Reading and Understanding Research - 3rd Edition (2010)
ISBN: 978-1-4129-7574-2
Description: Paperback, 291pp, Copyright 2010
Publishing Company: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Authors: Lawrence F. Locke, Stephen J. Silverman, & Waneen Wyrick Spirduso

Reviewer: Michalis Stylianou, Ph.D. student, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University

Complete Reference: Locke, L. F., Silverman, S. J., & Spirduso, W. W. (2010). Reading and understanding research (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Target Audience/ Purpose: People decide to read research for different reasons. All graduate students are required to engage in the task of reading research reports to meet the demands of their programs. A significant number of teachers read research studies to expand their knowledge and practices, stay up to date with innovations in their field, and enhance their effectiveness. Ordinary people decide to read research reports because they suddenly need to be informed about something on a scientific basis.

Regardless of the reason people decide to take on the task of reading research reports, they need to start from somewhere. "Reading and Understanding Research" by Locke, Silverman, and Spirduso (2010) is a prominent source of guidance for everyone who decides to take on the - sometimes intimidating - task of reading research.

Strengths: Why is it so great? Probably because it is based on the extensive experiences of three highly active consumers, producers, and teachers of research in the field of physical education, who know as much as anyone about what it takes to read and understand research.
One of the book's major strengths lies in the fact that it seeks to accommodate the needs of the broad range of potential readers in several ways.

First, as the authors state in the preface of the book, it was designed to be used either as a stand-alone tutorial or as a supplement to the experiences provided within a research source. Second, throughout the book, the authors encourage and facilitate a flexible navigation through the different chapters. Third, the authors provide readers with lists of other resources/ references about related issues that extend beyond the purpose of the book. Actually, Appendix A in the book provides an annotated bibliography of supplementary references that might be helpful to the readers.

Content: In short, the book is divided in four major parts: (I) The Nature and Uses of Research Reports, (II) Quantitative Research, (III) Qualitative Research, and (IV) Reading Research Reviews. The book also consists of two Appendices: (A) Annotated Bibliography of Supplementary References, and (B) Statistics: A Beginner's Guide. Throughout the book, the authors present the different research paradigms, but also make sure to convey the message that the nature of conducting research studies is very complex and that tidy categories do not exist in the real world.

The book provides a variety of tools (recording forms, exercises, checklists, tables, etc) that guide the readers through selecting research reports to read, reading - or better studying - reports critically, identifying potential problems or flaws, explaining research reports (as a way to learn how to read and understand research), identifying different research paradigms, and recording reports of different kinds. Based on personal experience, the 12-step forms for quantitative, qualitative, and review research reports are very useful in helping readers to navigate through the reports and stay organized when reading them.

Summary: On the whole, the book is very thorough, provides a good progression of content as well as flexibility in navigating through the chapters, and can address the needs of the broad range of potential readers. Most importantly, when readers finish the book, they feel justified with their choice because they are actually able to read and understand research.

Recommendation: A must read for those beginning to read and understand research reports. Highly recommended.