Methods Matter: Improving Causal Inference in Educational and Social Science Research 1st Edition

This book is great. As a graduate student in the social sciences, I have heard about all these methods before and have taken plenty of statistics and methodology classes but hadn't yet put all the pieces together in my head on causal inference. Murnane and Willet do an awesome job explaining how all the pieces fit together, in an intuitive and non-technical way (likely accessible to those who have taken basic statistics through regression). The examples are well-chosen to illustrate the pros and cons of the methods they discuss. The quality of the writing in this book is really excellent. I really just want to finish it all in one sitting, but I have to stop (I have only read the first five chapters so far) to work on my dissertation and fulfill other commitments. I wish I had read this book long ago (preferably before I started on my dissertation). Take my advice, don't wait on this one. So, Murnane and Willett, if your busy lives don't prevent you from stopping by Amazon from time to time to check out the reviews of your book, I want to say THANK YOU for all your work on this and hopefully this will push social scientists towards higher quality research and ultimately better public policies!

This is an excellent text on statistical methods for the social sciences. The writing is very easy to follow and not overly technical. It is a wonderful supplement to the more technical econometric texts I have and helped round out my understanding of research design/econometrics.

This is an excellent book that covers research methods, with a focus on educational research. It is fairly easy to read, with lots of examples and further reading suggested at the end of each chapter. A highly recommended book for graduate students, researchers, and policy makers.

Great book with good explanations. It was recommended by my dissertation committee methodologist. It is not the easiest read, but if you are a researcher or doctoral student, you can grasp the concepts. If you are good with regression statistics it will offer even more to you.

Well written and informative. Even if causal inference is not your thing, it's still a pretty interesting read.

I liked this book because it is designed to make sense and be readable. Illuminating examples and clear explanation of terms and understandings make this a valuable read.

The examples are easy to understand. I don't find myself going back to my econometrics textbooks for review, glad this comes in hardcover because it will get tons of use over the years.

really accessible, easy to read book with great explanations. and of course dick murnane is a heavyweight.