Synopsis
This book is written with the assumption that all of its readers are children who appreciate repeated references to their parents, their roommates, and their great (or not-so-great) dates.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Earl R. Babbie graduated from Harvard University before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and began teaching shortly thereafter. Credited with defining research methods for the social sciences, Dr. Babbie has written several texts, including the bestselling THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH and THE BASICS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH.
Review
"I would highly recommend this text to any instructor teaching a communication specific research methods course. I think it provides a strong foundation for introductory students and covers each of the areas of qualitative and quantitative methodologies appropriately. Additionally it does an effective job of incorporating existing communication research from a variety of fields into each of the chapters. This provides a much needed connection for communication students to better understand the application of various methodologies to their discipline."
"This textbook frames research as a common sense, everyday activity that students already know something about, although not necessarily something that they always do well. It balances attention between both quantitative and qualitative methodologies and helps students think about how to make choice in doing research."
"Its organization introduces students to the breadth of perspective in communication research early in the book. Students are introduced to the basics of both quantitative and qualitative designs in separate chapters-rather than a single chapter that suggests that there is "one" way to create a research design. This pluralistic approach is extremely helpful in avoiding the creation of strong positivistic biases early in the semester. This helps students to be aware of the many ways of approaching research and the values of each approach."
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
