Methods Matter

Methods Matter

Author: Richard J. Murnane

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2010-09-17

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13: 0199890153

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Educational policy-makers around the world constantly make decisions about how to use scarce resources to improve the education of children. Unfortunately, their decisions are rarely informed by evidence on the consequences of these initiatives in other settings. Nor are decisions typically accompanied by well-formulated plans to evaluate their causal impacts. As a result, knowledge about what works in different situations has been very slow to accumulate. Over the last several decades, advances in research methodology, administrative record keeping, and statistical software have dramatically increased the potential for researchers to conduct compelling evaluations of the causal impacts of educational interventions, and the number of well-designed studies is growing. Written in clear, concise prose, Methods Matter: Improving Causal Inference in Educational and Social Science Research offers essential guidance for those who evaluate educational policies. Using numerous examples of high-quality studies that have evaluated the causal impacts of important educational interventions, the authors go beyond the simple presentation of new analytical methods to discuss the controversies surrounding each study, and provide heuristic explanations that are also broadly accessible. Murnane and Willett offer strong methodological insights on causal inference, while also examining the consequences of a wide variety of educational policies implemented in the U.S. and abroad. Representing a unique contribution to the literature surrounding educational research, this landmark text will be invaluable for students and researchers in education and public policy, as well as those interested in social science.


Why Research Methods Matter

Why Research Methods Matter

Author: Susan T. Gooden and Rajade Berry-James

Publisher: Melvin & Leigh, Publishers

Published: 2018-05-01

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 0999235931

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This concise resource provides practical applications of why research methods are important for public administrators, who do not routinely perform data analysis, but often find themselves having to evaluate and make important decisions based on data analysis and evaluative reports they receive. It is also intended as a supplemental text for research methods courses at the graduate level and upper division undergraduate level. Why Research Methods Matter is essential reading for current and future managers in the public sector who seek to become savvy consumers of research.


Matter and Methods at Low Temperatures

Matter and Methods at Low Temperatures

Author: Frank Pobell

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-04-17

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 366208578X

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The aim of this book is to provide information about performing experi ments at low temperatures, as well as basic facts concerning the low tem perature properties of liquid and solid matter. To orient the reader, I begin with chapters on these low temperature properties. The major part of the book is then devoted to refrigeration techniques and to the physics on which they are based. Of equal importance, of course, are the definition and measurement of temperature; hence low temperature thermometry is extensively discussed in subsequent chapters. Finally, I describe a variety of design and construction techniques which have turned out to be useful over the years. The content of the book is based on the three-hour-per-week lecture course which I have given several times at the University of Bayreuth between 1983 and 1991. It should be particularly suited for advanced stu dents whose intended masters (diploma) or Ph.D. subject is experimental condensed matter physics at low temperatures. However, I believe that the book will also be of value to experienced scientists, since it describes sev eral very recent advances in experimental low temperature physics and technology, for example, new developments in nuclear refrigeration and thermometry.


Methods That Matter

Methods That Matter

Author: M. Cameron Hay

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2016-05-05

Total Pages: 459

ISBN-13: 022632866X

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To do research that really makes a difference -- the authors of this book argue -- social scientists need a diverse set of questions and methods, both qualitative and quantitative, in order to reflect the complexity of the world. Bringing together a consortium of voices across a variety of fields, Methods That Matter offers compelling and successful examples of mixed methods research that does just that. Discussing their own endeavors to combine quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the authors invite readers into a conversation about the best designs and practices of mixed methods to stimulate creative ideas and find new pathways of insight. The result is an engaging exploration of a promising approach to the social sciences. --


Methods Matter

Methods Matter

Author: Richard J. Murnane

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2010-09-15

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13: 0199780315

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Educational policy-makers around the world constantly make decisions about how to use scarce resources to improve the education of children. Unfortunately, their decisions are rarely informed by evidence on the consequences of these initiatives in other settings. Nor are decisions typically accompanied by well-formulated plans to evaluate their causal impacts. As a result, knowledge about what works in different situations has been very slow to accumulate. Over the last several decades, advances in research methodology, administrative record keeping, and statistical software have dramatically increased the potential for researchers to conduct compelling evaluations of the causal impacts of educational interventions, and the number of well-designed studies is growing. Written in clear, concise prose, Methods Matter: Improving Causal Inference in Educational and Social Science Research offers essential guidance for those who evaluate educational policies. Using numerous examples of high-quality studies that have evaluated the causal impacts of important educational interventions, the authors go beyond the simple presentation of new analytical methods to discuss the controversies surrounding each study, and provide heuristic explanations that are also broadly accessible. Murnane and Willett offer strong methodological insights on causal inference, while also examining the consequences of a wide variety of educational policies implemented in the U.S. and abroad. Representing a unique contribution to the literature surrounding educational research, this landmark text will be invaluable for students and researchers in education and public policy, as well as those interested in social science.


Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3

Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3

Author: D. L. Sparks

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-01-22

Total Pages: 1424

ISBN-13: 0891188258

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A thorough presentation of analytical methods for characterizing soil chemical properties and processes, Methods, Part 3 includes chapters on Fourier transform infrared, Raman, electron spin resonance, x-ray photoelectron, and x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies, and more.


String Theory Methods for Condensed Matter Physics

String Theory Methods for Condensed Matter Physics

Author: Horatiu Nastase

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-09-21

Total Pages: 631

ISBN-13: 1316851648

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The discovery of a duality between Anti-de Sitter spaces (AdS) and Conformal Field Theories (CFT) has led to major advances in our understanding of quantum field theory and quantum gravity. String theory methods and AdS/CFT correspondence maps provide new ways to think about difficult condensed matter problems. String theory methods based on the AdS/CFT correspondence allow us to transform problems so they have weak interactions and can be solved more easily. They can also help map problems to different descriptions, for instance mapping the description of a fluid using the Navier–Stokes equations to the description of an event horizon of a black hole using Einstein's equations. This textbook covers the applications of string theory methods and the mathematics of AdS/CFT to areas of condensed matter physics. Bridging the gap between string theory and condensed matter, this is a valuable textbook for students and researchers in both fields.


Methods That Matter

Methods That Matter

Author: M. Cameron Hay

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2016-05-05

Total Pages: 459

ISBN-13: 022632883X

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To do research that really makes a difference—the authors of this book argue—social scientists need questions and methods that reflect the complexity of the world. Bringing together a consortium of voices across a variety of fields, Methods that Matter offers compelling and successful examples of mixed methods research that do just that. In case after case, the researchers here break out of the traditional methodological silos that have long separated social science disciplines in order to better describe the intricacies of our personal and social worlds. Historically, the largest division between social science methods has been that between quantitative and qualitative measures. For people trained in psychology or sociology, the bias has been toward the former, using surveys and experiments that yield readily comparable numerical results. For people trained in anthropology, it has been toward the latter, using ethnographic observations and interviews that offer richer nuances of meaning but are difficult to compare across societies. Discussing their own endeavors to combine the quantitative with the qualitative, the authors invite readers into a conversation about the best designs and practices of mixed methodologies to stimulate creative ideas and find new pathways of insight. The result is an engaging exploration of a promising new approach to the social sciences.


Intermediate Epidemiology

Intermediate Epidemiology

Author: Manya Magnus

Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Publishers

Published: 2014-09-15

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1449639631

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Intermediate Epidemiology: Methods That Matter provides masters-level public health students with a solid foundation in the epidemiologic methods necessary for implementing successful public health programs. This book stands apart from other intermediate texts in that it focuses on conceptual learning of basic methods without relying on extensive jargon. The book uniquely uses a self-learning approach, with exercises embedded in each page to reinforce concepts and application. The book creates a bridge from student to professional with lively descriptions of career paths for the MPH-level epidemiologist. Complete chapters on program evaluation and implementation and analysis of studies are also provided. Key Features: • Examines the methodological skill set unique to epidemiology at an intermediate level • Provides practice problems, case studies, discussion sections, and datasets in which to practice the methods learned • Offers boxed examples from sources such as peer reviewed literature, governmental resources, and lay sources


Topics and Methods in Condensed Matter Theory

Topics and Methods in Condensed Matter Theory

Author: Michele Cini

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-06-25

Total Pages: 441

ISBN-13: 3540707263

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This book provides course material in theoretical physics intended for undergraduate and graduate students specializing in condensed matter. The book derives from teaching activity, offering readable and mathematical treatments explained in sufficient detail to be followed easily. The main emphasis is always on the physical meaning and applicability of the results. Many examples are provided for illustration; these also serve as worked problems. Discussion extends to atomic physics, relativistic quantum mechanics, elementary QED, electron spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, and various aspects of the many-body problem. Methods such as group representation theory, Green’s functions, the Keldysh formalism and recursion techniques were also imparted.