Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 9780203383193
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (831 download)

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Book Synopsis Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses by : Harsh Suri

Download or read book Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses written by Harsh Suri and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Primary research in education and social sciences is marked by a diversity of methods and perspectives. How can we accommodate and reflect such diversity at the level of synthesizing research? What are the critical methodological decisions in the process of a research synthesis, and how do these decisions open up certain possibilities, while closing down others? This book draws upon methodologically diverse literature on research synthesis methods and primary research methods to develop a framework for synthesizing research. It presents a Methodologically Inclusive Research Synthesis framework to facilitate critical and informed decision-making among the producers and users of research synthesis. Three guiding principles for a quality research synthesis are proposed: informed subjectivity and reflexivity, purposefully informed selective inclusivity, and audience-appropriate transparency.The book then provides a thorough discussion of how these principles might be enacted in the following six phases: -identifying an appropriate epistemological orientation -identifying an appropriate purpose -searching for relevant literature -evaluating, interpreting and distilling evidence from selected studies -constructing connected understandings -communicating with an audience. A wide range of techniques and perspectives from postpositivist, interpretive, participatory, critical and postmodern traditions are considered in the book, and Suri opens up new areas of debate by exploring numerous aspects of research syntheses from a methodologically inclusive perspective. The book will be valuable reading for researchers and postgraduates in education and social sciences.

Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113408918X
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (34 download)

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Book Synopsis Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses by : Harsh Suri

Download or read book Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses written by Harsh Suri and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-07-31 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Primary research in education and social sciences is marked by a diversity of methods and perspectives. How can we accommodate and reflect such diversity at the level of synthesizing research? What are the critical methodological decisions in the process of a research synthesis, and how do these decisions open up certain possibilities, while closing down others? This book draws upon methodologically diverse literature on research synthesis methods and primary research methods to develop a framework for synthesizing research. It presents a Methodologically Inclusive Research Synthesis framework to facilitate critical and informed decision-making among the producers and users of research synthesis. Three guiding principles for a quality research synthesis are proposed: informed subjectivity and reflexivity, purposefully informed selective inclusivity, and audience-appropriate transparency. The book then provides a thorough discussion of how these principles might be enacted in the following six phases: -identifying an appropriate epistemological orientation -identifying an appropriate purpose -searching for relevant literature -evaluating, interpreting and distilling evidence from selected studies -constructing connected understandings -communicating with an audience. A wide range of techniques and perspectives from postpositivist, interpretive, participatory, critical and postmodern traditions are considered in the book, and Suri opens up new areas of debate by exploring numerous aspects of research syntheses from a methodologically inclusive perspective. The book will be valuable reading for researchers and postgraduates in education and social sciences.

Making Sense of Literacy Scholarship

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000388611
Total Pages : 263 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis Making Sense of Literacy Scholarship by : Catherine Compton-Lilly

Download or read book Making Sense of Literacy Scholarship written by Catherine Compton-Lilly and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-05-26 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a roadmap to the key decisions, processes, and procedures to use when synthesizing qualitative literacy research. Covering the major types of syntheses – including the dissertation literature review, traditional literature review, integrative literature review, meta-synthesis, and meta-ethnography – Compton-Lilly, Rogers, and Lewis Ellison offer techniques and frameworks to use when making sense of a large body of scholarship. Addressing the standard and untraditional forms a research synthesis can take, the authors provide clear and practical examples of synthesis designs and techniques, and consider how epistemological, ontological, and ethical questions arise when designing and adapting a research synthesis. The extensive appendices feature sample literature reviews, guidance on communication with editors of journals, useful charts, and more. The authors’ critical reflection and analysis demonstrates how a research synthesis is not simply a means to an end, but rather reflects each scholar’s interests, target audience, and message. This book is crucial reading for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as early career and more experienced researchers in literacy education.

The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research

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Publisher : SAGE
ISBN 13 : 1473987237
Total Pages : 1131 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (739 download)

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Book Synopsis The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research by : Dominic Wyse

Download or read book The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research written by Dominic Wyse and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2016-12-15 with total page 1131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education has continued to grow in stature and significance as an academic discipline. In addition to world renowned research studies the growth of education has been seen in the methodology and methods underpinning its research. The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research provides a cutting edge account of the research and methodology that is creating new understandings for education research, policy and practice. Over two volumes, the handbook addresses educational research in six essential components: Section 1: Understanding Research Section 2: Planning Research Section 3: Approaches to Research Section 4: Acquiring Data Section 5: Analysing Data Section 6: Reporting, Disseminating and Evaluating Research Featuring contributions from more than 50 of the biggest names in the international field, The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research represents a very significant contribution to the development of education.

An Introduction to Systematic Reviews

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Publisher : SAGE
ISBN 13 : 1446289362
Total Pages : 382 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (462 download)

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Book Synopsis An Introduction to Systematic Reviews by : David Gough

Download or read book An Introduction to Systematic Reviews written by David Gough and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2012-03-22 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely, engaging book provides an overview of the nature, logic, diversity and process of undertaking systematic reviews as part of evidence informed decision making. A focused, accessible and technically up-to-date book, it covers the full breadth of approaches to reviews from statistical meta analysis to meta ethnography. It is ideal for anyone undertaking their own systematic review - providing all the necessary conceptual and technical background needed to make a good start on the process. The content is divided into five clear sections: • Approaches to reviewing • Getting started • Gathering and describing research • Appraising and synthesising data • Making use of reviews/models of research use. Easy to read and logically structured, this book is essential reading for anyone doing systematic reviews. David Gough is Professor of Evidence Informed Policy and Practice and Director of SSRU and its EPPI-Centre and Co-Editor of the journal Evidence & Policy. Sandy Oliver is Professor of Public Policy and Deputy Director of SSRU and its EPPI-Centre. James Thomas is Reader in Social Policy, Assistant Director of SSRU and Associate Direcctor of the EPPI-Centre.

Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

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Author :
Publisher : SAGE Publications
ISBN 13 : 1483347044
Total Pages : 189 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (833 download)

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Book Synopsis Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis by : Harris Cooper

Download or read book Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis written by Harris Cooper and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2015-12-24 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fifth Edition of Harris Cooper′s bestselling text offers practical advice on how to conduct a synthesis of research in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. The book is written in plain language with four running examples drawn from psychology, education, and health science. With ample coverage of literature searching and the technical aspects of meta-analysis, this one-of-a-kind book applies the basic principles of sound data gathering to the task of producing a comprehensive assessment of existing research.

Using Mixed Methods Research Synthesis for Literature Reviews

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Publisher : SAGE Publications
ISBN 13 : 1483358305
Total Pages : 170 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (833 download)

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Book Synopsis Using Mixed Methods Research Synthesis for Literature Reviews by : Mieke Heyvaert

Download or read book Using Mixed Methods Research Synthesis for Literature Reviews written by Mieke Heyvaert and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This practical guide provides step-by-step instruction for conducting a mixed methods research synthesis (MMRS) that integrates both qualitative and quantitative evidence. The book progresses through a systematic, comprehensive approach to conducting an MMRS literature review to analyze and summarize the empirical evidence regarding a particular review question. Readers will benefit from discussion of the potential advantages of MMRS and guidance on how to avoid its potential pitfalls. Using Mixed Methods Research Synthesis for Literature Reviews is Volume 4 in the SAGE Mixed Methods Research Series.

Systematic Reviews in Educational Research

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3658276029
Total Pages : 175 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (582 download)

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Book Synopsis Systematic Reviews in Educational Research by : Olaf Zawacki-Richter

Download or read book Systematic Reviews in Educational Research written by Olaf Zawacki-Richter and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-21 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this open access edited volume, international researchers of the field describe and discuss the systematic review method in its application to research in education. Alongside fundamental methodical considerations, reflections and practice examples are included and provide an introduction and overview on systematic reviews in education research.

Synthesizing Qualitative Research

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Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119959829
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (199 download)

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Book Synopsis Synthesizing Qualitative Research by : Karin Hannes

Download or read book Synthesizing Qualitative Research written by Karin Hannes and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-10-13 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A considerable number of journal publications using a range of qualitative synthesis approaches has been published. Mary Dixon-Woods and colleagues (Mary Dixon-Woods, Booth, & Sutton, 2007) identified 42 qualitative evidence synthesis papers published in health care literature between 1990 and 2004. An ongoing update by Hannes and Macaitis (2010)identified around 100 additional qualitative or mixed methods syntheses. Yet these generally lack a clear, detailed description of what was done and why (Greenhalgh et al, 2007; McInnes & Wimpenny, 2008). Choices are most commonly influenced by what others have successfully used in the past or by a particular school of thought (Atkins et al, 2008; Britten et al, 2002). This is a substantive limitation. This book brings balance to the options available to researchers, including approaches that have not had a substantial uptake among researchers. It provides arguments for when and why researchers or other parties of interest should opt for a certain approach to synthesis, which challenges they might face in adopting it and what the potential strengths and weaknesses are compared with other approaches. This book acts as a resource for readers who would otherwise have to piece together the methodology from a range of journal articles. In addition, it should stimulate further development and documentation of synthesis methodology in a field that is characterized by diversity.

Meta-Ethnography

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Author :
Publisher : SAGE
ISBN 13 : 9780803930230
Total Pages : 112 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (32 download)

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Book Synopsis Meta-Ethnography by : George W. Noblit

Download or read book Meta-Ethnography written by George W. Noblit and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1988-02 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can ethnographic studies be generalized, in contrast to concentrating on the individual case? Noblit and Hare propose a new method for synthesizing from qualitative studies: meta-ethnography. After citing the criteria to be used in comparing qualitative research projects, the authors define the ways these can then be aggregated to create more cogent syntheses of research. Using examples from numerous studies ranging from ethnographic work in educational settings to the Mead-Freeman controversy over Samoan youth, Meta-Ethnography offers useful procedural advice from both comparative and cumulative analyses of qualitative data. This provocative volume will be read with interest by researchers and students in qualitative research methods, ethnography, education, sociology, and anthropology. "After defining metaphor and synthesis, these authors provide a step-by-step program that will allow the researcher to show similarity (reciprocal translation), difference (refutation), or similarity at a higher level (lines or argument synthesis) among sample studies....Contain(s) valuable strategies at a seldom-used level of analysis." --Contemporary Sociology "The authors made an important contribution by reframing how we think of ethnography comparison in a way that is compatible with the new developments in interpretive ethnography. Meta-Ethnography is well worth consulting for the problem definition it offers." --The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease "This book had to be written and I am pleased it was. Someone needed to break the ice and offer a strategy for summarizing multiple ethnographic studies. Noblit and Hare have done a commendable job of giving the research community one approach for doing so. Further, no one else can now venture into this area of synthesizing qualitative studies without making references to and positioning themselves vis-a-vis this volume." -Educational Studies

What is Inclusive Research?

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Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1849668124
Total Pages : 179 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (496 download)

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Book Synopsis What is Inclusive Research? by : Melanie Nind

Download or read book What is Inclusive Research? written by Melanie Nind and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-03-13 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book describes and defines inclusive research, outlining how to recognize it, understand it, do it, and know when it is done well. In doing so it will address the areas of overlap and distinctiveness in relation to participatory, emancipatory, user-led and partnership research as well as exploring the various practices encompassed within each of these inclusive approaches. The book will focus on how and why more inclusive approaches to research have evolved. It will position inclusive research within the key debates and shifts in policy, define key ideas and terms, disuss the contested nature of inclusive research and illustrate a range of approaches using examplars. The aim is to discuss the range of challenges involved and to examine the degree to which these challenges have so far been met.

Meta-Study of Qualitative Health Research

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Publisher : SAGE
ISBN 13 : 9780761924159
Total Pages : 180 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (241 download)

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Book Synopsis Meta-Study of Qualitative Health Research by : Barbara L. Paterson

Download or read book Meta-Study of Qualitative Health Research written by Barbara L. Paterson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2001-06 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title provides step-by-step directions for how to conduct a meta-study, as well as recommendations for tools and standards for the application of this approach.

Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions

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Publisher : Wiley
ISBN 13 : 9780470699515
Total Pages : 672 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions by : Julian P. T. Higgins

Download or read book Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions written by Julian P. T. Higgins and published by Wiley. This book was released on 2008-11-24 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthcare providers, consumers, researchers and policy makers are inundated with unmanageable amounts of information, including evidence from healthcare research. It has become impossible for all to have the time and resources to find, appraise and interpret this evidence and incorporate it into healthcare decisions. Cochrane Reviews respond to this challenge by identifying, appraising and synthesizing research-based evidence and presenting it in a standardized format, published in The Cochrane Library (www.thecochranelibrary.com). The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions contains methodological guidance for the preparation and maintenance of Cochrane intervention reviews. Written in a clear and accessible format, it is the essential manual for all those preparing, maintaining and reading Cochrane reviews. Many of the principles and methods described here are appropriate for systematic reviews applied to other types of research and to systematic reviews of interventions undertaken by others. It is hoped therefore that this book will be invaluable to all those who want to understand the role of systematic reviews, critically appraise published reviews or perform reviews themselves.

An Introduction to Qualitative Research Synthesis

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136616128
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (366 download)

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Book Synopsis An Introduction to Qualitative Research Synthesis by : Claire Howell Major

Download or read book An Introduction to Qualitative Research Synthesis written by Claire Howell Major and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing a comprehensive guide for understanding, interpreting and synthesizing qualitative studies, An Introduction to Qualitative Research Synthesis shows how data can be collated together effectively to summarise existing bodies of knowledge and to create a more complete picture of findings across different studies The authors describe qualitative research synthesis and argue for its use, describing the process of data analysis, synthesis and interpretation and provide specific details and examples of how the approach works in practice. This accessible book: fully explains the qualitative research synthesis approach; provides advice and examples of findings; describes the process of establishing credibility in the research process; provides annotated examples of the work in process; references published examples of the approach across a wide variety of fields. Helping researchers to understand, make meaning and synthesize a wide variety of datasets, this book is broad in scope yet practical in approach. It will be beneficial to those working in social science disciplines, including researchers, teachers, students and policy makers, especially those interested in methods of synthesis such as meta-ethnography, qualitative meta-analysis, qualitative meta-synthesis, interpretive synthesis, narrative synthesis, and qualitative systematic review.

Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135283311
Total Pages : 897 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research by : Judith L. Green

Download or read book Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research written by Judith L. Green and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-01-04 with total page 897 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published for the American Educational Research Association by Routledge. The Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research is a successor volume to AERA's earlier and highly acclaimed editions of Complementary Methods for Research in Education. More than any book to date (including its predecessors), this new volume brings together the wide range of research methods used to study education and makes the logic of inquiry for each method clear and accessible. Each method is described in detail, including its history, its research design, the questions that it addresses, ways of using the method, and ways of analyzing and reporting outcomes. Key features of this indispensable book include the following: Foundations Section-Part I is unique among research books. Its three chapters examine common philosophical, epistemological, and ethical issues facing researchers from all traditions, and frames ways of understanding the similarities and differences among traditions. Together they provide a tripartite lens through which to view and compare all research methods. Comprehensive Coverage-Part II (the heart of the book) presents 35 chapters on research design and analysis. Each chapter includes a brief historical overview of the research tradition, examines the questions that it addresses, and presents an example of how the approach can be used. Programs of Research-Part III examines how research programs connected to eight specific lines of inquiry have evolved over time. These chapters examine phenomena such as classroom interaction; language research; issues of race, culture, and difference; policy analysis; program evaluation; student learning; and teacher education. Complementary Methods-As the title suggests, a central mission of this book is to explore the compatibility of different research methods. Which methods can be productively brought together and for what purposes? How and on what scale can they be made compatible and what phenomena are they best suited to explore? Flexibility-The chapters in Parts II and III are largely independent. Therefore, selected portions of the book can be used in courses devoted to specific research methods and perspectives or to particular areas of education. Likewise, established researchers interested in acquiring new techniques or greater expertise in a given methodology will find this an indispensable reference volume. This handbook is appropriate for any of the following audiences: faculty teaching and graduate students studying education research, education researchers and other scholars seeking an accessible overview of state-of-the-art knowledge about specific methods, policy analysts and other professionals needing to better understand research methods, and academic and research libraries serving these audiences.

Finding What Works in Health Care

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309164257
Total Pages : 267 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Finding What Works in Health Care by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Finding What Works in Health Care written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthcare decision makers in search of reliable information that compares health interventions increasingly turn to systematic reviews for the best summary of the evidence. Systematic reviews identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar but separate studies, and can help clarify what is known and not known about the potential benefits and harms of drugs, devices, and other healthcare services. Systematic reviews can be helpful for clinicians who want to integrate research findings into their daily practices, for patients to make well-informed choices about their own care, for professional medical societies and other organizations that develop clinical practice guidelines. Too often systematic reviews are of uncertain or poor quality. There are no universally accepted standards for developing systematic reviews leading to variability in how conflicts of interest and biases are handled, how evidence is appraised, and the overall scientific rigor of the process. In Finding What Works in Health Care the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends 21 standards for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. The standards address the entire systematic review process from the initial steps of formulating the topic and building the review team to producing a detailed final report that synthesizes what the evidence shows and where knowledge gaps remain. Finding What Works in Health Care also proposes a framework for improving the quality of the science underpinning systematic reviews. This book will serve as a vital resource for both sponsors and producers of systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research.

The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

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Author :
Publisher : Russell Sage Foundation
ISBN 13 : 1610448863
Total Pages : 567 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis by : Harris Cooper

Download or read book The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis written by Harris Cooper and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2019-06-14 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research synthesis is the practice of systematically distilling and integrating data from many studies in order to draw more reliable conclusions about a given research issue. When the first edition of The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis was published in 1994, it quickly became the definitive reference for conducting meta-analyses in both the social and behavioral sciences. In the third edition, editors Harris Cooper, Larry Hedges, and Jeff Valentine present updated versions of classic chapters and add new sections that evaluate cutting-edge developments in the field. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis draws upon groundbreaking advances that have transformed research synthesis from a narrative craft into an important scientific process in its own right. The editors and leading scholars guide the reader through every stage of the research synthesis process—problem formulation, literature search and evaluation, statistical integration, and report preparation. The Handbook incorporates state-of-the-art techniques from all quantitative synthesis traditions and distills a vast literature to explain the most effective solutions to the problems of quantitative data integration. Among the statistical issues addressed are the synthesis of non-independent data sets, fixed and random effects methods, the performance of sensitivity analyses and model assessments, the development of machine-based abstract screening, the increased use of meta-regression and the problems of missing data. The Handbook also addresses the non-statistical aspects of research synthesis, including searching the literature and developing schemes for gathering information from study reports. Those engaged in research synthesis will find useful advice on how tables, graphs, and narration can foster communication of the results of research syntheses. The third edition of the Handbook provides comprehensive instruction in the skills necessary to conduct research syntheses and represents the premier text on research synthesis. Praise for the first edition: "The Handbook is a comprehensive treatment of literature synthesis and provides practical advice for anyone deep in the throes of, just teetering on the brink of, or attempting to decipher a meta-analysis. Given the expanding application and importance of literature synthesis, understanding both its strengths and weaknesses is essential for its practitioners and consumers. This volume is a good beginning for those who wish to gain that understanding." —Chance "Meta-analysis, as the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies is called, has now achieved a status of respectability in medicine. This respectability, when combined with the slight hint of mystique that sometimes surrounds meta-analysis, ensures that results of studies that use it are treated with the respect they deserve....The Handbook of Research Synthesis is one of the most important publications in this subject both as a definitive reference book and a practical manual."—British Medical Journal When the first edition of The Handbook of Research Synthesis was published in 1994, it quickly became the definitive reference for researchers conducting meta-analyses of existing research in both the social and biological sciences. In this fully revised second edition, editors Harris Cooper, Larry Hedges, and Jeff Valentine present updated versions of the Handbook's classic chapters, as well as entirely new sections reporting on the most recent, cutting-edge developments in the field. Research synthesis is the practice of systematically distilling and integrating data from a variety of sources in order to draw more reliable conclusions about a given question or topic. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis draws upon years of groundbreaking advances that have transformed research synthesis from a narrative craft into an important scientific process in its own right. Cooper, Hedges, and Valentine have assembled leading authorities in the field to guide the reader through every stage of the research synthesis process—problem formulation, literature search and evaluation, statistical integration, and report preparation. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis incorporates state-of-the-art techniques from all quantitative synthesis traditions. Distilling a vast technical literature and many informal sources, the Handbook provides a portfolio of the most effective solutions to the problems of quantitative data integration. Among the statistical issues addressed by the authors are the synthesis of non-independent data sets, fixed and random effects methods, the performance of sensitivity analyses and model assessments, and the problem of missing data. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis also provides a rich treatment of the non-statistical aspects of research synthesis. Topics include searching the literature, and developing schemes for gathering information from study reports. Those engaged in research synthesis will also find useful advice on how tables, graphs, and narration can be used to provide the most meaningful communication of the results of research synthesis. In addition, the editors address the potentials and limitations of research synthesis, and its future directions. The past decade has been a period of enormous growth in the field of research synthesis. The second edition Handbook thoroughly revises original chapters to assure that the volume remains the most authoritative source of information for researchers undertaking meta-analysis today. In response to the increasing use of research synthesis in the formation of public policy, the second edition includes a new chapter on both the strengths and limitations of research synthesis in policy debates