Fallon Writing up Quantitative Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences

1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-94-6300-609-5
Verlag: SensePublishers
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 166 Seiten

Reihe: Teaching Writing

"The Teaching Writing series publishes user-friendly writing guides penned by authors with publishing records in their subject matter. Infused with multidisciplinary examples, humor, and a healthy dose of irreverence, Fallon helps emerging researchers successfully navigate the intellectual and emotional challenges of writing quantitative research reports. After reinforcing foundations in methodology, statistics, and writing in the first section of the book, emerging researchers work through a series of questions to construct their research report. The final section contains sample papers generated by undergraduates illustrating three major forms of quantitative research – primary data collection, secondary data analysis, and content analysis. Writing up Quantitative Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences is appropriate for research methods classes in communication, criminology or criminal justice, economics, education, political science, psychological science, social work, and sociology. Individual students and novice researchers can also read the book as a supplement to any course or research experience that requires writing up quantitative data.

“Fallon brings much-needed accessibility to the daunting world of quantitative methods. Filled with contemporary references to pop culture … key concepts are creatively introduced.” – Diana Cohen, Associate Professor of Political Science, Central Connecticut State University

“This book covers the ‘how to’ of writing research projects in a highly engaging manner. Graduate students who are preparing to work on their master’s thesis will get a lot out of this book.” – Damon Mitchell, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University

“Writing up Quantitative Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences is not your typical book. It is a MUST HAVE handbook for students in the social and behavioral sciences …” – Carolyn Fallahi, Professor of Psychological Science, Central Connecticut State University

“Kudos to Fallon for writing a very thorough and readable foundational text for beginning researchers!” – Linda Behrendt, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Indiana State University 

Marianne Fallon, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Central Connecticut State University and has taught undergraduate Research Methods for over 10 years. A recipient of the Connecticut State University Trustees Teaching Award, she has mentored many emerging researchers, several of whom have won local and regional research awards and have published their research."

Autoren/Hrsg.

Fallon, Fallon

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;TABLE OF CONTENTS;10
2;PREFACE;14
3;INTRODUCTION;16
4;SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS FOR WRITING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH REPORTS IN THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES;18
4.1;CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGICAL ELEMENTS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH;19
4.1.1;INTRODUCTION;19
4.1.2;FORMS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH;19
4.1.2.1;Content Analysis;20
4.1.2.2;Primary Data Collection;21
4.1.2.3;Secondary or Archival Data Analysis;21
4.1.3;THE DEFINITIONAL HIERARCHY;22
4.1.4;TYPES OF VARIABLES;23
4.1.4.1;Measured and Manipulated Variables;23
4.1.4.2;Extraneous Variables;24
4.1.5;VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY;25
4.1.5.1;Validity;25
4.1.5.2;Reliability;27
4.1.6;SUMMARY AND PRACTICE;28
4.1.7;NOTES;29
4.2;CHAPTER 2: STATISTICAL ELEMENTS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH;30
4.2.1;INTRODUCTION;30
4.2.2;QUANTITATIVE PROPERTIES OF VARIABLES;30
4.2.3;DESCRIBING YOUR DATA;31
4.2.3.1;Frequencies;31
4.2.3.2;Measures of Central Tendency;32
4.2.3.3;Measures of Dispersion;32
4.2.4;FITTING STATISTICAL MODELS TO YOUR DATA;34
4.2.4.1;Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST);35
4.2.4.2;Estimating Error;38
4.2.5;EXAMINING THE STRENGTH OF YOUR MODEL;40
4.2.6;SUMMARY AND PRACTICE;42
4.2.7;NOTES;42
4.3;CHAPTER 3: SUCCESSFULLY WRITING ABOUT QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (OR ANYTHING);43
4.3.1;INTRODUCTION;43
4.3.2;MINDSET;43
4.3.2.1;Truth: Writers Improve their Skills through Deliberate Practice;45
4.3.2.2;Myth: Good Writers “Get It Right” The First Time;46
4.3.2.3;Truth: Good Writers Revise, Revise, and Revise Some More;47
4.3.2.4;Myth: Good Writers Wait for Inspiration to Hit Before Starting to Write;47
4.3.2.5;Truth: Good Writers Schedule their Writing Time and Stick to their Schedule;48
4.3.2.6;Myth: Good Writers Sound Smart;50
4.3.2.7;Truth: Good Writers Work to Make their Prose Accessible and Engaging;50
4.3.2.8;Myth: Good Writers Do Not Share their Writing with Others;51
4.3.2.9;Truth: Good Writers Actively Seek and Process Feedback to Improve their Writing;52
4.3.3;THE RULES;53
4.3.3.1;Rule #1: Learn the Major Sections of the Report with Your Bare Hands;53
4.3.3.2;Rule #2: Write to Learn. Then Write to Teach;55
4.3.3.3;Rule #3: Report, Support, Do Not Distort;56
4.3.3.4;Rule #4: Collect and Connect the Dots;59
4.3.3.5;Rule #5: Write for Your Audience (Which is categorically not Wikipedia);61
4.3.3.6;Rule #6: Seek Ye the 3 C’s – Clear, Concise, Coherent;62
4.3.3.7;Rule #7 – Language!;66
4.3.3.8;Rule #8 – Formatting is a Royal Pain in the Bleep, But it Matters;68
4.3.4;WRITING BUILDS CHARACTER;69
4.3.5;SUMMARY AND PRACTICE;70
4.3.6;NOTES;71
5;SECTION 2: WRITING A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT;72
5.1;CHAPTER 4:WHAT QUESTION DID YOU ASK?: And Why Should Anyone Care?;73
5.1.1;INTRODUCTION;73
5.1.2;WHAT IS THE CORE PROBLEM OR PHENOMENON YOU HAVE STUDIED?;73
5.1.3;HOW WILL YOU HOOK YOUR READER?;74
5.1.4;WHAT HAVE OTHER RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS LEARNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE?;76
5.1.5;WHAT IS NOT KNOWN ABOUT YOUR PROBLEM OR PHENOMENON AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FILL THIS GAP IN OUR KNOWLEDGE?;81
5.1.6;WHAT DO YOU PREDICT WILL HAPPEN AND WHY?;82
5.1.7;A NOTE ABOUT VERB TENSE;84
5.1.8;QUESTIONS ACROSS SECTIONS;85
5.1.9;SUMMARY;85
5.1.10;NOTES;86
5.2;CHAPTER 5: WHAT DID YOU DO?;87
5.2.1;INTRODUCTION;87
5.2.2;CONTENT ANALYSIS;87
5.2.2.1;What Did You Sample?;87
5.2.2.2;How Did You Operationalize Your Variables?;88
5.2.2.3;How Did You Collect Data?;89
5.2.3;SECONDARY OR ARCHIVAL DATASETS;90
5.2.3.1;Who (or What) Did You Sample?;90
5.2.3.2;How Did You Operationalize Your Variables?;91
5.2.3.3;How Did You Collect Data?;91
5.2.4;PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION WITH HUMAN PARTICIPANTS;91
5.2.4.1;Who Did You Sample?;91
5.2.4.2;How Did You Operationalize Your Variables?;92
5.2.4.3;How Did You Collect Data?;95
5.2.5;A NOTE ABOUT VERB TENSE;95
5.2.6;QUESTIONS ACROSS SECTIONS;96
5.2.7;SUMMARY;96
5.2.8;NOTES;96
5.3;CHAPTER 6: WHAT DID YOU FIND?;97
5.3.1;INTRODUCTION;97
5.3.2;WHAT WAS YOUR STUDY DESIGN AND/OR PLAN FOR ANALYSIS?;97
5.3.3;HOW SHOULD YOU WRITE ABOUT YOUR FINDINGS?;97
5.3.3.1;Macrostructure;98
5.3.3.2;Microstructure;100
5.3.4;HOW SHOULD YOU VISUALLY REPRESENT YOUR FINDINGS?;103
5.3.4.1;Tables;103
5.3.4.2;Histograms;103
5.3.4.3;Scatterplots;103
5.3.4.4;Bar and Line Graphs;105
5.3.4.5;Table and Figure Placement Within Your Research Report;108
5.3.5;QUESTIONS ACROSS SECTIONS;108
5.3.6;THOUGHTS ABOUT WRITING;108
5.3.7;SUMMARY;109
5.3.8;NOTES;109
5.4;CHAPTER 7: WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?: And Why Should Anyone Care?;110
5.4.1;INTRODUCTION;110
5.4.2;HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR FINDINGS?;110
5.4.2.1;Your Data Fully Support Your Predictions;110
5.4.2.2;Your Data Do Not Support Your Predictions;111
5.4.2.3;Your Data Partially Support Your Predictions;113
5.4.2.4;Your Findings Run Counter to What You Expected;114
5.4.3;WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS OF YOUR STUDY?;114
5.4.3.1;Are your Measures Reliable and Valid?;114
5.4.3.2;Is Your Sample Representative?;114
5.4.3.3;Do Your Findings Have Strong Statistical Support?;115
5.4.3.4;A Word of Caution about Limitations;115
5.4.4;WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?;116
5.4.5;WHAT ARE THE BROADER APPLICATIONS OF YOUR RESEARCH?;116
5.4.6;WHAT IS YOUR TAKE-HOME MESSAGE?;117
5.4.7;A NOTE ABOUT VERB TENSE;117
5.4.8;QUESTIONS ACROSS SECTIONS;118
5.4.9;SUMMARY;118
5.5;CHAPTER 8: ODDS AND ENDS;119
5.5.1;INTRODUCTION;119
5.5.2;TITLE PAGE;119
5.5.3;ABSTRACT;120
5.5.4;IN-TEXT CITATIONS;120
5.5.4.1;In-Text Citations;120
5.5.4.2;References [APA, ASA], Bibliography [APSA], or Works Cited [MLA];124
5.5.5;TABLES AND FIGURES;127
5.5.6;APPENDICES;128
5.5.7;SUMMARY;128
5.5.8;NOTES;128
6;SECTION 3: EXAMPLES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH REPORTS;130
6.1;CHAPTER 9: CONTENT ANALYSIS;132
6.1.1;INTRODUCTION;132
6.1.2;SAMPLE PAPER;132
6.1.2.1;Abstract;132
6.1.2.2;Introduction;133
6.1.2.3;Literature Review;134
6.1.2.3.1;Supreme Court Rulings;134
6.1.2.3.2;Scholarly Debate Surrounding the Exclusionary Rule;136
6.1.2.3.3;Content Analysis of Court Ideology;137
6.1.2.3.4;The Present Study;137
6.1.2.4;Research Design;138
6.1.2.5;Analysis;138
6.1.2.6;Discussion;141
6.1.2.7;Conclusion;142
6.1.2.8;References;142
6.2;CHAPTER 10: SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF ARCHIVAL DATA;144
6.2.1;INTRODUCTION;144
6.2.2;SAMPLE PAPER;144
6.2.2.1;Abstract;144
6.2.2.2;Introduction;145
6.2.3;REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE;145
6.2.4;METHODS;147
6.2.4.1;Data;147
6.2.5;ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS;148
6.2.5.1;Hypothesis 1;148
6.2.5.2;Hypothesis 2;148
6.2.5.3;Hypothesis 3;149
6.2.5.4;Hypothesis 4;150
6.2.6;SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS;151
6.2.6.1;References;153
6.3;CHAPTER 11: PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION;155
6.3.1;INTRODUCTION;155
6.3.2;SAMPLE PAPER;155
6.3.2.1;Abstract;155
6.3.2.2;Mood and Music: Sex Differences In Music-Liking Under Sad-Mood Induction;156
6.3.2.3;Method;157
6.3.2.3.1;Participants;157
6.3.2.3.2;Materials;157
6.3.2.3.3;Procedure;158
6.3.2.4;Results;159
6.3.2.4.1;Sad Mood Induction;159
6.3.2.4.2;Primary Analysis;159
6.3.2.4.3;Secondary Analyses;160
6.3.2.5;Discussion;161
6.3.2.6;References;162
6.4;EPILOGUE: JOURNEY’S END… OR IS IT?;164
7;REFERENCES;165
8;ABOUT THE AUTHOR;170