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Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Research George R. Taylor Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2000, 245 pages, $52.00 (hardcover) Reviewed by David A. Walker,Florida Atlantic University
In the recently released Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Research, George R. Taylor and contributors present a concise overview of the various domains that comprise the quantitative and qualitative research methods that are often used by faculty, graduate students, and practitioners when conducting studies in the field of student affairs. Often, research methods texts attempt to explain and provide examples of quantitative and qualitative procedures, but fall short of this goal by under representing the qualitative side and not investigating the possibility of mixing the two techniques. However, Taylor has avoided this pitfall by carefully analyzing numerous areas that comprise quantitative and qualitative methods and providing practical, formative chapter exercises that demonstrate "when and why a particular method is employed... [and] to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative research" (p. v).
The point of departure for this book concerns the role of research in society and the ethical standards by which we should conduct research. Ethics in research is a salient issue that often has been minimized into a checklist format of acceptable and unacceptable activities. However, Taylor's text expands on this issue and provides solid suggestions pertaining to the correlation between good research and ethical research. Further, appendixes A and B offer concrete examples that address important issues such as informed consent, voluntary participation in a study, confidentiality, and Federal policy about the treatment of research subjects.
The early chapters of Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Research pertain to both quantitative (e.g., causalcomparative, correlational, non-experimental) and qualitative methodologies (e.g., phenomenology, ethnography, case studies) by examining the formulation of a research issue and the construction of a...