Research in Applied Linguistics: Becoming a Discerning Consumer.

REVIEWS TESOL Quarterly welcomes evaluative reviews of publications relevant to TESOL professionals Edited by MARGARET HAWKINS University of Wisconsin, Madison Research in Applied Linguistics: Becoming a Discerning Consumer Fred L Perry, Jr Mahwah, NJ.: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005 Pp xi–258 Ⅲ A decade ago, few volumes (e.g., Hatch & Lazaraton, 1991; Johnson, 1992; Nunan, 1992) dealt specifically with how to conduct research in applied linguistics Typically, applied linguists turned to the fields of education (e.g., Cohen & Manion, 1994) or social sciences (e.g., Denzin & Lincoln, 2000) for advice Since then, researchers working in language contexts have become better served (e.g., Porte, 2002; Brown & Rodgers 2002; Richards, 2003) Perry’s volume is a welcome addition to this body of work The title reflects Perry’s overall perspective and purpose He aims to assist “teachers, administrators, students and others working in applied linguistics to understand research in the field” (p xi) because of the dramatic impact of research in recent years Being able to evaluate research, he argues, means that consumers are better equipped to make decisions about its relevance to their own situations, as well as to undertake research themselves The book is organised into two parts Part covers the fundamentals—understanding the nature of research, why it is carried out, and the questions that drive it (chapter 1); and locating research (chapter 2) Chapter is particularly useful because Perry provides a step-by-step guide to sources of primary research as well as a walk-through example of using an electronic database (ERIC) This hands-on approach, not always found in such books, is a very helpful device for novice researchers In part 2, Perry breaks down the major research components, treating them in six separate chapters and following their typical order in published articles In each chapter, criteria for evaluating good research are highlighted and readers are encouraged to develop skills in applying them Chapter considers the function of the title, abstract, and introduction Chapters 4–6 take aspects of methodology—sampling, research design, and data gathering—and subject them to critical scrutiny TESOL QUARTERLY Vol 42, No 1, March 2008 157 Chapter deals with data sources and issues that arise in determining samples for different kinds of studies Having introduced key terms such as cases, participants, objects, and corpora, Perry discusses two major sampling paradigms, information-rich and representative, proposing criteria and strategies to consider in selecting samples appropriate to overall design He also briefly addresses ethical considerations Chapter discusses research design, the “blueprint” for “constructing the strongest and most efficient structure to provide the most useful data to answer the research question(s)” (p 71) Perry notes that selecting appropriate designs can be challenging and confusing Thus, his goals are to provide a conceptual framework to classify types of design, to give detailed descriptions of how designs respond to the what and why of research, and to increase understanding of factors contributing to internal validity Data gathering is the focus of chapter First, different methods for data collection are presented, with analysis of their strengths and weaknesses Then the qualities of good data gathering are discussed, with particular emphasis on reliability (“the consistency of the data results,” p 130) and validity (“the ability of an instrument or observational procedure to accurately capture data needed to answer a research question,” p 137) Perry argues that because validity depends heavily on reliability, reliability should be considered first The various terms used to distinguish concepts of validity (face validity, content validity, etc.) are, he argues, essentially facets of construct validity and he discusses them in relation to this global title Chapter focuses on results, where researchers must be able to show how findings respond to the research questions Perry’s goal is for readers to evaluate “whether appropriate procedures have been used and correct interpretations have been made” (p 147) He deals with the presentation and analysis of verbal and, then, numerical data The final component, discussion and conclusion, is the focus of chapter Perry cautions against the “lazy” (p 191) practice of jumping from abstract to conclusion, warning that “the consumer will never be able to evaluate whether proper conclusions have been made based on solid research, which in turn will lead to faulty applications” (p 191) To strengthen readers’ skills in making such judgements, he provides questions to pose (pp 192–193) Three useful appendices conclude the book: “Constructing a Literature Review” (pp 199–206); “Going to the Next Level of Statistics” (pp 207–228); and “Journals Related to Applied Linguistics” (pp 229–242) The volume is not without its limitations Despite references to different research paradigms, the author shows a perceptible preference for experimentally oriented research, evidenced in the articles selected for discussion and the relative amount of space devoted to types of research Occasionally, distinctions between qualitative and quantitative approaches could be signalled more obviously for novice researchers Some 158 TESOL QUARTERLY statements appear simplistic: “The difference between an interview and a questionnaire is that an interpersonal connection is formed between the interviewer and interviewee” (p 119) The book also contains infelicities of expression, for example: “This is a simple procedure whereby the order of the treatments are varied across participants” (p 104) Although the article component format is a useful structuring device to introduce consumers to research, simply presenting it may not help TESOL graduate students to write about their research Doctoral candidates would certainly need complementary sources of assistance Nevertheless, the book has notable strengths Throughout, Perry uses recent research articles from accessible, major journals to illuminate the discussion This strategy offers excellent, concrete illustrations of what could otherwise remain abstract concepts He stresses that he and his students have road-tested these examples in his courses, thus introducing an appealing, personalised feel into the discussion He provides downto-earth asides, nicely aimed at deconstructing the overwhelming feeling, especially for new researchers, that research is all too hard: “I need to warn you that Fig 1.2 could be misleading if we are not careful” (p 17); “You might ask ‘What is so important about a sample of participants that we have to spend a whole chapter on the topic?’” (p 55) Interesting exercises are dotted throughout that teachers and students could use in a research course to explore concepts further and apply them to other relevant studies In sum, Perry’s book is an accessible and useful starting point for aspiring practitioners who want to be discerning rather than casual consumers of applied linguistics research REFERENCES Brown, J D., & Rodgers, T S (2002) Doing second language research Oxford: Oxford University Press Cohen, L., & Manion, L (1994) Research methods in education (4th ed.) London: Routledge Denzin, N K., & Lincoln, Y S (Eds.) (2000) Handbook of qualitative research Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Hatch, E., & Lazaraton, A (1991) The research manual: Design and statistics for applied linguistics Rowley, MA.: Newbury House Johnson, D M (1992) Approaches to research in second language learning White Plains, NY: Longman Nunan, D (1992) Research methods in language teaching New York: Cambridge University Press Porte, G K (2002) Appraising research in second language learning Amsterdam: John Benjamins Richards, K (2003) Qualitative inquiry in TESOL Basingstoke, England: Palgrave ANNE BURNS Macquarie University Sydney, New South Wales, Australia REVIEWS 159