Blackstone treats quantitative and qualitative methods in parallel, and convincingly construes them as complementary approaches. Dr. Blackstone is no "Methods snob" -- she does the correct thing by telling students that it is the nature of research question that should drive one to use the method. For instance, I always start my methods courses with ethics before we do anything else. In the pdf version there are interface issues, but this may not be true of the online version. In the spheres of psychology, anthropology, sociology and political science the quantitative study method is employed regularly. There are many relevant and classic examples that undergraduate students will be able to relate to. I imagine most students would need more guidance on how to analyze data, whether it be quantitative or qualitative. There is an inherent tradeoff in writing a text that utilizes hyperlinks and makes references to earlier sections or discussions and modularity, or the ability to use portions of the text in a stand-alone fashion. Very few, minor grammatical errors are present in the book, but none are so egregious that it takes away from the quality (or the readability) of the work. The text does a great job covering a range of qualitative and quantitative methods. The section on conceptualization is very good, and more thorough than in many texts. As noted above, I plan to use this book supplemented by many other chapters/articles for a Qualitative Methods course I will be teaching, one that is not housed in any one discipline. The outline / section formatting "chunks" (breaks down into manageable form) information that is otherwise dry when assembled in the traditional narrative format. For example, I plan to use chapter 15 (Research Methods in the Real World) belongs at the beginning of a course. However, for those instructors that incorporate a research project (such as developing a research proposal), the text covers elements of research planning, design, and development that are not necessarily well-covered in some other texts, an addition which I believe adds to the texts’ comprehensiveness. The text is consistent in terminology and framework. This is distracting. Political science programs typically require only quantitative methods training, therefore I am approaching this text with a distinct student... It is a well-organized text although a detailed table of comments, as I mentioned above, would make the organization more apparent to students early on in the class. The full reference is given so this can be easily found. I teach methods in a variety of formats (i.e. For... The text challenges students to debate and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. pp.52, 56, 62, 64 in the PDF version). Text lacks a discussion of control in the section on experimental design Finally, as stated above, I find the modularity to be a major strength. I think these distinctions could be posed with more nuance, within a more interdisciplinary understanding/approach to paradigms and theory. Another is that it has no index. read more. I think it covers most of the topics and subtopics one would expect to see in an undergraduate sociology research methods text. The author has framed research concepts within the proper epistemological and ontological frameworks, which allows her even-handed treatment of qualitative and quantitative methods to cohere well within each section. Only one non-logical portion exists: Chapter 4 starts with a reference to preceding questions and BethAll and neither are in my version of the book. read more. Blackstone's tone is personable; I like that she refers to her own experiences in a variety of ways. The key points (to be covered) and key takeaways at the opening and closing of sections, respectively aid the reader in focusing on core concepts. Actually, micro-level scholars study groups, too. I generally really liked this methods book and can imagine using it in an undergraduate methods course. Blackstone uses clear, unpretentious language. In the research ethics section, I would suggest addressing the idea that vulnerable populations have included GLBTQ populations and therefore, sexuality research has been hindered to a certain extent (See Janice Irvine's work). Also, the discussion of experiments would benefit from more attention both to the benefits of experiments for studying causality and the ethical issues that experiments raise. The book flows like all the other research texts I have used. Examples, though, would generally seem relevant to students, and I like the examples from student work throughout the book (I do hope the author had permission to use them). The text needs a table of contents with breakdowns by sections within chapters, and would benefit from a glossary, index, and table of figures. I like the treatment of styles of doing research in Charles Ragin, Constructing Social Research I, and I think most faculty members, consider cost in adopting texts so it is appealing in that sense. “Identify and distinguish between micro-, meso-, and macrolevel considerations with respect to the ethical conduct of social scientific research” Hard to answer based on text The text has diverse examples but could expand to include more global research examples. In thinking about the relevance/longevity of a research methods text, I would focus on: 1) examples used to illustrate key concepts; and 2) how up-to-date more rapidly changing topics are in terms of addressing areas of development (survey methods, sampling). Some of the more advanced concepts (e.g. You may wonder how you can explore a topic if there is little information about it. However, I would like to see more examples of data collection using the Internet, social media, and other digital media. The only error I noticed was that there were a few links to sources that did not work. The book does a great job of covering the material in a straightforward, non-intimidating kind of way. It was easy to access and easy to navigate. So, take a look for yourself today and review Principles of Sociological Inquiry: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods by Amy Blackstone to see if its approach toward relevance, balance, and accessibility are right for your course and students. Weaknesses include a still “rough” look to the final document and some topic areas where coverage might not be as detailed as one would like. This would be something instructors would probably want to add and discuss since these studies are used quite frequently in sociological research and their omission is disappointing. (5) In the section on causality, around page 54, I had many red flags. Several students reported being delighted with their ability to access and use the text easily from anywhere that was internet-enabled. A table of contents would really help. Actually, I prefer integrating discussions of some of those topics, such as ehtics, into coverage of each type of data gathering. The book is available in both Pdf and online format. A newer edition with more recent examples of studies in inequality, racial and ethnic issues, and gender would strengthen it. The text uses a variety of diverse examples. It is clear that the author is capable of executing complex sentences without grammar errors, but, there are words that are completely absent throughout the text that are obviously proof-reading related. Reviewed by Alexa Smith-Osborne, Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 4/11/17, This text's comprehensiveness, in combination with simple language suited to first exposure to the topic, is one of the chief strengths of the book. It is accessible and has no major flaws, other than being a little old and lacking a few topics that I emphasize. I have been regularly teaching undergraduate research methods since 2005, and I teach in both in-person and fully online formats. The Department of Psychology Graduate Student Manual provides the specific psychology program requirements, deadlines, procedures, online resources, supports, and forms.. Each module has the same Learning Objectives, Key Takeaways, and Exercises. It also seems odd that focus groups are shunted off to a different chapter rather than treated as a kind of interview. This is a research methods book written specifically for undergraduate sociology students and it does a very good job of molding the information to fit that audience. There is a clear logic to the book's organization. One of the author's stated objectives in writing the text was accessibilty and she has accomplished this goal. There are also places within the text where the font changes—this is distracting. Just as one example, in the survey research chapter (ch. This makes the text well-suited to an undergraduate audience of Sociology majors and non-majors alike. Some of these students will go on to graduate work, but many will not, and this chapter provides real world information on careers using sociology and research methods that is useful and accurate. of Sociology and Anthropology, Colorado State University Pueblo on 2/1/18, The book is a comprehensive social science research methods text. Write up a report & b) a look-forward to the last chapters including the 6 key “diagnostic” questions that says what you will learn from the book Students will be able to interpret scientific literature, and apply it to explain behavior and psychological phenomena. However, this chapter did not include anything on the more quantitative forms of observation used by some social scientists (even anthropologists). This book, in general, is comprehensive in that it covers research questions, the research process and design types, major methods or data collection strategies, and ethics from a sociological perspective. However, the book has a bias in that it reflects Armstrong’s research on women’s movements & sexual harassment. Also inaccurate is to not mention animal research in the non-human section and to not link this with ethical questions in the social sciences. This is a praiseworthy effort that arose from the author's own experiences and frustrations taking and -- presumably -- teaching research methods. There are no significance grammar issues. First, "true experiments" are not ones with experiment and control conditions -- they are those that use random assignment. There are some issues with tables/charts not paginating correctly in the PDF format, and the HTML version sometimes returned a 404 error when using the 'back' button on my browser (Safari). So, the discussion of what a theory is and what a paradigm is gets muddled and confusing for students. Methods books tend to be quite expensive and it is a class where having the book is crucial for success so I think this is a great option to ensure students have access! read more. For this reason, I would encourage students to use the online version but download the PDF as a backup. types of validity and reliability) are cut out of this textbook, which is a choice I understand. I liked the order of topics very much. Chapters 6 and 7, on measurement and sampling, respectively, are useful reference points. I imagine most students would need more guidance on how to analyze data, whether it be quantitative or qualitative. A number of links referred to in the text are broken. version instead of the online version, you may search it easily enough with key words/control f. These chapters explain the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, tips for using each approach, and a very brief note on analysis. Of course, since this edition is... I am not sure how different computers or different software may affect this, but I had no interface issues while reading the text at home or at the office. I like the modules format. In general, writing clarity is a strength of this text. However, there were typos that were problematic -- I'm not going to list all of them, but see page 55, paragraphs 5 and 6, for example. Finally, there could be at least a list or a list of resources for those other missing methods that the author implies exist in the Other Methods chapter (Ch 12). Personally, I would probably move Chapter 14 on reading research earlier in the semester (maybe after Chapter 2) as I like to have students read examples of research alongside the text, and having a foundation of how to read and understand these articles and reports would be useful. Each section begins with learning objectives and ends with key takeaways and exercises. Finally, one of the most important goals Amy had for Principles of Sociological Inquiry: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods was to introduce students to the core principles of social research in a way that is straightforward and engaging. One of the weak points of the book is a lack of discussion on how to conduct a literature review. Not only are the chapters organized in a logical order, the individual chapters are modular, allowing a professor to assign sections of a chapter. Reviewed by Anna Berardi, Professor, George Fox University on 2/8/17, This text is comprehensive in scope and depth of content. The discussion of experiments in Chapter 12 could use more sociological examples of audit-studies, etc. 349 0 obj <> endobj Qualitative research relies on data obtained by the researcher from first-hand observation, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, participant-observation, recordings made in natural settings, documents, and artifacts. The tenets and expectations of PCSAS are highly consistent with our training goals and methods, and we plan to maintain PCSAS accreditation indefinitely. Its simple language makes it accessible to most undergraduates, and the in-text "drop-down" definitions provide adequate support to allow comprehension of technical terminology. I found discussion of micro-, meso-, and macro confusing. My biggest complaint is the font and spacing issues that I find very distracting and even overwhelming at times. Few examples address race, ethnicity, class – These could be added for balance and reaching instructors who cover fields different from author. There are several instances in which the author uses terminology different from that typically used in research methods texts and courses. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, her research includes studies of workplace harassment, childfree adults, and activism in the breast cancer and anti-rape movements. Reviewed by Helen McManus, Adjunct Professor, Librarian, George Mason University on 6/20/17, This review considers this book's usefulness for a political science qualitative methods course. Some of the visuals were not visible. At times, I can imagine definitions being made more distinct could be useful for students. Measurement and study examples which focus on cultural differences are presented throughout, making this text particularly syntonic with social work values. read more. It is very accessible for undergraduate... The chapter on research ethics is better. That's simply not true. Instructors might supply, or ask students to come up with, examples suitable to political science. However, I am also familiar with Neuman’s text and had parts of that book in mind, as well, as I read this text. The power of mixed methods in yielding broader responses to research questions has been demonstrated in numerous areas of inquiry, and its advantages and challenges have been widely discussed (Zhang & Watanabe-Galloway, 2014; The book has multiple levels of modularity. Journalism, Media Studies & Communications, Chapter 6: Defining and Measuring Concepts, Chapter 8: Survey Research: A Quantitative Technique, Chapter 9: Interviews: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Chapter 10: Field Research: A Qualitative Technique, Chapter 11: Unobtrusive Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Chapter 12: Other Methods of Data Collection and Analysis, Chapter 14: Reading and Understanding Social Research, Chapter 15: Research Methods in the Real World, As consumers of popular and public information, As current and future employees. Graduate laboratory class in experimental methods for psychology, with a focus on open science methods and best practices in behavioral research. The language and content was unbiased. I find the text to be very comprehensive. I notice that the PDF has unfortunately placed page breaks--some tables sit across two pages. No one can validate that claim more than a teacher or student. It will be relevant for the future with very little need to update due to obsolescence. The chapters and sections lend themselves to easy rearrangement. Also, the chapter referring to "what is sociology" is somewhere around Chapter 4, but I just assign that next. I recommend a brief history of the concepts and a better way to connect all of these notions of the theory-data linkage. She enjoyed the material but wondered about its relevance to her everyday life and future plans (the idea that one day she would be teaching such a class hadn't yet occurred to her). Reviewed by Sarah Quick, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, Cottey College on 8/2/18, This book, in general, is comprehensive in that it covers research questions, the research process and design types, major methods or data collection strategies, and ethics from a sociological perspective. I have been using Schutt’s Investigating the Social World as my primary teaching text in these courses, and this is the book that was my implicit comparison as I read the Blackstone text. Child development involves the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence.The main 3 stages of life include early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The IRB protocols for these subjects is a whole different ball of wax!! A couple minor grammar issues here and there, including no space between sentences. read more. I think it covers most of the topics and subtopics one would expect to see in an undergraduate sociology research methods text. The content inside the book is accurate. For example, I would likely reverse the order of Chapters 2 and 3 (“Linking Theory and Methods” and “Research Ethics”). I like that students are introduced to a variety of sociological resources throughout this book. Exploratory Research Methods. Together, Amy Blackstone's experiences as a student, researcher, and teacher shape the three overriding objectives of Principles of Sociological Inquiry: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Relevance, Balance, and Accessibility. Some of the examples (such as videos to check out) are pretty dated. This modular ability is a real strength of the text. I realize that in the feminist literature that this is a way to describe multi-method studies, but it's confusing for students because triangulation is also a technique for qualitative studies to collect many points of view. The text appears to be consistent in terms of its terminology and framework. This book covers all of the important concepts in an introductory research methods text. Overall, a previous reviewer caught many more problems (although some of them were semantic rather than accuracy issues). full semester, face-to-face, online, 8-weeks) and need a text that is modular. That may be challenging as it changes so quickly. The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader. I was struck that gender remains male/masculine, female/feminine, or "other, though. The text is inclusive and not offensive or culturally insensitive. Tie-ins to earlier material, tables, and headings/subheadings made the text easily divisible into smaller reading sections and discrete modules for instructor use. It nicely covers both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In the pdf version these citations are in numbered notes that do not link, and the endnotes appear at the end of these sections.
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