Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.

About the Author
Dr. Sue L. T. McGregor (Professor Emerita) is a Canadian home economist (more than 45 years) recently retired from Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax Nova Scotia. She was one of the lead architects for the interuniversity doctoral program in educational studies, serving as its inaugural Coordinator. She has a keen interest in home economics philosophy, transdisciplinarity, and consumer studies. She is a TheAtlas Fellow (transdisciplinarity), a Docent in Home Economics at the University of Helsinki, the Marjorie M. Brown Distinguished Professor (home economics leadership), the Karpatkin International Consumer Fellow, and she received the TOPACE International Award (Berlin) for distinguished international consumer scholar. Affiliated with 20 professional journals, she has 160 peer-reviewed publications, 60 book chapters, 10 monographs, and four books. She has delivered 27 keynotes and invited talks in 12 countries. Dr. McGregor is Principal Consultant for The McGregor Consulting Group (1991) http://www.consultmcgregor.com, sue.mcgregor@msvu.ca

Reviews

"Understanding and Evaluating Research is a great resource with many examples to beginners and seasoned qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods researchers."

-- Kadir Demir

"Sue L. T. McGregor provides what is missing in most textbooks on research methods-deeper explanations. New researchers will find detailed explanations of difficult-to-understand research concepts, and professors will find a wealth of teaching tools that can be tailored for each lesson. Few textbooks on research methods are so comprehensive and practical."

-- Scott Greenberger

"This is an exceptional instructional book written for students and experienced researchers. It's a thorough guide that explains the entire process and provides a complete understanding of research. I highly recommend Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide for both inexperienced and experienced researchers!"

-- Anita Rose

"This powerful, well-crafted book provides novice and advanced researchers the tools to fully understand and execute research."

-- Carole S Rhodes

"This ambitious volume provides depth and explanation to the basics of research methods and goes beyond to demystify many elements of academic writing. The book is accessible to novice researchers across disciplines. It is evident how much care and thought went into developing each chapter of this text to illuminate for novice researchers the guidelines and the quirkiness of academic writing."

-- Xyanthe Neider



Book Information
ISBN 9781506350950
Author Sue L. T. McGregor
Format Paperback
Page Count 600
Imprint SAGE Publications Inc
Publisher SAGE Publications Inc
Weight(grams) 1060g