Research strategies : finding your way through the information fog

We live in a time when there is more knowledge available to us than ever before. Yet we struggle to make sense of it. When a research deadline looms and all you see is a confusing fog of data, you know you need help. In this sixth edition of Research Strategies, author William Badke helps you make sense of it all. He will show you how to navigate the information fog intelligently, and he will detail how to use it to your advantage to become a better researcher. Badke focuses on informational research and provides a host of tips and advices not only for conducting research, but also for everything from finding a topic to writing an outline to locating high quality, relevant resources to finishing the final draft. Study guides, practice exercises, and assignments at the end of each chapter will help reinforce the lessons. As an experienced researcher who has led thousands of students to ramp up their research abilities, Badke uses humor to help you gain a better understanding of todays world of complex technological information. Research Strategies provides the skills and strategies to efficiently and effectively complete a research project from topic to final product. How statistical data is used, misused, and abused every day to fool us: “A very entertaining book about a very serious problem.” —Robert J. Shiller, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Irrational ExuberanceDid you know that baseball players whose names begin with “D” are more likely to die young? That Asian Americans are most susceptible to heart attacks on the fourth day of the month? That drinking a full pot of coffee every morning adds years to your life, but one cup a day increases your pancreatic cancer risk? These “facts” have been argued with a straight face by credentialed researchers and backed up with reams of data and convincing statistics. As Nobel Prize–winning economist Ronald Coase cynically observed, “If you torture data long enough, it will confess.” Lying with statistics is a time-honored con. In Standard Deviations, economics professor Gary Smith walks us through the various tricks and traps that people use to back up their own crackpot theories. Sometimes, the unscrupulous deliberately try to mislead us. Other times, the well-intentioned are blissfully unaware of the mischief they are committing. Today, data is so plentiful that researchers spend precious little time distinguishing between good, meaningful indicators and total rubbish. Not only do others use data to fool us, we fool ourselves. Drawing on breakthrough research in behavioral economics and using clear examples, Standard Deviations demystifies the science behind statistics and makes it easy to spot the fraud all around us.“An entertaining primer... packed with figures, tables, graphs and ludicrous examples from people who know better (academics, scientists) and those who don't (political candidates, advertisers).” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) « Did you know that baseball players whose names begin with the letter "D" are more likely to die young? Or that Asian Americans are most susceptible to heart attacks on the fourth day of the month? Or that drinking a full pot of coffee every morning will add years to your life, but one cup a day increases the risk of pancreatic cancer? All of these "facts" have been argued with a straight face by credentialed researchers and backed up with reams of data and convincing statistics. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase once cynically observed, "If you torture data long enough, it will confess." Lying with statistics is a time-honored con. In Standard Deviations, economics professor Gary Smith walks us through the various tricks and traps that people use to back up their own crackpot theories. Sometimes, the unscrupulous deliberately try to mislead us. Other times, the well-intentioned are blissfully unaware of the mischief they are committing. Today, data is so plentiful that researchers spend precious little time distinguishing between good, meaningful indicators and total rubbish. Not only do others use data to fool us, we fool ourselves. With the breakout success of Nate Silver's The Signal and the Noise, the once humdrum subject of statistics has never been hotter. Drawing on breakthrough research in behavioral economics by luminaries like Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely and taking to task some of the conclusions of Freakonomics author Steven D. Levitt, Standard Deviations demystifies the science behind statistics and makes it easy to spot the fraud all around »-- Résumé de l'éditeur "Did you know that baseball players whose names begin with the letter "D" are more likely to die young? Or that Asian Americans are most susceptible to heart attacks on the fourth day of the month? Or that drinking a full pot of coffee every morning will add years to your life, but two cups a day increases the risk of pancreatic cancer? All of these "facts" have been argued with a straight face by credentialed researchers and backed up with reams of data and convincing statistics. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase once cynically observed, "If you torture data long enough, it will confess." Lying with statistics is a time-honored con. In Standard Deviations, economics professor Gary Smith walks us through the various tricks and traps that people use to back up their own crackpot theories. Sometimes, the unscrupulous deliberately try to mislead us. Other times, the well-intentioned are blissfully unaware of the mischief they are committing. Today, data is so plentiful that researchers spend precious little time distinguishing between good, meaningful indicators and total rubbish. Not only do others use data to fool us, we fool ourselves. With the breakout success of Nate Silver's The Signal and the Noise, the once humdrum subject of statistics has never been hotter. Drawing on breakthrough research in behavioral economics by luminaries like Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely and taking to task some of the conclusions of Freakonomics author Steven D. Levitt, Standard Deviations demystifies the science behind statistics and makes it easy to spot the fraud all around"-- Provided by publisher "Did you know that baseball players whose names begin with the letter "D" are more likely to die young? Or that Asian Americans are most susceptible to heart attacks on the fourth day of the month? Or that drinking a full pot of coffee every morning will add years to your life, but one cup a day increases the risk of pancreatic cancer? All of these "facts" have been argued with a straight face by credentialed researchers and backed up with reams of data and convincing statistics. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase once cynically observed, "If you torture data long enough, it will confess." Lying with statistics is a time-honored con. In Standard Deviations, economics professor Gary Smith walks us through the various tricks and traps that people use to back up their own crackpot theories. Sometimes, the unscrupulous deliberately try to mislead us. Other times, the well-intentioned are blissfully unaware of the mischief they are committing. Today, data is so plentiful that researchers spend precious little time distinguishing between good, meaningful indicators and total rubbish. Not only do others use data to fool us, we fool ourselves. With the breakout success of Nate Silver's The Signal and the Noise, the once humdrum subject of statistics has never been hotter. Drawing on breakthrough research in behavioral economics by luminaries like Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely and taking to task some of the conclusions of Freakonomics author Steven D. Levitt, Standard Deviations demystifies the science behind statistics and makes it easy to spot the fraud all around"-- Provided by publisher Meeting contemporary, culturally literate readers right where they are, this compelling book demonstrates that Christianity has real answers to the seemingly meaningless nature of today's world. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , a best-selling novel by Douglas Adams, says that life is a cruel joke perpetrated by an incompetent God (if He exists) or blind chance. Adams's characters go on a journey through the galaxy in search of the meaning of life, and although they never end up finding anything, at least they have a little fun along the way. In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Meaning of Everything William Badke chronicles a similar search for meaning, only this journey is through the Bible and the characters actually discover what they were looking for. With a heart intent on reaching postmodern seekers, Badke extends to them a non-threatening invitation to hop in and take a ride with him through the story of God. Steering clear of arguments or evidences, he lets the Bible speak for itself and leaves the reader free to decide what they think. C.H. Spurgeon once said, "The Bible is like a lion, you don't have to defend it, just turn it loose." This book approaches the Biblical narrative in a fresh way, setting it loose into the lives of the lost and seeking postmodern reader. Badke uses postmodern concepts and issues to help the reader arrive at biblically-based answers to the big questions in life that are more satisfying than anything Douglas Adams could ever devise. It starts here The man on the dumpster Special Craving community Some kind of test A bid for liberation Adam, where are you? Going on down Murder just outside of paradise Footprints in the mud Finding community, losing community The start of something big A promise like you've never seen Walking with the one who made him Pharaoh was mistaken Finding home Not a good story if you eat at Burger King Winning with the odds against you Love in a barley field Kings may fall Even good kings The meaning of life "under the sun" I led you through the desert Hosea and Gomer Hope from the most unlikely source Light in the darkness The teacher who challenged everything we've ever learned Who is this man? Longing Like a little child Going home He told me everything I ever did Who killed Jesus? Not the end Meaning in the here and now The end is better than the beginning If you want to find your way. With the information provided here, writing research papers does not have to be frustrating or boring. It is possible to develop significant skills in order to make the writing process much easier, and the author explains the skills and strategies you need to efficiently and effectively complete a research project . In this book, the author offers a clear, simple, roadmap for conducting research and navigating the vast new world of information and technology. He details the entire research paper process from start to finish, and provides insightful and helpful information