This study focuses on applied research as a service to a client with a problem that research can help solve. Because applied research has a definite purpose, there is usually a time constraint, a deadline by which the work must be completed, as well as a limit on the resources the client has available or is willing to use. Consequently, the researc

"The Terry E. Hedrick, Leonard Bickman, and Debra J. Rog text provides a framework for designing research that is adaptable to almost any applied setting and constantly reiterates the need for establishing and maintaining credibility with the client at each level of the research process. Although the applied research book is a practical guide, suitable to accompany any thorough applied design textbook, it does a comprehensive job of presenting the distinction between basic and applied research. It introduces many topics found in the general methodology textbooks. This overlap will help students to feel comfortable in using the general skills in a more specific and complex manner." --Contemporary Psychology "For researchers needing to know how to plan and design applied research projects, Applied Research Design will be a most welcome publication. . . . The writing is clear and concise, graphics are utilized helpfully, and this book will be much appreciated by beginning social scientists who are serious but uncertain about the methodologies possible for doing applied research." --Academic Library Book Review Aimed at helping researchers and students make the transition from the classroom and the laboratory to the "real" world, the authors reveal pitfalls to avoid and strategies to undertake in order to overcome obstacles in the design and planning of applied research. Applied Research Design focuses on refining research questions when actual events force deviations from the original analysis. To accomplish this, the authors discuss how to study and monitor program implementation, statistical power analysis, and how to assess the human and material resources needed to conduct an applied research design to facilitate the management of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Appropriate for professionals and researchers who have had some previous exposure to research methods, this book will enable the development of research strategies that are credible, useful, and--more important--feasible.

Planning an Applied Research Project in Hospitality, Tourism and Sports provides a comprehensive and carefully structured treatment of all the aspects involved in planning a research project. Instead of being a statistically oriented book, this text provides a conceptual and process-oriented approach to planning and conducting research. Written for both students and professionals, it is easy to read, short, and to the point, i.e., practical.

A complete guide to applied research, featuring original data and detailed case studies Applied Research Methods in Public and Nonprofit Organizations takes an integrative approach to applied research, emphasizing design, data collection, and analysis. Common case studies across chapters illustrate the everyday nature of research, and practical exercises reinforce concepts across all sections of the text. The book includes forms and formats for data collection and analysis, plus writing excerpts that demonstrate results reporting and presentation. The accompanying instructor's guide features assignments, discussion questions, and exercises referenced in the book, and the authors' own data sets are available for use online. Conducting research, analyzing results, and synthesizing the findings for key stakeholders is fundamental to the study and practice of public and nonprofit management. Aligned with management curriculum for both sectors, the book focuses on the common ground these organizations share when it comes to planning, conducting, and using research in day-to-day professional activities. The original research examples presented are in the context of this shared commonality, including resource acquisition, evaluative processes, and future planning through the lens of common social policy issues facing leaders today. Topics include: The research process and applied research designs Applied research questions and literature Data collection in the field and survey research Data analysis, writing, and presentation The examples highlight intergovernmental institutions in which public service occurs, and provide expanded reach to nonprofit organizations and the networked collaborations that make up a significant portion of today's public service. For students and practitioners of public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management, Applied Research Methods in Public and Nonprofit Organizations provides a comprehensive reference to this critical skillset.

The authors of this unique text found that while most students can "crunch" the numbers quite easily and accurately with a calculator or computer, many have trouble seeing the "big picture" or seeing how research questions and design influence data analysis. As a result, the authors developed a semantically consistent framework that integrates traditional research approaches (experimental, quasi-experimental, comparative) into three basic kinds of research questions (difference, associational, and descriptive), which, in turn, lead to three kinds or groups of statistics with the same names. This text: *helps students become good consumers of research by demonstrating how to analyze and evaluate research articles; *offers a number of summarizing diagrams and tables that clarify confusing or difficult to learn topics; *points out the value of qualitative research and how it should lead quantitative researchers to be more flexible; *divides all quantitative research questions into five logically consistent categories that help students select appropriate statistics and understand their cause and effect; and *classifies design into three major types: between groups, within subjects, and mixed groups and shows that, although these three types use the same general type of statistics (e.g., ANOVA), the specific statistics in between-groups design are different from those in within-subjects and mixed groups.