Research Methods in Family Therapy, Second Edition

The second edition of Research Methods in Family Therapy breaks new ground in presenting an in-depth perspective on qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches to family therapy research. Providing great breadth and depth in each of these areas, the editors have pulled together a close-to-perfect handbook for young researchers entering the field, as well as for seasoned family therapy researchers. Sprenkle and Piercy have given us, once again, an ideal text in family therapy research methodology.--William M. Pinsof, PhD, The Family Institute at Northwestern University

This excellent second edition offers a significant expansion and update of its predecessor and addresses a variety of essential research issues. New and revised chapters cover such topics as computer-aided qualitative data analysis, future directions for qualitative methods, and quantitative and mixed-method approaches at the cutting edge of family therapy research. This book belongs on the shelves of practitioners and students who want to build their research skills, as well as seasoned family therapy researchers.--Sandra M. Stith, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Virginia Tech

As a faculty member in an accredited master's-level MFT program, I've been waiting for the second edition of Sprenkle and Piercy's classic text on research methods. Our faculty want a textbook that will make research interesting and relevant to master's-level clinicians. At the same time, we want a book that reflects the growing sophistication of MFT methodology. Sprenkle and Piercy's new edition meets both goals admirably. I'm confident that we will adopt it as a basic text!--Jo Ellen Patterson, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, University of San Diego
- Sprenkle and Piercy do an excellent job of bringing together a group of learned authors on a multitude of family therapy research methods. The balance between qualitative and quantitative methods is well organized, and the Mixed Methods section is exceptional. Throughout the text, the use of computer technology in data collection and analysis is discussed as an essential research technique. This alone is enough to recommend it as a graduate text. This book would serve well as a 'stand-alone' text for the first graduate research class in marriage & family therapy and in other mental health and human services disciplines. It would also be a valuable resource for those clinicians already in practice, especially those responsible for administrative or program evaluation duties. --The Family Journal, 6/3/2005ƒƒ This book is a good choice for the family therapy practitioner who wants to understand more about the research enterprise and is a very good choice for the researcher who seeks a reference point for emerging issues across the domain of family therapy research approaches. For graduate students and their mentors, this will be an excellent core text and a worthy heir to the foundation established by the first edition. --PsycCRITIQUES, 6/3/2005ƒƒ Lays out an important bridge between research and practice in family therapy. This very readable volume answers immediate research questions and serves as a convenient reference guide for further in-depth reading and application....For the clinician, this book is a must have to consult when evaluating research studies for an evidence-based practice protocol. Professors will want to have this resource for preparing lecture notes or for assisting student researchers. Students will benefit from having this book so that they can see more vividly the research/practice connection. Researchers will want to refer back to specific chapters relating to the methodological protocols and themes in order to produce solid and applicable research projects. --Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 6/3/2005