Evaluating Research

Francis C. Dane received a BS in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a PhD in social psychology from the University of Kansas. His advisor was Larry Wrightsman, and he has certainly followed in Dr. Wrightsman's footsteps in terms of staying active in publishing and doing research. He started as assistant professor of psychology at State University of New York in Oswego, New York, from 1979 to 1983. He moved to Clemson University in South Carolina from 1983 to 1988, where he was promoted to associate professor of psychology, and then moved to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where he was associate professor and department chair of psychology. He stayed at Mercer as the William Heard Kilpatrick professor of psychology in the college of liberal arts and as professor of internal medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine until 2002. He then became the inaugural James V. Finkbeiner endowed chair of ethics and public policy in the college of arts and behavioral sciences at Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan, until 2010, after which he accepted the position chair of arts and sciences at Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Virginia. When Jefferson College became part of Radford University in 2019 he became Professor of Psychology at Radford. He can be reached via e-mail at fcdane@jchs.edu and followed on Twitter as @FrankDaneDoc.

 

Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction
Goals of Research
Evaluation of Research
Ethics of Consuming Research
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 2: The Scientific Approach
Introduction
A Theory of Science
Science and Nonscience Compared
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 3: Reading A Research Report
Introduction
Research Report Organization
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 4: Accessing Research
Introduction
Choosing a Topic
Operationalization
Finding Research
Maintaining Records
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 5: Sampling
Introduction
Sampling Distributions
Probability Sampling
Nonprobability Sampling
Representative Samples
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 6: Measurement
Introduction
Dimensionality
Measurement Levels
A Little Testing Theory
Measurement Reliability
Validity
Scale Development
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 7: Experimental Research
Introduction
Causal Analysis in Experimental Research
Experimental Design
Extrnal Validity
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 8: Nonexperimental Research
Introduction
Quasi-experimental Designs with Intact Groups
Self-selection
Time-series Designs
Regression-discontinuity Designs
Nonequivalent Groups Basic Pretest Designs
Correlational Research
Research Involving Existing Data
Single-participant Designs
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 9: Survey Research
Introduction
Survey Content
Survey Instruments
Administering Surveys
Data Analyses in Survey Research
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 10: Qualitative Research
Introduction
Phenomenological Method
Ethnography
Grounded Theory
Narrative Inquiry
Historical Research
Content Analysis
Methodological Issues in Content Analysis
Case Study
Mixed Methods Research
Evaluating Qualitative Research
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 11: Conceptual Overview of Statistical Analyses
Introduction
Types of Data
Types of Statistics
Types of Statistical Tests
Group Differences
Summary
Exercises
Epilogue
Glossary
References
About the Authors