The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) [Paperback]

Wayne C. Booth (Author), Gregory G. Colomb (Author), Joseph M. Williams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226065669 | ISBN-13: 978-0226065663 | Publication Date: April 15, 2008 | Edition: Third Edition, Third Edition

With more than 400,000 copies now in print, The Craft of Research is the unrivaled resource for researchers at every level, from first-year undergraduates to research reporters at corporations and government offices.

 

Seasoned researchers and educators Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams present an updated third edition of their classic handbook, whose first and second editions were written in collaboration with the late Wayne C. Booth. The Craft of Research explains how to build an argument that motivates readers to accept a claim; how to anticipate the reservations of readers and to respond to them appropriately; and how to create introductions and conclusions that answer that most demanding question, “So what?”

 

The third edition includes an expanded discussion of the essential early stages of a research task: planning and drafting a paper. The authors have revised and fully updated their section on electronic research, emphasizing the need to distinguish between trustworthy sources (such as those found in libraries) and less reliable sources found with a quick Web search. A chapter on warrants has also been thoroughly reviewed to make this difficult subject easier for researchers

 

Throughout, the authors have preserved the amiable tone, the reliable voice, and the sense of directness that have made this book indispensable for anyone undertaking a research project.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-constructed, articulate reminder of how important fundamental questions of style and approach, such as clarity and precision, are to all research." - Times Literary Supplement "I recommend it to my students... and keep a copy close at hand as the first option offered to students who ask 'Just how should I begin my research?'" - Business Library Review"

About the Author

Wayne Clayson Booth (1921–2005) was the George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. His many books include The Rhetoric of Fiction and For the Love of It: Amateuring and Its Rivals, both published by the University of Chicago Press. Gregory G. Colomb is professor of English language and literature at the University of Virginia. He is the author of Designs on Truth: The Poetics of the Augustan Mock-Epic. Joseph M. Williams (1933–2008) was professor emeritus in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago and the author of Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Together Colomb and Williams wrote The Craft of Argument. Booth, Colomb, and Williams coedited the seventh edition of Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; Third Edition, Third Edition edition (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226065669
• ISBN-13: 978-0226065663
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Science & Math > Experiments, Instruments & Measurement > Methodology & Statistics
  • #2 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Research
  • #6 in Books > Science & Math > History & Philosophy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, July 17, 2008

By 

R. Mitchell "research librarian" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) (Paperback)

Although there are many books on writing research or term papers, I have not found anything else which brings together material on planning, reasoning and writing the research paper as well as this book. Ignore any reviewers who make this book out to be a simplistic text. It is an excellent work on well reasoned writing that even most graduate students can benefit greatly from reading. As a professor of a graduate class on Research and Writing, I have recommended and required this book for several years. The book guides the reader from an idea of a topic, to defining a question, to formulating the conceptually signifcant research problem. It briefly covers finding, evaluating and using primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Then a major portion of the book is devoted to understanding effective reasoning in the writing process. This is based quite a bit on professor Stephen Toulmin's practical approach to effective reasoning and argumentation. The Craft of Research diagrams and explains claims, reasons, evidence and warrants. It has detailed illustrations of warrants and when to use them, as well as how to challenge them. The book has other sections on organizing, drafting,and revising a paper. It also has a chapter on communicating information visually using tables, graphs and charts. Rather than focusing on the simple mechanics or obvious steps in writing a serious research paper, this book concentrates on the more difficult tasks of clearly defining the conceptual problem and addressing it with in depth, effective reasoning.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 8, 2008

By 

PHILIP H. MCGEE - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) (Paperback)

The third edition of this classic text pales when compared to the second edition. Many of the changes are cosmetic in nature and often blur what was clearly and succinctly stated in the second edition. For example, rearranging paragraphs within chapters often detract from what were logical sequences of ideas and information found in the second edition. Unfortunately, the authors, sans Booth, appear to abandon their own advice in order to create a new edition that will bolster sales. I hope the fourth edition, if there is a fourth edition, returns to the high standards one comes to expect from the University of Chicago and its press.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guide to research and writing on the market today, July 24, 2008

By 

Soylent Green "SG" (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) (Paperback)

I read this book about a month before I submitted my dissertation (in U.S. history) and it convinced me to completely rewrite my introduction. That experience left me kicking myself for thinking I was too advanced for these sorts of guides and for not consulting this book earlier. The sections on formulating a topic (how to turn a general interest into a question/problem to be researched) and warrants (how to match claims to evidence) are especially helpful. Make no mistake about it, this book can help researchers at all levels, and I have had many students, both undergraduate and graduate, tell me how happy they were that they took my advice to read this book.