Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Methods for Systematic Inquiry

Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Methods for Systematic Inquiry, Fourth Edition is a comprehensive yet comprehendible text meant for instructors and students of research methods in the field of communication sciences and disorders. This forward-thinking book reflects the movement toward evidence-based practice in speech-language pathology and audiology.

The authors ensure that the concepts associated with evidence-based practice are integrated throughout the chapters. Rather than treating empirical research and searching for clinical evidence as separate topics, this text presents both as different applications of a process of scientific inquiry. The order of the chapters reflects the steps a researcher or clinician might complete when conducting an investigation. Also included are features that help students be more active in learning the material. Each chapter has a set of review questions or case scenarios that can be used as homework, as probe questions in class, or as a basis for group activities. In addition, the authors provide lists of supplemental readings from the research literature in the field.

As with the previous edition, the fourth edition benefits instructors and students alike with access to a PluralPlus companion website. The website provides convenient lecture slides for each chapter and answers to review questions for instructors. For students, the website lists the key words for each chapter, provides links to supplemental websites and documents, and displays interactive versions of many of the figures within the text.

• New author: Jaimie L. Gilbert for an enhanced audiology perspective
• New chapter: Writing a Literature Review
• Reorganized for better flow of information
• Various new and updated references to reflect the current state of research
• Additional illustrations and tables
• Expanded material on critical appraisal  

Lauren K. Nelson, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an associate professor and head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Since coming to UNI in 1990, she has taught courses in articulation and phonological disorders, child language disorders, phonetics, prevention of communication disorders, and research methods. Her educational background includes a BS degree from Northern Michigan University and an MA degree from Central Michigan University. After working for 2 years in an Iowa area education agency, she returned to school and completed her PhD studies at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis). She has published articles in several professional journals, including the Journal of Applied Psycholinguistics, Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, Seminars in Speech and Language, and Topics in Language Disorders.

Jaimie L. Gilbert, PhD, CCC-A, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Northern Iowa. She received a BA in Communicative Disorders and in Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin and an MA and a PhD in Speech and Hearing Sciences (Audiology) from the University of Illinois. Dr. Gilbert completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. Her research interests include auditory-visual integration and talker variation in speech perception.