Customer Reviews

Research Methods for Public Administrators (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

So you decide you want your master's degree. So guess what, you have to take stats. Social statistical research is about as fun as removing your own tumor to be sure, and this book is the lemon juice that reminds you that 1. you are not a doctor, and 2. you are using a rusty butter knife.

Did I learn anything from this book? Yes, I learned that apparently there were 3 previous editions of this prose that failed to drive the reader to insanity. My favorite part was reading my wife's stats text book for an unrelated master's degree to understand what the heck this book was talking about.

I give this book 2 stars because in the event of a world ending disaster, you can use its many useless pages as either fire starter paper, or toilet tissue. I would personally recommend the later, because world ending event or not, this book already stinks.

A few years back, the instructor assigned to teach the research methods course in our Master of Public Administration program had some health problems. I stepped in for a couple weeks until we found a replacement. This was the textbook assigned for that class.

In terms of coverage of subjects, this is a mainstream choice. The sequence of chapters: Preliminary steps in a research project; Designs for description (such as case studies, meta-analysis, qualitative research); Designs for explanation (issues covered include validity, experimental, quasi-experimental, and nonexperimental designs); Measuring variables; Sampling; Contacting and talking to subjects; Data collection; Protection of human subjects; Secondary data analysis; Index construction; Univariate statistical analysis; Tests of statistical significance (a subject that I always had a hard time getting through to students with); Measures of association and analysis of variance; Regression and correlation; Communicating findings. Not all textbooks integrate statistics and research methods. This one does. It provides problems for students to work on, to provide experience with the issues discussed in the text.

Overall, an adequate text. I am not sure that it covers subjects in the depth that I would like. Any methods text terrifies a certain proportion of students in the class. This is scarcely the worst in that respect.

Tough subject matter but I thought this book did a great job of explaining in clear detail. It was pretty easy to read and understand.

Its a great book if you are in to doing research. It lays out all the components to help turn that thesis/project into something defendable.

This book is a bear. It does contain all the requisite information but is a very dense read. The concepts are complex and elusive for the uninitiated so beware if you are a distance learner.

Taking any type of Stats class is beyond worthless, and this book clearly assist in proving my point. There is NO reason for anyone should in endure in such a way of time, which is NOT relevant for many people much less in general. This book's did turn out to be useful for burning and keeping me warm at night.

The item was received in a timely manner and was exactly how it was described. I'm satisfied.

This book is very helpful for beginners. It describs research methods thoroughly.