Reading Statistics and Research

Book excerpt: Reading Statistics and Research, Fifth EditionBy Schuyler W. Huck This text shows consumers of research how to read, understand, and critically evaluate the statistical information and research results contained in technical research reports. The text is also useful for applied researchers who need advice on how to analyze their own data and summarize their empirical findings. Students in education and other disciplines need to learn how to interpret and use statistics and research, but often they do not have any way to begin this process. This text clearly and methodically presents basic statistical and research concepts and illustrates how to employ them in making sound educational decisions. Excerpts from more than 500 recent research articles are presented, analyzed, and discussed to illustrate concepts, while numerous cases, terms, and review questions help guide the discussion. Features of this text include: More than 500 boxed excerpts from recent research articles (including tables, figures, and portions of textual material) illustrate concepts, good practice, and common mistakes. End-of-chapter summaries of two research studies in Research NavigatorTM (online component), each asking the reader to propose the study's main finding. Discussion about the quality of research results as they relate to the quality of the data used in computer programs ("garbage in, garbage out" concerns). Repeated cautions that studies can yield statistical significance without showing anything that is significant in a practical (or "clinical") sense. Many excerpts from studies having topics of likely interest to the reader (e.g., gossiping at work, students' locus-of-control and GPA, ability to recall dreams). "I love this book. I first worked with an earlier edition when I was a doctoral student. I continue to share it with my own graduate students."-Bob Ives, University of Nevada, Reno