Quantitative Research in Communication. Mike Allen, Scott Titsworth, and Stephen K. Hunt. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2009. 256 pp. $78.95 hbk. $39.95 pbk.
Authors who write research primers often have difficulty finding a broader audience because of their approach to the material. Some tomes go for a deep, mathematically driven approach in hopes of covering the key underpinnings of the statistical processes, which limits the audience to the exceptionally well-versed statisticians. Others try to keep the sharp edges to a minimum, focusing on a few basic skills and doing it in a maternal fashion, lest they scare off the reader, thus eliminating an audience beyond those in a first-semester statistics class.
This book splits the difference quite nicely, serving as a clear indication that research books can be both engaging and yet challenging. The trio of Allen, Titsworth, and Hunt note early that they saw this book as covering everything from the moderately basic to the highly advanced. To that end, the authors met their goal and fashioned a serviceable text.
The approach the authors take in this text is logical, in that they begin with the basics and use them to develop more complex topics. The earlier chapters focus on the use of simple statistics to introduce students and reacquaint experienced scholars with the basics of quantitative research. The authors then expand into more complex topics, such as ANOVA, ANCOVA, multivariate analyses, and regressions. Chapters on chi-square statistics and factor analysis are also present as are chapters on advanced modeling techniques and meta-analysis.
The authors use sample printouts at the end of most of their chapters so that readers can see an example of how the computer programs they might use will present the data. This breakdown of the information is especially helpful to those who have not spent a great deal of time with programs like SPSS, in that it helps those readers better see where key pieces of information are located and what they mean.
Overall, the book has a very nice pace and flow to it. The chapters are filled with information without being overly heavy, which makes the material both useful and accessible. The writing style is conversational without being condescending, which makes it worthy of consideration for a text or a reference book. The material is presented in a clear and process-driven fashion so that the reader can work through each method of analysis. In the cases of simpler statistics, the math behind the statistical approach is provided, which is exceptionally helpful for students who need to learn the underlying principles associated with the process. With some of the more complex procedures, the authors avoided the math, which should limit the fear of students, but is a bit limiting for those higher-level researchers who wish to better understand the primary math.
The book has a few minor problems. The index is woefully limited for anyone who wants to find a specific aspect of a specific procedure. A 240-page book with a page and a half for an index reflects a shallow approach to referencing the text material. In addition, many of the chapters start off with a hypothetical problem that the chapter works through. In some cases, the authors have done this through the use of fictitious students who are working on a communications problem. While the concept of having a research problem serve as a thread is a good one, the imaginary student approach seemed a bit childish when compared with the rest of the book. In terms of order, the book was logically ordered, although the section on chi-square analysis seemed randomly crammed in as the eighth chapter. Finally, the inclusion of the critical value tables as appendices doesn’t take away from the book, but given that most students will be using a computer program to conduct their analyses, this seemed a bit superfluous.
Even with those minor flaws, this is a book worthy of consideration for any research methods course. It is a simple read without being simplistic, it provides key information but does so in a usable format, and it gives students everything they will likely encounter at this stage in their research career. Faculty members wishing to brush up on a few spots will also likely find this to be a book worthy of a spot on their bookshelves.
VINCE FILAK
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh