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Research Methods, Statistics, and Applications
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Research Methods, Statistics, and Applications

Fourth Edition


January 2027 | 680 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
The fourth edition of Research Methods, Statistics, and Applications continues to bring methods and statistics together in a way that helps students see how research decisions unfold in practice. Written in a clear, conversational style, the text guides students step by step through the research process—from developing a question to selecting a design and choosing the appropriate analysis—so they can build both confidence and competence as emerging researchers. Grounded in real examples from across the social and behavioral sciences, the text emphasizes decision-making and application, encouraging students to actively engage with the material and think critically about research in academic, professional, and everyday contexts.

The Fourth Edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect current research practices and contemporary issues. New and revised examples incorporate recent literature, while expanded coverage of ethics—including guidance on the responsible use of artificial intelligence—helps students understand how ethical principles shape research choices throughout the process.
 
Preface
 
About the Authors
 
Chapter 1: Thinking Like a Researcher
Critical Thinking

 
The Scientific Approach

 
Overview of the Research Process (A.K.A. The Scientific Method

 
Thinking Critically About Ethics

 
The Big Picture: Scientific Progress, not Scientific Proof

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Student Research Topics

 
 
Chapter 2: Build a Solid Foundation For Your Study Based on Past Research
Types of Sources

 
Strategies to Identify and Find Past Research

 
Reading and Evaluating Primary Research Articles

 
Crediting Sources

 
The Big Picture: Use the Past to Inform the Present

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
 
Chapter 3: Select Your Tools: How To Measure Your Variables
Constructs and Operational Definitions

 
Four Levels of Measurement

 
Self-Report Measures

 
Behavioral and Physiological Measures

 
Archival Research

 
The Big Picture: How to Choose Measures for Your Study

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
 
Chapter 4: The Cornerstones of Good Research: Reliability and Validity
Reliability and Validity of Measurement

 
Evaluating the Reliability of Measures

 
Evaluating the Validity of Measures

 
Reliability and Validity of Results

 
The Big Picture: Reliability and Validity Considerations in Designing a Study

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice Dataset

 
 
Chapter 5: Basics of Research Design: Description and Sampling
Descriptive Designs

 
Validity in Descriptive Studies

 
Defining the Population and Obtaining A Sample

 
Random (or Probability) Sampling

 
Nonrandom (Nonprobability) Sampling

 
The Big Picture: Choosing a Sampling Method

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
 
Chapter 6: Describing Your Sample
Ethical and Practical Issues in Describing Your Sample

 
Descriptive Statistics

 
Choosing the Appropriate Descriptive Statistics

 
Comparing Interval/Ratio Scores with z Scores and Percentiles

 
The Big Picture: Know Your Data and Your Sample

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice Dataset and Analyses

 
 
Chapter 7: Beyond Descriptives: Making Inferences Based on Your Sample
Inferential Statistics

 
Hypothesis Testing

 
Rejecting or Retaining the Null Hypothesis

 
Errors in Hypothesis Testing

 
Effect Size, Confidence Intervals, and Practical Significance

 
The Big Picture: Making Sense of Results

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice with Statistics

 
 
Chapter 8: Comparing Your Sample to a Known or Expected Score
Choosing the Appropriate Test

 
One-Sample t Tests

 
Null Hypothesis (H0)

 
Formulas and Calculations: One-Sample t Test

 
Calculating the Association Strength

 
Calculating a Confidence Interval

 
The Big Picture: Examining One Variable at a Time

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice With Statistics

 
Dataset

 
 
Chapter 9: Examining Relationships Among Your Variables: Correlational Design
Correlational Design

 
Designing Powerful, Meaningful, and Ethical Correlational Studies

 
Validity in Correlational Studies

 
Statistics to Evaluate Correlational Research

 
Formulas and Calculations

 
The Big Picture: Correlational Designs Versus Correlational Analyses

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice with Statistics

 
 
Chapter 10: Examining Causality: Experimental Design
Testing Cause and Effect

 
Threats to Internal Validity

 
Designing Powerful, Meaningful, and Ethical Experiments

 
Steps in Experimental Design

 
The Big Picture: Benefits and Limits of Experimental Design

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
 
Chapter 11: Independent-Groups Designs
Designs with Two Independent Groups

 
Formulas and Calculations: Independent-Samples t Test

 
Using a Data Analysis Program to Calculate Independent Samples t Tests

 
Designs with More than Two Independent Groups

 
ETHICS TIP: Balance Inclusion with Adequate Representation

 
Formulas and Calculations: One-Way Between-Subjects ANOVA

 
Using a Data Analysis Program to Calculate One-Way Between-Subjects ANOVAS

 
The Big Picture: Identifying and Analyzing Independent-Groups Designs

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice with Statistics

 
 
Chapter 12: Dependent-Groups Designs
Designs With Two Dependent Groups

 
Formulas and Calculations: Dependent-Samples t Test

 
Using a Data Analysis Program to Calculate a Dependent-Samples t Test

 
Designs with More than Two Dependent Groups

 
Formulas and Calculations: One-Way Within-Subjects ANOVA

 
Using a Data Analysis Program to Calculate One-Way Within-Subjects ANOVAS

 
The Big Picture: Identifying and Analyzing Dependent-Groups Designs

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice With Design and Statistics

 
 
Chapter 13: Factorial Designs
Basic Concepts in Factorial Design

 
Rationale for Factorial Designs

 
2 × 2 Designs

 
Two-Way Between-Subjects ANOVA

 
Beyond the 2 × 2 Independent-Groups Design

 
The Big Picture: Embracing Complexity

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice with Statistics

 
 
Chapter 14: Nonparametric Statistics
Parametric Versus Nonparametric Statistics

 
Chi-Square Goodness of Fit

 
Chi-Square Test for Independence

 
Dependent-Groups Designs with Nominal Outcome Measures

 
Nonparametric Statistics for Ordinal Data

 
Spearman’s rho

 
The Big Picture: Selecting Parametric Versus Nonparametric Tests

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
Practice with Statistics

 
 
Chapter 15: Focusing on The Individual: Case Studies and Single N Designs
Samples Versus Individuals

 
The Case Study

 
Qualitative Analyses

 
Single N Designs

 
The Big Picture: Choosing Between a Sample, Case Study, Or Single N Design

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
 
Chapter 16: How to Decide?: Choosing a Research Design and Selecting the Correct Analysis
Choosing a Research Design

 
Selecting Your Statistical Analyses

 
The Big Picture: Beyond this Class

 
Chapter Resources

 
Summary

 
Do You Understand the Chapter?

 
 
Appendix A: Answers to Practice Questions
 
Appendix B: Apa Style and Format Guidelines
 
Appendix C: Statistical Tables
 
Appendix D: Statistical Formulas
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index