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This review has been accessed times since January 24, 2005

Wiersma, W., & Jurs, S. G. (2005). Research methods in education (8th ed.). New York: Allyn and Bacon.

528 pp.
$100     ISBN 0205406092

Reviewed by Dawson R. Hancock
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

January 24, 2005

The eighth edition of Wiersma and Jurs’ research methods book continues the fine tradition of the previous editions in that its authors provide readers a comprehensive yet comprehensible examination of all aspects of the research process. Beginning with an overview of the nature and characteristics of educational research, the authors carry the reader through every step of the research process – from the inception of a researchable idea to the ultimate dissemination of a research study’s findings. Although written primarily for graduate students in the field of education, the thoroughness and readability of this book make it an effective guide for anyone interested in learning more about research procedures. On occasion, I have used previous editions of this book in my own graduate-level research courses as either the primary textbook or as a resource. My students have consistently praised the book’s usefulness, particularly its abundance of examples and its presentation of how to prepare and evaluate research proposals and reports. The exercises provided at the end of each chapter allow concrete application of the concepts contained within the chapters. The large quantity of exercises allows students to examine the material from a variety of perspectives.

The seventh edition of this book significantly improved on previous editions in that it included an excellent chapter on evaluating research reports. That important chapter remains in the eighth edition. In addition, the authors have written an all-new chapter on mixed, modeling, and Delphi methods of educational research. Combined with other chapters that thoroughly examine the most significant types/features of quantitative and qualitative research, this newest chapter rounds out the full complement of educational research methods typically used by most novice researchers. Although relatively limited, the authors’ discussion of descriptive and inferential statistics is quite adequate for most beginning researchers. A particularly fine feature of this book is its inclusion of a data diskette for use with the statistical analyses. An extremely useful feature of the book that separates it from many others in the field is its inclusion of a collection of research databases, instruction, and contemporary publications accessible through the web at www.research-navigator.com.

Few research references are as thorough yet understandable as is the eighth edition of Wiersma and Jurs’ research methods textbook. I highly recommend it as a comprehensive guide for both novice and skilled researchers.

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