Evaluating Social Science Research

We often decide what to believe and what to question on the basis of a simple rule of thumb like believe the trustworthy source or trust the expert. Sometimes, however, reliable and well-informed sources support both sides of the controversy. Whom are we to trust? How can we make a decision on the issue at hand? The second edition of Evaluating Social Science Research provides methods for thinking critically about claims of factual knowledge and drawing appropriate conclusions.The authors have added new sections to the book to reflect the new developments in the field since the appearance of the first edition sixteen years ago. Included is an expanded discussion of observational method that addresses the issues of validity that are now more clearly understood. There is an explicit discussion of quasi-experimental research design, including an added distinction between equivalent-group and nonequivalent-group experiments. New explanations of the logic of multiple regression analysis, casual modeling, and meta-analysis have been provided as well.The new edition, while recognizing the limits of each research method, retains its emphasis on the importance of observations that may be repeated and checked by other researchers. It treats the reader as a key actor who can advance knowledge by cross-checking observations and interpretations.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1: Scientific and Nonscientific Statements of Fact 2: Methods of Gathering Scientific Evidence 3: Evaluating Scientific Evidence: What Conclusions Follow from the Evidence 4: Evaluating Scientific Evidence: in the Published Literature 5: Reviewing a Body of Literature: The Problem of Generalization Appendix: Asking Answerable Questions and Finding Scientific Evidence References Index

Review :
"I wish I had read this book when I was a first-year graduate student! Rarely have I seen a book that is so explicit about teaching how to distinguish between opinion and scientific evidence. The eight-step method for 'asking an answerable question' (appendix) will be the model for all of my undergraduate researchers."--Lisa Coates-Shrider, McMurray University "The straightforward exercises and tables alone make this a useful text for undergraduates."--Michael McWuestion, University of Wisconsin-Madison Praise for the previous edition: "Fills a gap in the instructional literature available in research methods. Students come out of most research methods courses long on terms and procedures but short on an understanding of the purpose of social research and bases for evaluating it. This nifty little volume goes a long way toward overcoming that problem....does a better job of accomplishing its goal than any other book with a similar purpose that I have seen."--Contemporary Sociology "Charts a new course in teaching research methods by showing students how to distinguish between good-bad and useful-trivial research findings....will be especially useful for those who teach young students in the social sciences the pitfalls and excitement of discovering knowledge about the human condition."--Contemporary Psychology