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. [Read more...]