rho to Examine Relationships Between Ordinal (Ranked) Data

Nonparametric Statistics for Independent- and Dependent-Groups Designs with Ordinal Data

The Big Picture: Selecting Parametric Versus Nonparametric Tests

Chapter Resources

Chapter 15 • Focusing on the Individual: Case Studies and Single N Designs

Learning Objectives

Samples Versus Individuals

The Case Study

Qualitative Analyses

Single N Designs

The Big Picture: Choosing Between a Sample, Case Study, or Single N Design

Chapter Resources

Chapter 16 • How to Decide? Choosing a Research Design and Selecting the Correct Analysis

Learning Objectives

Choosing a Research Design

Selecting Your Statistical Analyses

The Big Picture: Beyond This Class

Chapter Resources

Appendix A • Answers to Practice Questions

Appendix B • APA Style and Format Guidelines

Appendix C • Statistical Tables

Appendix D • Statistical Formulas

Glossary

References

Index

Supplements

Instructor Site
Online resources included with this text

The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank, editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides, lecture notes, downloadable datasets for accompanying material in the book, and answers to end of chapter statistics exercises.

Student Site
edge.sagepub.com/adams3e

The open-access Student Study Site offers datasets for accompanying material in the book are available for download.

Unfortunately, I did not receive a copy of the book Research Methods, Statistics and Applications
Third Edition by
Adams. Kathrynn
McGuire (aka: Lawrence) Eva

Dr Heather Allison

Department of Education, London Metropolitan University

October 28, 2023

Report this review

Focus on practical applications.

Dr Mark Fulford

School Of Business/Economics, Campbellsville University

August 29, 2022

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Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

A new chapter on measurement tackles this critical topic with more depth so students can conduct precise research.
APA Style Manual 7th Edition updates provide students with guidance on proper citation style, bias-free language, and report writing.
Additional sections on qualitative research emphasize case study research and other methods to help students complete their picture of research methods.
An updated SAGE companion website provides practice datasets, lecture slides, homework assignments, answers to statistics exercises, and test banks for instructors.
New examples from the current research literature from psychology, criminal justice, politics, and education build on the currency of the text.
Current examples relating to social justice, more inclusive language in line with new APA guidelines, and integrated ethics tips within the chapters enhance the book’s hallmark sustained focus on ethics.

KEY FEATURES:

Thorough integration of research methods and statistics helps students gain a full picture of the research process.
Examples from current research literature provide a real-life context for understanding methods and statistics and demonstrate how a research topic can be examined in multiple ways.
Directions for calculating statistics using formulas, as well as data analysis programs (SPSS, with jamovi available online), enhance student understanding of analyses.
Ethics coverage throughout the book—with tips for how to conduct ethical research in every chapter—reinforces its importance in all stages of the research process.
Practice boxes in every chapter and end-of-chapter reviews of key concepts provide repeated exposure to important ideas, as well as opportunities to apply concepts soon after learning about them.
A final “putting it all together” chapter provides a summary of the major questions to answer when designing and carrying out research.
A focus on academic honesty is woven throughout the book and reinforced in an APA-style research paper and published manuscript in the appendix.