Reviews
SAMPLE REVIEWER COMMENTS FOR THE FIRST EDITION
Kenneth A. Bollen, PhD, H. R. Immerwahr Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director, Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: “Too often, students just study the writings and theories of others, and are left on their own when it comes to developing theory directly relevant to their research problems. Jaccard and Jacoby have written a wonderful, practical guide to help budding and experienced social scientists do just that. The book is clearly written and well organized. It would make an excellent text for graduate students from a variety of social science fields.”
Thomas A. Cornille, PhD, Professor, Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University: “Outstanding. The authors explain abstract ideas in impressively straightforward and understandable language, and the self-study materials at the end of each chapter are well formulated. I urge any scientist who is designing a program of research to spend some time using the tools in this book.”
David Kenny, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Connecticut: "The book gives clear suggestions to the reader on how to come up with a theory.The two authors, who each have illustrious careers in two very different areas, one in attitudes and the other in consumer decision making, have combined to provide a readable and practical discussion of theory construction. The book provides a useful source for helping researchers come up with ideas for research and for fine-tuning the resultant theories that emerge from such thinking. Thankfully, they choose not to provide an abstract, formal guide to theory construction. Rather, they provide practical help illustrating cognitive heuristics and tricks-of-the trade that they have used in their careers....In sum, this book definitely scores a touchdown. In fact, it scores a good number of touchdowns and I feel it deserves to win the equivalent of publishing’s superbowl!"
Richard Tardanico, PhD, Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Florida International University: “This book's pages will become worn and tattered as graduate students, professors, and researchers across the social sciences refer to it repeatedly to inform their efforts to do theoretically engaged empirical research.”
Philip E. Tetlock, PhD, Mitchell Endowed Chair, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley: “I know of no better introduction to theory development and hypothesis testing in the social sciences. Jaccard and Jacoby pull off an impressive high-wire act: they explore the conceptual underpinnings of science while providing lots of good, practical advice; they cover a wide range of approaches while avoiding oversimplification; and they offer an epistemologically principled yet inclusive vision of what social science is and could be.”
A reviewer from the Goodreads website states: "This was a very well written book with alot of good, practical advice for how to think "outside the box." The book is deceptive in that it has a tremendous amount of useful information crammed into a small nummber of pages. If you read it from cover to cover, you will be amazed at the number of rich ideas in it. The book covers ways of thinking about and organizing one's world and is respectful of non-scientific approaches to understanding. It discusses heuristics for getting ideas, describes interesting strategies for defining constructs, and has a detailed chapter on thought experiments. It has an exceptionally clear chapter on causal modeling and one of the best introductions to math modeling I have seen. The chapter on grounded theory is practical and useful, in contrast to the abstract way grounded theory usually is presented. I especially liked the chapter on historically influential systems of thought, where the authors encourage you to "try on different hats" and think about the world from different theoretical perspectives. Finally, the chapter on writing about theories offers numerous words of wisdom. This is a scholarly book chock full of information. Unlike most books on this topic, it has a lot of good practical advice. The book is not of the "I can't put this down type," but it is really, really useful."
A reviewer from Amazon states: "First off, I'm an assistant prof doing political communication/communication technology research. I've picked up this book because it seemed fun to read, as I'm interested in philosophy of social science and quantitative methodology. The book gives great advice on how to do research well and think outside the box. Many of the tips match my own experience and advice I've received from my many excellent grad school mentors/teachers. Much of the book would be quite familiar to experienced researchers (as the authors acknowledge this volume is primarily for advanced grad students and new ph.ds.). However, here and there there are really cool nuggets of information that might make even experienced scholars think (e.g., Simpson's paradox on p. 128) or might be useful to scholars trying to persuade other scholars of their point of view (e.g., excellent section on typology of bad arguments filled with advice based on formal logic) or would help one's grad students greatly (e.g., 8 strategies for formulating conceptual definitions, or 26 strategies for advancing/extending theory). If you've done quite a bit of research, the book might seem to go a bit too slowly or make simple points in more detail than you'd like (e.g., examples of various variable types in thought experiments and contingency tables). But, this might be invaluable for grad students who encounter such ideas for the first time. The best part of the book is its clarity and lack of pretentiousness. Authors lay it all out there honestly, simply and intelligently (e.g., why examining curvilinear relationships isn't as big a part of theorizing as it should be). This book is 5 out of 5 stars, especially for those who are aspiring or new social scientists, or who are in a position to train social scientists. When I'm teaching grad theory-building class - this book will be on the "required readings" list, for sure.
Kenneth A. Bollen, PhD, H. R. Immerwahr Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director, Howard W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: “Too often, students just study the writings and theories of others, and are left on their own when it comes to developing theory directly relevant to their research problems. Jaccard and Jacoby have written a wonderful, practical guide to help budding and experienced social scientists do just that. The book is clearly written and well organized. It would make an excellent text for graduate students from a variety of social science fields.”
Thomas A. Cornille, PhD, Professor, Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University: “Outstanding. The authors explain abstract ideas in impressively straightforward and understandable language, and the self-study materials at the end of each chapter are well formulated. I urge any scientist who is designing a program of research to spend some time using the tools in this book.”
David Kenny, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Connecticut: "The book gives clear suggestions to the reader on how to come up with a theory.The two authors, who each have illustrious careers in two very different areas, one in attitudes and the other in consumer decision making, have combined to provide a readable and practical discussion of theory construction. The book provides a useful source for helping researchers come up with ideas for research and for fine-tuning the resultant theories that emerge from such thinking. Thankfully, they choose not to provide an abstract, formal guide to theory construction. Rather, they provide practical help illustrating cognitive heuristics and tricks-of-the trade that they have used in their careers....In sum, this book definitely scores a touchdown. In fact, it scores a good number of touchdowns and I feel it deserves to win the equivalent of publishing’s superbowl!"
Richard Tardanico, PhD, Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Florida International University: “This book's pages will become worn and tattered as graduate students, professors, and researchers across the social sciences refer to it repeatedly to inform their efforts to do theoretically engaged empirical research.”
Philip E. Tetlock, PhD, Mitchell Endowed Chair, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley: “I know of no better introduction to theory development and hypothesis testing in the social sciences. Jaccard and Jacoby pull off an impressive high-wire act: they explore the conceptual underpinnings of science while providing lots of good, practical advice; they cover a wide range of approaches while avoiding oversimplification; and they offer an epistemologically principled yet inclusive vision of what social science is and could be.”
A reviewer from the Goodreads website states: "This was a very well written book with alot of good, practical advice for how to think "outside the box." The book is deceptive in that it has a tremendous amount of useful information crammed into a small nummber of pages. If you read it from cover to cover, you will be amazed at the number of rich ideas in it. The book covers ways of thinking about and organizing one's world and is respectful of non-scientific approaches to understanding. It discusses heuristics for getting ideas, describes interesting strategies for defining constructs, and has a detailed chapter on thought experiments. It has an exceptionally clear chapter on causal modeling and one of the best introductions to math modeling I have seen. The chapter on grounded theory is practical and useful, in contrast to the abstract way grounded theory usually is presented. I especially liked the chapter on historically influential systems of thought, where the authors encourage you to "try on different hats" and think about the world from different theoretical perspectives. Finally, the chapter on writing about theories offers numerous words of wisdom. This is a scholarly book chock full of information. Unlike most books on this topic, it has a lot of good practical advice. The book is not of the "I can't put this down type," but it is really, really useful."
A reviewer from Amazon states: "First off, I'm an assistant prof doing political communication/communication technology research. I've picked up this book because it seemed fun to read, as I'm interested in philosophy of social science and quantitative methodology. The book gives great advice on how to do research well and think outside the box. Many of the tips match my own experience and advice I've received from my many excellent grad school mentors/teachers. Much of the book would be quite familiar to experienced researchers (as the authors acknowledge this volume is primarily for advanced grad students and new ph.ds.). However, here and there there are really cool nuggets of information that might make even experienced scholars think (e.g., Simpson's paradox on p. 128) or might be useful to scholars trying to persuade other scholars of their point of view (e.g., excellent section on typology of bad arguments filled with advice based on formal logic) or would help one's grad students greatly (e.g., 8 strategies for formulating conceptual definitions, or 26 strategies for advancing/extending theory). If you've done quite a bit of research, the book might seem to go a bit too slowly or make simple points in more detail than you'd like (e.g., examples of various variable types in thought experiments and contingency tables). But, this might be invaluable for grad students who encounter such ideas for the first time. The best part of the book is its clarity and lack of pretentiousness. Authors lay it all out there honestly, simply and intelligently (e.g., why examining curvilinear relationships isn't as big a part of theorizing as it should be). This book is 5 out of 5 stars, especially for those who are aspiring or new social scientists, or who are in a position to train social scientists. When I'm teaching grad theory-building class - this book will be on the "required readings" list, for sure.
Statistical Programs
Statistical Primers
Statistical Primers
Interfaces with SPSS, Excel, Ascii, SAS and STATA Formats
PUBLISHED REVIEWS OF THE FIRST EDITION
For a review in the Journal of Marriage and Family, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Multidiciplinary Evaluation, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Family Theory and Review, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Social Resarch and Policy, click HERE.
For a review in the Journal of Marriage and Family, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Multidiciplinary Evaluation, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Family Theory and Review, click HERE. For a review in the Journal of Social Resarch and Policy, click HERE.
SAMPLE REVIEWER COMMENTS FOR THE SECOND EDITION
David Brinberg, PhD, R. O. Goodykoontz Professor of Marketing, Virginia Tech University: "This book provides a unique and important contribution about a neglected process central to the social sciences. It stands above all other books on theory construction in its insights, clarity, breadth, and practical focus. On each reading, I discover new and useful advice to help both young and experienced researchers bring creative and rigorous thinking to their work. The writing style feels like a conversation with these highly successful authors, rather than a formal treatise on each topic. The book’s multidisciplinary approach highlights the importance of theory construction using a wide range of tools: mathematical or quantitative, conceptual, and qualitative or observational. New chapters and other new content in the second edition are important and welcome additions. This invaluable book belongs on the shelf of every graduate student who pursues research, and is extremely useful for practitioners who need to critically read research reports."
Cynthia G. S. Franklin, PhD, Associate Dean for Doctoral Education and Stiernberg/Spencer Family Professor in Mental Health, School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin: "This outstanding book helps students understand the fundamentals of what a good theory is and how to use research to construct theories. It also shows how theory is used to guide the development of measures and interventions. It is a ‘must read’ for all doctoral students. Among the enhancements of the second edition is the great companion website, which offers resources and learning tools related to every chapter. I use this book in a doctoral-level class on theories and would recommend it to anyone who teaches theory to doctoral students."
Sean Kelly, PhD, Professor and Director of PhD Studies, Department of Administrative and Policy Studies, University of Pittsburgh School of Education: "How exciting! In this second edition, readers are going to find new concepts and methods for infusing theory into quantitative and qualitative research. Jaccard and Jacoby continue to take on the big ideas in social science research methods with clear exposition of complex topics and balanced guidance for new scholars."
Wendy K. Silverman, PhD, ABPP, Alfred A. Messer Professor of Child Psychiatry and Director, Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine: This exceptional second edition focuses on how to ask and answer research questions in a way that will lead to sound conceptualizations and theory development. Written in an engaging, vivid, and crystal-clear manner, the book includes hands-on, tricks-of-the-trade approaches. Every page reflects the joy and satisfaction that comes with fostering scientific creativity to address social and clinical science problems. Filling a gap in its emphasis on how to do theory-driven science, this amazing, unique text has much to offer to students and new and seasoned researchers.
Hart Blanton, PhD, Professor, Department of Communication, Texas A&M University: Essential reading for students in the social sciences, this book removes the mystery behind learning to think like a scientist. Jaccard and Jacoby teach the tricks of the trade—the cognitive maneuvers, representational strategies, and creativity heuristics—that any researcher can employ to build stronger, more informative, and testable theories. No other source covers the range of strategies for increasing the impact and relevance of theories. This book can serve as a stand-alone text in courses devoted to theory construction or as a supplemental text in more general courses on scientific and research methods. The new companion website for the second edition is invaluable; it presents useful exercises to help students build working knowledge of the concepts and strategies in the text.
Saul Kassin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York: At a time when science is often misunderstood if not outright denigrated by the lay public, it is essential that aspiring social scientists come to learn how theories should be formulated, tested, and revised. As a complement to textbooks focused on research methods and statistics, this beautifully written book on how to construct and evaluate theories—better than any other I’ve seen—will equip students and young scientists for this very purpose.
David Brinberg, PhD, R. O. Goodykoontz Professor of Marketing, Virginia Tech University: "This book provides a unique and important contribution about a neglected process central to the social sciences. It stands above all other books on theory construction in its insights, clarity, breadth, and practical focus. On each reading, I discover new and useful advice to help both young and experienced researchers bring creative and rigorous thinking to their work. The writing style feels like a conversation with these highly successful authors, rather than a formal treatise on each topic. The book’s multidisciplinary approach highlights the importance of theory construction using a wide range of tools: mathematical or quantitative, conceptual, and qualitative or observational. New chapters and other new content in the second edition are important and welcome additions. This invaluable book belongs on the shelf of every graduate student who pursues research, and is extremely useful for practitioners who need to critically read research reports."
Cynthia G. S. Franklin, PhD, Associate Dean for Doctoral Education and Stiernberg/Spencer Family Professor in Mental Health, School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin: "This outstanding book helps students understand the fundamentals of what a good theory is and how to use research to construct theories. It also shows how theory is used to guide the development of measures and interventions. It is a ‘must read’ for all doctoral students. Among the enhancements of the second edition is the great companion website, which offers resources and learning tools related to every chapter. I use this book in a doctoral-level class on theories and would recommend it to anyone who teaches theory to doctoral students."
Sean Kelly, PhD, Professor and Director of PhD Studies, Department of Administrative and Policy Studies, University of Pittsburgh School of Education: "How exciting! In this second edition, readers are going to find new concepts and methods for infusing theory into quantitative and qualitative research. Jaccard and Jacoby continue to take on the big ideas in social science research methods with clear exposition of complex topics and balanced guidance for new scholars."
Wendy K. Silverman, PhD, ABPP, Alfred A. Messer Professor of Child Psychiatry and Director, Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine: This exceptional second edition focuses on how to ask and answer research questions in a way that will lead to sound conceptualizations and theory development. Written in an engaging, vivid, and crystal-clear manner, the book includes hands-on, tricks-of-the-trade approaches. Every page reflects the joy and satisfaction that comes with fostering scientific creativity to address social and clinical science problems. Filling a gap in its emphasis on how to do theory-driven science, this amazing, unique text has much to offer to students and new and seasoned researchers.
Hart Blanton, PhD, Professor, Department of Communication, Texas A&M University: Essential reading for students in the social sciences, this book removes the mystery behind learning to think like a scientist. Jaccard and Jacoby teach the tricks of the trade—the cognitive maneuvers, representational strategies, and creativity heuristics—that any researcher can employ to build stronger, more informative, and testable theories. No other source covers the range of strategies for increasing the impact and relevance of theories. This book can serve as a stand-alone text in courses devoted to theory construction or as a supplemental text in more general courses on scientific and research methods. The new companion website for the second edition is invaluable; it presents useful exercises to help students build working knowledge of the concepts and strategies in the text.
Saul Kassin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York: At a time when science is often misunderstood if not outright denigrated by the lay public, it is essential that aspiring social scientists come to learn how theories should be formulated, tested, and revised. As a complement to textbooks focused on research methods and statistics, this beautifully written book on how to construct and evaluate theories—better than any other I’ve seen—will equip students and young scientists for this very purpose.
We are unaware of published reviews of the second edition. We will add links as they become available. For published reviews of the first edition, see below.
