Quantitative Research in Linguistics

Reviews / Votes

For the maths-shy linguistics student with no statistics training, this long-needed, reader-friendly book demystifies what quantitative research is and how it's done. Assuming no prior knowledge, students are introduced to various research methods and shown the steps to designing, analysing and interpreting data. Statistical analyses are brilliantly explained and illustrated with examples from published research with which students will already be familiar. Intended for both undergraduate and graduate students, this textbook presents a concise, clear and well-illustrated introduction to the quantitative analysis of language. It is comprehensive and example-based, and it covers the basics of quantitative analysis of linguistic data and explores how this differs from qualitative approaches. At the same time, the book is also practical, helping the reader understand how to conceptualize, construct, and implement a quantitative investigation in linguistics. Reviewed in Times Higher Education Supplement, 28 May 2009 Presenting a down-to-earth and readable introduction to quantitative research, this book is useful how-to guide for students encountering quantitative data for the first time, or for postgraduates embarking on linguistic research projects. Rasinger's new book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to quantitative research methods in linguistics. Aimed at an advanced undergraduate and early postgraduate audience, the book addresses a longstanding need in the field for a textbook specifically geared toward students who may have already developed a nuanced understanding of language and linguistics but who have had little to no exposure to statistical methods. As such, the book stands to make an important contribution to the teaching of linguistics, whether as a classroom resource for teachers or as a guide to individual students as they undertake their own research projects. ... this textbook presents a concise, clear, and well-illustrated introduction to the quantitative analysis of language. It is comprehensive and example-based, and it covers the basics of quantitative analysis of linguistic data and explores how this differs from qualitative approaches. At the same time, the book is also practical, helping the reader to understand how to conceptualize, construct, and implement a quantitative investigation in linguistics.