The Methods Coach ― Learning Through Practice

A companion volume to core research methods texts, The Methods Coach: Learning Through Practice helps students bridge the 'knowing-doing gap'. That is, while core texts help students understand research methods, the coaching program in this supplementary volume helps students do research methods. The three-part structure of each lab-a 'tune-up', a lab application, and constructive feedback-optimizes students' ability to apply and practise the theories, concepts, and techniques presented in introduction to research methods courses. As a result, The Methods Coach offers much more than conventional study guides, which instead tend to focus on learning comprehension via chapter summaries, review of major concepts, and sample test questions.

Lance Roberts is a Professor in the Sociology Department and a Fellow of St John's College at the University of Manitoba. He recently completed a term as Director of the Winnipeg Area Study, a survey research unit. For over three decades he has taught undergraduate and graduate methods and statistics courses and is the author of several books and dozens of articles on topics related to social trends, ethnic relations, education, and inequality.

Karen Kampen is a Doctoral Candidate in the Sociology Department's PhD program at the University of Manitoba, where she holds the position of Lab Instructor. Her main areas of interest are environmental sociology and research methods. She has spent 15 years working in universities as a Research Associate, collecting and analyzing data for long-term projects such as a health-care program evaluation and books on social trends and poverty. She also serves as an Instructor for introductory sociology and undergraduate methods courses.

Tracey Peter is an Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Manitoba. Her areas of specialization include data analysis and syntax programming, skills she advanced during her tenure as a Research Associate and Programming Manager with a nationally based evaluation research company. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in research methods and statistics and is working on several projects in mental health and violence, suicide prevention, education, and immigration research.