A researcher's decision about the sample to draw in a study may have an enormous impact on the results, and it rests on numerous statistical and practical considerations that can be difficult to juggle. Computer programs help, but no single software package exists that allows researchers to determine sample size across all statistical procedures. This pocket guide shows social work students, educators, and researchers how to prevent some of the mistakes that would result from a wrong sample size decision by describing and critiquing four main approaches to determining sample size. In concise, example-rich chapters, Dattalo covers sample-size determination using power analysis, confidence intervals, computer-intensive strategies, and ethical or cost considerations, as well as techniques for advanced and emerging statistical strategies such as structural equation modeling, multilevel analysis, repeated measures MANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA. He also offers strategies for mitigating pressures to increase sample size when doing so may not be feasible. Whether as an introduction to the process for students or as a refresher for experienced researchers, this practical guide is a perfect overview of a crucial but often overlooked step in empirical social work research.

"In the field of social work, qualitative research is starting to gain more prominence as are mixed methods and various issues regarding race, ethnicity and gender. These changes in the field are reflected and updated in "The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods, Second Edition". This text contains meta analysis, designs to evaluate treatment and provides the support to help students harness the power of the Internet. This handbook brings together leading scholars in research methods in social work." --Book Jacket.

Written for students taking research methods courses, this text provides a thorough overview of sampling principles. The author gives detailed, nontechnical descriptions and guidelines with limited presentation of formulas to help students reach basic research decisions, such as whether to choose a census or a sample, as well as how to select sample size and sample type. Intended for students and researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, public health research, marketing research, and related areas, the text provides nonstatisticians with the concepts and techniques they need to do quality work and make good sampling choices.

Part 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO INQUIRY. 1. Scientific Inquiry and Social Work. 2. Philosophy and Theory in Science and Research. 3. The Ethics and Politics of Social Work Research. Part 2: PROBLEM FORMULATION AND MEASUREMENT. 4. Problem Formulation. 5. Conceptualization and Operationalization. 6 . Measurement. 7. Constructing Measurement Instruments. Part 3: SAMPLING AND SURVEYS. 8. Sampling. 9. Survey Research. Part 4: DESIGNS FOR EVALUATING PROGRAMS AND PRACTICE. 10. Group Experiments for Evaluating Programs and Practice. 11. Quasi-Experimental Designs For Evaluating Programs and Practice. 12. Single-Case Evaluation Designs. 13. Issues in Program Evaluation. Part 5: QUALITATIVE, UNOBTRUSIVE AND CULTURALLY COMPETENT RESEARCH METHODS. 14. Qualitative Research Methods. 15. Analyzing Available Records: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. 16. Culturally Competent Research. Part 6: ANALYSIS OF DATA. 17. Qualitative Data Analysis. 18. Quantitative Data Analysis. 19. Constructing and Interpreting Bivariate and Multivariate Tables. 20. Inferential Data Analysis: Part 1. 21. Inferential Data Analysis: Part 2. Part 7: WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSALS AND REPORTS. 22. Writing Research Proposals And Reports. Appendixes: A. Using the Library. B. Random Numbers. C. Inferential Statistics and Single-Case Designs. D. Proportion Under Normal Curve Exceeded by Effect Size (ES) Values. E. A Guide to SPSS 11.0. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Methodology provides a comprehensive overview of methodologies in translation studies, including both well-established and more recent approaches. The Handbook is organised into three sections, the first of which covers methodological issues in the two main paradigms to have emerged from within translation studies, namely skopos theory and descriptive translation studies. The second section covers multidisciplinary perspectives in research methodology and considers their application in translation research. The third section deals with practical and pragmatic methodological issues. Each chapter provides a summary of relevant research, a literature overview, critical issues and topics, recommendations for best practice, and some suggestions for further reading. Bringing together over 30 eminent international scholars from a wide range of disciplinary and geographical backgrounds, this Handbook is essential reading for all students and scholars involved in translation methodology and research.

Research design is of critical importance in social research, despite its relative neglect in many methods resources. Early consideration of design in relation to research questions leads to the elimination or diminution of threats to eventual research claims, by encouraging internal validity and substantially reducing the number of alternative explanations for any finite number of research ′observations′. This new book: discusses the nature of design; gives an introduction to design notation; offers a flexible approach to new designs; looks at a range of standard design models; and presents craft tips for real-life problems and compromises. Most importantly, it provides the rationale for preferring one design over another within any given context. Each section is illustrated with case studies of real work and concludes with suggested readings and topics for discussion in seminars and workshops, making it an ideal textbook for postgraduate research methods courses. Based on the author′s teaching on the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre "Masters in Research Methods" at the University of Birmingham, and his ongoing work for the ESRC Researcher Development Initiative, this is an essential text for postgraduate researchers and academics. There is no book like Research Design on the market that addresses all of these issues in an easy to comprehend style, for those who want to design research and make critical judgements about the designs of others.