Customer Reviews

The Craft of Research, 2nd edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

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I used this book as the text for a freshman-sophomore course, Introduction to Christian Academics. It is very clearly written, and the information it presents will help anyone understand what they are reading. It is not just for people writing dissertations. To understand and to be able to analyze what you read, you need to know how arguments are constructed -- what constitutes evidence, what are the steps of reasoning, what is the role of the warrant of an argument. My students liked the book a lot. We later used it as a reference in a graduate course. It was worthwhile there, too. This book is one of the half dozen or so that belong on the desk of every person who is serious about what he reads and about what he writes.

This is a great book on writing a research report, useful for both beginners and seasoned researchers. It walks you through all the phases of your research project, starting from picking up your topic, through the actual research, note-taking, to writing up your findings, down to sentence level structure and style. For me a most useful part of the book was the beginning: finding a topic, defining your research problem, qualifying it, and determining your warrants; especially revealing was the relationship between your research problem and a wider body of theory, and how you must be explicit about your "warrants" to make a real contribution to "knowledge" or to "solving a practical problem." Even though I had read many other books on writing such as "The Clockwork Muse" or "Writing Your Dissertation in 15 Minutes a Day" none was as explicit as this one on how to combine both Research and Writing (the other books assume that writing a research project entails a progressive, smooth process: you pick a topic, you research it, and you write up your conclusions/findings), nothing farther from the truth; as I learned from painful experience and as was made explicit by this book, to my relief, a research project is a dynamic process in which research and writing go together; they complement and reinforce each other. This book teaches you just how to do this and it was the greatest lesson I learned.

I picked up the book The Craft Of Research by Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams at the library awhile back, and I finished it over the course of this week. Not quite what I was expecting, but useful if you buy it for the right reason. I was looking for something more geared towards doing research for articles and such. This is geared towards the college student or professional researcher who has to produce research papers on a regular basis. It teaches you how to formulate your argument and properly research your material to make and prove your points. Probably very helpful if you have an actual project to do at the time you're reading it. Definitely a reference book you'd want to have on your shelf.

That's not to say that you couldn't gain some insight on article writing from this book. It's just, in my opinion, a bit too advanced for the type of writing I would do. But because it covers the target audience well, I can't complain.

"The Craft of Research" offers researchers practical and clear suggestions for organizing papers. Although somewhat geared for professional writers, it can also be used by high school students writing their first research paper. The authors offer step-by-step formulas for making and evaluating proposed 'claims.' They also include tips that relate to the prior chapter. Another important area covered by Booth, Colomb and Williams is drafting and revision. More clear, step-by-step techniques make this section an important tool for writers. Using their techniques, a writer easily identifies possible problems with arguements or organization. However, the discussion of warrants in "The Craft of Research" is difficult to follow. Since warrants are many times infered but not stated in day-to-day conversations, it is difficult topic to comprehend by novice writers. The authors attempt to explain warrants through examples, clear terms and illustrations. Although the explanation of a warrant (evidence supporting a claim) is successful, the illustrations of warrants is muddied and the logic sometimes hard to comprehend. "The Craft of Research" is an excellent tool for writers of all ages and experience levels. Its guidelines and suggestions, when followed, will produce clearer, cohesive papers and books. Writers should find a spot on the shelf for this book next to 'Miss Kate' (Turabian) as an essential writing and style guide.

The authors of The Craft of Research, Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams, presented a scholarly, practical guide to mastering the art of research. They provided a book with tested programmes for turning rough drafts and clumsy prose into clear, powerful and effective writing. The authors presented their propositions, arguments and solutions in a logical, thorough and convincing manner.

The authors produced a unique guide that shows that real research loops back and forth. They explain how each part of the process influences all the others. The authors showed that asking a question about a topic can prepare the researcher to draft a paper, how the process of drafting can reveal problems with an argument, and how the elements of a good introduction can reveal the need for additional research.

The authors encourage researchers to put themselves into the shoes of the readers. They explained how that can be done, by explaining how readers read. Understanding how readers read enables the researcher to know better how to meet their expectations and help readers to see things the researcher's way.

The book teaches skills that are essential to the success of any research project. These include finding a topic, generating research questions, constructing arguments, creating a first draft, and revising that draft for a final report that meets the needs of a community of readers.

The book reflects the way researchers work, proceeding from a complex loop of thinking, writing, revising, refining and rethinking. The book teaches that a successful research project is a carefully orchestrated conversation between researcher and reader.

The book is essential reading before one goes to a library or begin collecting data, presenting evidence or doing an outline, as its expertise is essential in giving direction to the research efforts.

I read this book because I needed guidance on carrying out a research project. I needed to learn about the distinctive nature, values and protocols of research. The book enabled me to learn how to select a research topic, and how to discover one in a wide range of sources, including my personal interests. The book showed me how to create a research agenda, by framing the right questions, finding and using the right materials for a solid base of knowledge.

I also needed to learn about the essentials of argument, that is, how to make a claim and support it. I also learnt how to outline a draft, revise, and rewrite and polish the final report.

Covers research methods in general, but with the main emphasis on writing (not how to write correct english, but more on "semantics" and argumental structure/retoric in scientific writing). For those who may think it sounds similar to typical "Scientific Writing" courses, you're only partially right. Courses are often more into how to write correct and have academic style and structure, the book gives better coverage regarding semantic structure of papers.

This book is suitable for those who've got non-well-defined research topics/problems and are trying to prune down to one, or those who would like to sharpen the argumentation of their papers and thesis.

As one customer reviewer pointed out, this book is more for the student and higher education academics who are required to do and publish research. I purchased the book and read it in its entirety within a matter of days. It is very well written, and the structure and format are highly systematic. The "Craft of Research" has been the best reference tool I've come across that will help me to produce a doctoral dissertation that I will be proud to defend. One further point: Readers of this book should also consider a companion book, "The Craft of Argument," authored by two of the current book's coauthors.

This book will fill in all the gaps about research that your professors assume you already know. Clear and concise, it lays out best practice for this essential scholarly skill without academic hyperbole. It's also oddly reassuring in its tone. The writers/professors admit that they've made some embarrassing mistakes in their own research -- and have lived to tell the tale. They emphasize that good research skills are not necessarily innate, but that they can be learned and applied. Just an invaluable resource - highly recommend this book!

The Craft of Research serves as a wonderful primer on the research task for students and professionals alike. Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb and Joseph Williams draw upon their combined experiences as researchers and university professors to synthesize the nuts and bolts of the research task into an easy to follow step-by-step process. Each of the five parts of the book focuses on a different fundamental aspect of the task and fleshes out the subtle nuances necessary to produce a quality research project. The authors take their readers through all phases of the research process from selecting and refining a topic, identifying the research problem, constructing the argument, finding sources, taking notes and outlining and editing the final document. "Quick Tip" addenda at the end of most chapters provide helpful insights and clarification of more complex matters.

In Part One, the authors define the research process as the gathering and reporting of information for the purposes of answering a question or solving a problem important to the audience. The first two chapters provide the rubric through which the researcher views his or her task: the audience. How the researcher understands the audience frames the nature of the whole project from determining an appropriate topic, formulating what questions should be asked and deciding what response is expected. Readers are warned that the worst response is not "I don't agree," but instead, "I don't care." Therefore, the researcher must understand who will read the report, what they already know, what readers within a particular field of discipline expect to see in reports, and how they are likely to respond to the writer's arguments and conclusions. A daunting task, indeed, but one the authors consider as having intrinsic value and benefit.

Part Two focuses on framing and developing the research plan and finding sufficient sources to thoroughly address the problem. Readers are presented with a three-step process designed to help them find and narrow the scope of a research topic so that a relevant research problem can be adequately explored in sufficient detail. Researchers are urged to understand the type of problem they endeavor to solve. Pains are take to distinguish between "practical" problems and "research" problems. Practical problems seek to solve a tangible shortcoming whereas research problems seek to fill in knowledge gaps. Both problems have their place depending on the needs and expectations of the audience. Two chapters within this section assist readers in knowing which sources are appropriate for their project and acceptable within the field of discipline. Readers are cautioned to interpret sources carefully, to take copious notes, to annotate sources accurately and to use data ethically.

Part Three presents the real meat and potatoes of the book: The research argument. The strength of ones paper will rise or fall on the strength of the logical consistency of the argument. The authors present an outstanding description of the elements of the research argument. A coherent argument is organized around five elements: a claim, backed by reasons, based upon evidence, supported by warrants, while acknowledging alternatives or objections. Each element is thoroughly defined, detailed, described and diagramed. The most troublesome aspect of this section is the subject of Warrants-the logical relevance of one's reasons underpinning a claim. The applicability of a warrant, if not widely regarded within the specific discipline, can be subjective. The researcher can face a continuous barrage of questions casting doubts upon the logical consistency of a particular warrant. The researcher must know ahead of time which warrants are acceptable to the audience. In the end, the authors warn, all warrants can be problematic to a wary or contentious audience.

Once data is gathered and the research argument formulated, the next phase of the project is putting the thesis onto paper. This is the task of the five chapters of Part Four. In earlier chapters readers were encouraged to think strategically regarding the structure of the paper, however now they are taught to act tactically with the strategic vision in mind. Readers are taken through the stages of planning, drafting and editing the paper. Essential topics include: introductions and conclusions, refining the argument and visually depicting data. A well-organized (and appropriately stylized) paper moves the reader through the mind of the writer. It becomes a bonding of experiences as the writer presents the problem, details its significance, articulates a reasoned response to the problem and invites the reader to assent to his or her conclusion through application of convincing evidentiary data.

In Part Five, the seasoned authors provide a helpful homiletic regarding the ethics of research. Research writers must take great pains not to plagiarize, misuse data or present the words or works of others in a way inconsistent with their original intent. The postscript to teachers reinforces the value of learning to do research and encourages teachers to exercise patience and perseverance as students move through the inevitable learning curve. The end result of their effort is a student who has learned to read and think critically. The appendix of research bibliographies should prove beneficial to many first-time researchers.

I read this book cover to cover as required reading to help me understand the process of writing my senior thesis. The thesis seminar itself lacked any real structure and this book provided the anchor I needed in gathering, sorting, and understanding the research I did. More important, however, was the role it played in my initial thinking through of the project. The single most significant skill I learned--but by no means would consider myself having mastered--is understanding how to ask the right questions. This helped tremendously in refining my research topic and still guides me today when I watch the news, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper because I am more able to be critical of the types of claims pundits and others make. This book is perhaps the single most valuable resource I encountered in my undergraduate education. Luckily for those not forced to read it in school, it is written so well (and in my perhaps nerdish opinion, beautifully) that it makes for compelling pleasure reading. Reading this book--whether choosing sections most germane to your interests/needs or cover to cover--will allow you to improve how you think. The authors are down-to-earth and even share their own research foibles in each section. What a charming group of authors who are able to share valuable, potentially complex information while retaining their "human" voices (rather than sounding like a textbook)! Highly recommended to anyone who likes to think, read, or write. I would give more stars if available.