Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of Essentials

Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials (ISBN 9781884585838) by Mildred L. Patten is an important textbook for college students, helping them through the fundamentals of research paper writing. This best-seller has been around for decades; the first edition was published in the late 1990's and continues to be one of the best introductory-level research textbooks in the market. It combines examples and exercises to help students apply what they have learned. Sections are divided into small portions to make it easy to grasp concepts and also allow instructors to have flexibility in teaching. Author Mildred L. Patten first introduces research methods like empirical, experimental, operational, quantitative, and qualitative research. She likewise discusses how to create a synthesis and cite references, and even has a handy topic on locating literature electronically. Sampling, measurement, experimental design, understanding statistics, and effect size and meta-analysis are also covered. There is also a section dedicated to qualitative research and how to prepare research reports. Students will learn the structure of a report, how to make abstracts, describing participants and instrumentation, reporting results, and preparing the dissertations and thesis. Some of the helpful items in the appendices include electronic sources of statistical information, excerpts from literature reviews, outlines of question routes, and sample abstracts and sample descriptions. Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials not just offers solid information on research methodology; it also encourages students to use skills for other classes and outside the classroom. This textbook is very handy throughout college and it can even be used as a reference by graduate school students.