Methods of Research on Human Development and Families is an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods that teaches students how to be intelligent and critical consumers of research on families. This new book has been adapted from the author team’s previous SAGE text, Methods of Family Research, and includes applications and examples from both family science and human development research. With a focus on interpreting and understanding research techniques rather than doing research, this text illustrates how research on families is conducted and helps students gain the competence and confidence to effectively read, interpret, and critique published research reports.

"Daly has crafted one of the most accessible, comprehensive, and functional texts in research methods that students, scholars, and practitioners concerned with understanding family and development will immensely appreciate." —Carla L. Fisher, The Pennsylvania State University "I love this book! It is thoroughly excellent—accessible and clear. ... What an accomplishment: an inviting research methods book written with intelligence and humility—makes you want to dive right into your next research project." —Katherine R. Allen, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University This book is a masterpiece. Kerry Daly has written the finest and most profound volume on qualitative research available in print. From the opening chapter to the last, it is clear that we are in the hands of a master scholar who brings great depth and wisdom to his work. . . . A tour de force by any standard. —David Dollahite, Brigham Young University Qualitative Methods for Family Studies and Human Development serves as a step-by-step, interdisciplinary, qualitative methods text for those working in the areas of family studies, human development, family therapy, and family social work. Providing a systematic outline for carrying out qualitative projects from start to finish, author Kerry J. Daly uniquely combines epistemology, theory, and methodology into a comprehensive package illustrated with specific examples from family relations and human development research. Key Features: Outlines different analytic procedures: The most commonly used methodological traditions are covered, including ethnography, interpretive phenomenology, grounded theory methodology, narrative analysis, discourse analysis, and participatory action research. Offers examples from both hypothetical and actual research studies: Attention is given to the unique challenges associated with qualitative research on couples and families, ethics procedures, and credibility issues. Allows readers to make informed choices within clear guidelines: Balances breadth of topic coverage with sufficient detail to equip students to make informed decisions about methodologies and to be able to design and implement a qualitative research project. Cultivates good perceptual skills: Several pedagogical text boxes, tips and guidelines for data collection, examples, and illustrations encourage students to reflect on their own preferences, values, and experiences.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- Detailed Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- About the Authors -- List of Abbreviations -- Part I What Is HDFS? -- 1 HDFS -- Part II Who Are the People Involved in the Area of HDFS? -- 2 Careers in HDFS -- Part III What Is the History and Future of the HDFS Field? -- 3 History and Future of HDFS -- Part IV Why Is HDFS Important? How Does Theory and Research Inform Work in HDFS? -- 4 Introduction to Research in HDFS -- 5 Introduction to Theories in HDFS -- Part V Professionals and Ethical Thinking and Growth -- 6 Introduction to FLE and Its Applications -- 7 Professional Development and Ethics -- Part VI What are the Key Areas within HDFS? -- 8 Family and Early Years -- 9 Family and Childhood -- 10 Family and Adolescence -- 11 Family and Adulthood -- 12 Family and Late Adulthood -- 13 Diverse Families -- 14 Family Strengths -- Appendix A: A Closer Look at Applied Experiences in HDFS -- Appendix B: Consuming Research -- Glossary -- Index

Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) is an interdisciplinary and applied field that draws from developmental science, family science, and other social sciences. Research Foundations of Human Development and Family Science is a textbook that provides an introduction to the diverse scientific research methods that form the foundation of scholarship and practice in HDFS. In Part I, Kathleen D. Dyer explores science. She distinguishes empirical scientific research from common sense and from knowledge gained from personal experience. This section also includes a discussion of the strategies used by pseudoscience to exploit the well-deserved credibility of science, providing relevant examples. Part II examines systematic empiricism through sampling and measurement. HDFS scholars use a wide array of measurement tools, including self-report (interviews, questionnaires, and self-report tasks), observations (participant, naturalistic, and structured), objective tests, physiological measures, and several types of archival records. Part III introduces the use of study design to achieve falsifiability in scientific research, including an overview of various orientations to time used in research as well as four different study designs: qualitative, prevalence, correlational, and experimental. Finally, Part IV addresses the public verifiability of science, including how scientific consensus is developed, the use of literature reviews to identify convergence of evidence, and how scientific literacy translates into evidence-based professional practice. Illustrated throughout with studies foundational to the discipline as examples of the strategies described in the text, Research Foundations for Human Development and Family Science is a comprehensive, accessible core textbook for undergraduate research methods classes in HDFS. It introduces the discipline of HDFS and challenges students to understand the limitations of common sense and the threat of pseudoscience for those work professionally with children and families.

An important skill for students, whether they remain in academia or move on to careers elsewhere, is to become critical consumers of research, with the ability to sort out and evaluate sometimes conflicting findings that are reported in the popular media. While traditional sociological methods texts focus on teaching how to produce research, Greenstein teaches students how to understand the research results they'll encounter. He equips students with the essentials they'll need to become intelligent and critical readers of research ...

For undergradute social science majors. A textbook on the interpretation and use of research. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies is the first text to introduce human development and family studies (HDFS) as inextricably linked areas of study, giving students a complex yet realistic view of individuals and families. Pioneers of research paradigms have acknowledged that the family is one setting in which human development occurs. Moreover, in many academic programs, the lines of these two disciplines blur and much work is inherently multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. This book helps to fortify an understanding of HDFS and subareas within it. Vignettes from current HDFS students as well as new professionals, an overview of the lifespan stage(s) within the family context, a wide description of research methods and applications, current policy issues relevant to the area, and discussions of practice/careers coupled with strategies for pursuing specializations or careers in the area are hallmarks of this textbook. Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies is essential reading for students new to the major and minor wanting to know: What is HDFS? Who are the people involved in HDFS? Why is HDFS important? How does theory and research inform work in HDFS? What does the pursuit of being an ethical professional require? What are the key areas in HDFS? Incredibly user-friendly both on the page and online, the text also features the following resources: Chapter Summaries where the main points of each chapter are pinpointed at the end of every chapter for review and study. Key Terms listed and defined within the margins of every chapter, a complete Glossary at the end of the text, and Flashcards online for additional review and study. Challenge: Integration section at the end of each chapter that underscores concepts from the chapter and draws connections between content presented in other chapters. Journal Questions to encourage reflection about the content and encourage thinking about some of the content coupled with students’ own experiences. Suggested Resources that lists relevant websites, books, articles, and video links for further study. A Closer Look at Applied Experiences Appendix outlines the internship process and shows how the internship experience can be meaningful and useful, and a Consuming Research Appendix that focuses on what it means to be a consumer of research, the knowledge and skills consumers need, and considerations for transitioning from a consumer of research to a producer of research.