Understanding Research Methods : A Guide for the Public and Nonprofit Manager

Donijo Robbins

ISBN 10: 1574445855 / ISBN 13: 9781574445855

Published by Routledge, 2008

About this Item

nach der Bestellung gedruckt Neuware - Printed after ordering - Designed for a one- or two-semester course, this standalone textbook provides a comprehensive exploration of research designs and analytical tools that serve as the foundation for decision-making in the fields of public policy and nonprofit administration. Graduate students studying these areas will learn how to develop proper research questions, define specific research purposes, and form hypotheses that avoid confusion in measurement and analysis. Illustrated by exercises and examples throughout the text, Understanding Research Methods: A Guide for the Public and Nonprofit Manager offers a blueprint for developing research projects, demonstrating how to report, interpret, and communicate research findings in an effective way.

Seller Inventory # 9781574445855

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Understanding Research Methods : A Guide for the Public and Nonprofit Manager
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1574445855
• ISBN 13: 9781574445855
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 240W x 161H x 21D millimeters 240 millimeters width by 161 millimeters height by 21 millimeters depth
• Weight: 628 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Managers and administrators in the public-policy and nonprofit sectors rely heavily on analytical skills to quickly pore through a massive amount of research. They dissect it and apply specific, useful data that can inform critical policy changes and help them improve their organization’s overall performance and financial position. To master this vital role, it is imperative that they and their staff learn to be more efficient at collecting, analyzing and evaluating research material, by discovering how to ask the right questions and quickly discern valuable information from useless data.

A Blueprint to Streamline Every Aspect of the Research Process

Focusing on the entire research process from start to finish, the compact but comprehensive Understanding Research Methods: A Guide for the Public and Nonprofit Manager explores the research designs and analytical tools that are the foundation for decision-making. Relying more on concepts and analysis than on mathematics, this text provides insight into the definition, process, importance, and capabilities of research – addressing the topic from the perspectives of both the producer of data and the consumer who evaluates its usefulness.

Broken down into three sections, the book:

• Gives an overview of the research process, the construction of measures, and research ethics
• Elaborates on planning a research method, presenting common research designs used by practitioners and the most useful, popular ways to collect data
• Focuses on tools available to analyze and then communicate data – specifically univariate and bivariate analyses

This versatile text is intended for dual uses – as a textbook for graduate and undergraduate students in public and nonprofit administration and public policy, and as a practical guide for the average administrator. Both groups will learn how to develop proper research questions, define specific research purposes, and form hypotheses that avoid confusion in measurement and analysis. Imparting basic practical knowledge, it outlines effective approaches to gather accurate, relevant information and then effectively interpret and communicate it.

About the Author

Donijo Robbins