‘The approach is well executed. The problems encountered by [the characters] represent real-life issues than administrators are faced with and the applications needed to address them.’
—Lee W. Payne, Stephen F. Austin State University
Research Methods and Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administrators: A Practical Guide is a comprehensive, easy-to-read, core text that thoroughly prepares readers to apply research methods and data analysis to the professional environments of public and non-profit administration. The authors expertly incorporate original case examples to demonstrate concepts using ‘real actors, ‘ facing specific scenarios, in which research methods must be applied. This unique approach—presented in language accessible to both students new to research as well as current practitioners—guides the reader in fully understanding the research options detailed throughout the text.
Cuprins
PART I: RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION
1. When a Practitioner Becomes a Researcher
2. Research Alignment
3. Identifying the Focus of the Research: Research Objective and Research Question
4. Research Design
5. Sample Selection
6. Data Collection
PART II. DATA ANALYSIS
7. Quantitative Data Preparation and Descriptive Statistics
8. Hypothesis Testing and Statistical Significance: Logic of Inferential Statistics
9. Comparing Means Between Two Groups
10. Comparing Means of More Than Two Groups: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
11. Bivariate Correlation
12. Chi-Square Analysis
13. Regression Analysis
14. Qualitative Data Analysis
PART III. SUMMING UP: PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
15. Writing Reports
16. Using Research Methods for Continuous Improvement: Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement
Appendix A: Additional SPSS and Excel Instructions
Appendix B: Emily’s Survey Form
Despre autor
Mariah Kraner, MA, (Doctoral candidate, ABD, Portland State University) is currently completing her doctorate in Public Affairs and Policy at Portland State University. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Willamette University and a M.A. in Adult Education & Political Science from Oregon State University. In addition to her studies, Ms.Kraner has over 10 years experience as a project manager, working on both nonprofit and government grants. Ms.Kraner currently serves as a Research Associate at Portland State, where she manages a federal grant-funded randomized control trial to enhance employee health and performance. Ms. Kraner’s research interests include political participation, social network analysis, employee engagement, and international NGOs.