Evaluating Research in Academic Journals: A Practical Guide to Realistic Evaluation, 8th Edition

Evaluating Research in Academic Journals is a guide for students learning how to evaluate reports of empirical research published in academic journals. It breaks down the process of evaluating a journal article into easy-to-understand steps and emphasizes the practical aspects of evaluating research.

The book describes the nuances that may make an article publishable, even when it has serious methodological flaws. Students learn when and why certain types of flaws may be tolerated, and why evaluation should not be performed mechanically. Each chapter is organized around evaluation questions, and the book includes numerous examples from journals in the social and behavioral sciences to illustrate the application of evaluation questions and provide actual instances of strong and weak features of published reports.

Common-sense models for evaluation, combined with a lack of jargon make it possible for students to start evaluating research articles in the first week of class, making this the ideal textbook for instructors and students across a range of disciplines.

New to this edition:

A new chapter on Types of Research
Coverage of the new realities of online survey methods and research using big data
A new appendix on Emerging Issues in Survey Research
More emphasis and information on qualitative, case studies, and action research
Expanded discussion of research ethics, including additional research-ethics-oriented guidelines, and new appendices devoted to noteworthy cases of research ethics breaches.