Scientific Realism in Studies of Reading

This book explores the nature of reading through research-based insights. Scientific Realism in Studies of Reading offers a comprehensive look at reading methodologies.

This book provides research-based insights that deepen and broaden current understandings of the nature of reading. Informed by psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic views of reading-as-meaning-construction, the studies build on principles of scientific realism. This approach to inquiry incorporates and values a wide variety of methods of observation to find the most inclusive, ecologically valid description of the reading process as it is observed in various contexts and from diverse perspectives.

Focusing on how facts are discovered, developed, and utilized in constructing knowledge about reading, the book emphasizes a data-driven and theory-driven construction. This results from observing the reading process using various tools, methods, disciplines, and conceptual frameworks. Scientific realism transcends traditional rationalism and experimentation by including studies of events and experiences, while still adhering to the strict definitions of what state and national lawmakers refer to as reliable and replicable research on reading. Each study within this volume establishes a foundation for a new line of reading research grounded in the theory of reading based on scientific realism.

Scientific Realism in Studies of Reading is aimed at reading researchers, teacher educators, reading specialists, special educators, graduate students, and other education professionals in the fields of applied psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. It serves as an appropriate text for advanced courses in these disciplines, making it a valuable resource for those looking to enhance their understanding of reading processes and research methodologies.