Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Data Analysis Methods (Advanced Quantitative Techniques in the Social Sciences) [Hardcover]

Anthony S. Bryk (Author), Stephen W. Raudenbush (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0803946279 | ISBN-13: 978-0803946279 | Publication Date: March 3, 1992

Much social and behavioral research involves hierarchical data structures. The effects of school characteristics on students, how differences in government policies from country to country influence demographic relations within them, and how individuals exposed to different environmental conditions develop over time are a few examples. This introductory text explicates the theory and use of hierarchical linear models through rich illustrative examples and lucid explanations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"No other introductory text on hierarchial or multilevel models attempts to take the reader through a carefully structured set of examples, and so this book is certainly welcome. . . . I would recommend it to those who would like an introduction to the topic and a glimpse of some of the potential power of multilevel models." 

(Journal of the American Statistical Association )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc (March 3, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803946279
• ISBN-13: 978-0803946279
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but sometimes skipping ahead too fast, March 9, 2006

By 

A. R. H. Fischer "Astro" (Utrecht, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Data Analysis Methods (Advanced Quantitative Techniques in the Social Sciences) (Hardcover)

This book gives a detailed description of the use of an advanced method to deal with nested data sets.
At a general level the constructs and ideas are well written and can be followed reasonably easily.
However the mathematics is often written very dense, which makes reading and understanding complex.
My main problem with the book, is that in many of the examples they provide, the given formula's, and data skip rapidly to the solution. Thus it is often not insightfull at all, how the data led to the numerical outcome (and I and several of my colleagues could not reproduce all of the example outcomes). A more extensive discussion and a more step-by-step construction of the examples would have been helpful there.

So in short: Conceptually this book is fine, but for practical use mathematics are too dense, and examples are too hard to follow

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pre-req: mid-level stats experience, July 11, 2006

By 

Russell A. Carleton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Data Analysis Methods (Advanced Quantitative Techniques in the Social Sciences) (Hardcover)

I had taken a class in HLM before, and I bought this book to refresh myself on the details. It takes a good deal of attention to detail and concentration to really get the full measure from this book, although it's all in there. Despite the authors' best efforts, there is a good bit of stats jargon in the book, so a reader who is not familiar might have some difficulty. If you're at a point where learning HLM is a logical next step, you'll be fine and I recommend this book. However, if your over-eager faculty advisor told you to learn HLM, despite your minimal experience in stats, you're better off enrolling in a class or workshop.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If you want to learn HLM, this book will not help you., February 7, 2010

By 

Nubia Molina De Alfar "Mr Botch" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Data Analysis Methods (Advanced Quantitative Techniques in the Social Sciences) (Hardcover)

The book is not bad. But need so much improvement. I send a letter to the authors with my comments.
For example:

A basic topic such as "assumptions" is not clear presented. You have to "discover" them on your reading.

You will find things like "as we can see this will create a problem" ok. but what kind of problem, why are these a problem?

I got the book, and for each chapter I read, I had to go online to look for additional information, and clarifications.

It is clear that the authors are experts and the topic, and things are "so clear and obvious" for them, but the people that is reading the book might have problem following it.

Conclusion. After 2 weeks I decided to return the NEW book and get a USED one.

I also got the "manual" for the HLM6 software, dont bother. It is not a good manual. Actually, it is not a manual because it does not teach you how to use the software, it does not explain its different options, it just show you some examples. You can find similar things online. I returned the manual as well.