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Evaluating Scientific Research

Separating Fact from Fiction

 

Fred Leavitt

 

Leavitt aims to sensitize those who hope to do original scientific research to think creatively and critically about the literature they read, the questions they ask, the conceptual foundation of various research designs, and proper inferences from those designs. His highly accessible style avoids the technical language as he engagingly presents the complex and controversial issues related to scientific research. The book is divided into sections that deal with separate types of problems. Section I defines science and discusses its limitations; Section II helps to prepare the scientist for research with information about reading and evaluating the literature, recognizing conflicts of interest, finding a good problem, and asking good questions. The next two sections explore measurement issues and research designs. The final sections examine data analysis and raise philosophical issues.

 

$26.95 list, 271 pages

10-digit ISBN: 1-57766-345-4

13-digit ISBN: 978-1-57766-345-4

© 2001

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“Leavitt’s book offers a refreshing, never boring view of methods and principles of psychological research. Students who heed Leavitt’s message will not fall prey to false claims and will recognize substandard studies when they encounter them. This book provides an excellent foundation for the beginning researcher.”  —Irving Zucker, University of California, Berkeley

“Fred Leavitt has written a highly accessible book that critically reviews the foundations of scientific endeavor, philosophy, politics, methods and scandals. Leavitt has a lively, engaging and stimulating writing style that avoids the often dry and technical language of research. In general, Leavitt quickly takes the reader to the key points of each section and whilst dealing with complex and controversial issues related to scientific research, does not get bogged down in lengthy philosophical or political argument.”  —Frank Deane, University of Wollongong

 

Table of Contents

 

1. What Is Science?

2. Reading and Reviewing the Scientific Literature

3. Conflicts of Interest and Bias

4. Finding Interesting Problems and Studying Them Creatively

5. Selecting and Measuring Variables

6. Choosing the Best Research Design

7. Experimenting: Two Groups

8. Variations on the Simple Experiment

9. Comparing Existing Groups

10. Correlational Strategies to Predict and Assess Relationships

11. Case Studies

12. Observing

13. Surveys

14. Other Types of Self-Report

15. Using Existing Data

16. Using Animals in Research

17. Data Analysis

18. Philosophical Challenges