Handbook of Ethics in Quantitative Methodology

"The book proposed by Drs. Panter and Sterba would provide a unique and much needed addition to our Multivariate Application Series. The topic is highly relevant, particularly in light of questions to Institutional Review Boards and Science Directorates on the quality, value and ethics of quantitative research. The editors are highly respected in the field… The content of the suggested chapters is highly relevant and would provide an informative perspective on this topic. The selected set of contributors are all very prominent scholars in the field of quantitative psychology and would together add a wide array of input on this cogent topic. The book would be useful to students and faculty in courses related to research methods, quantitative psychology, and ethics and research; all of which are regularly taught in graduate psychology programs. The book would also appeal to practitioners, educators and policy makers interested in a clear exposition of ethical issues in quantitative research….I highly recommend that this book be accepted for inclusion in the Multivariate Application Book Series." -Lisa L. Harlow, University of Rhode Island, Multivariate Applications Series Editor

"My general reaction to this prospectus is great excitement. The authors are entirely correct that poor and outdated statistical practice continues despite the availability of cogent criticisms, compelling solutions, and software to implement those solutions. Casting the issue as an ethical one is a great idea that may actually succeed in motivating change. It is certainly worth a try. But it is not just that an ethical perspective is a great way to try to increase the adoption of more appropriate data analytic methods. There really is a critical ethical issue here. The faulty identification, or failure to identify, risk factors, treatments, and adverse events is consequential for the people we treat. If the fault is the result of outmoded methods that could be avoided, there is an ethical issue. Even in basic research the premature conclusion that a hypothesis or approachis "wrong," effects the lives of those in that field...The book is about modern developments in methodology, measurement, and data analysis and the topics listed represent a very comprehensive list of these developments...This book will be one of a kind...This book should have a substantial market in psychology departments with secondary markets in other behavioral science disciplines and perhaps tertiary in medical schools (public health, epidemiology)...I will require this book in my intro graduate stats class for the more basic chapters and will tell students who elect to take my course on advanced statistics that they will use the book again where the more advanced chapters will be covered....IF the book could be marketed more cheaply in paper rather than hardcover I will push it more fervently for my students." -William F. Chaplin

"This book is a very good idea... The proposed chapters are relevant, interesting, and the proposed authors are uniformly excellent...this will be a potentially very important piece of work....The book has the potential to inform statistical and modeling practice – as well as design, measurement, and other features of the research process – both within and outside Quantitative Psychology – and in fact, both within and outside of Psychology. In this sense, the editors have a substantial, difficult, and fairly awesome challenge in developing this volume, and it’s very much to their credit that they are taking on this responsibility....If it includes more attention to teaching issues, its potential use in the classroom would be enhanced. Mostly, as proposed, it would be bought and read by Quantitative Psychologists. A number of my recommendations are directed toward attempting to reach a broader audience, which this topic and these editors certainly deserve...with broadened scope, it could be potentially marketed to other research arenas, including medical/biological researchers, practicing psychological researchers who aren’t specialists in psychometrics ... and to classrooms throughout the research arena....This book could be one of the most exciting to emerge in our field for many years, and could set the stage for a whole movement of attention toward treatment of ethical issues in Quantitative Psychology....I note that I no longer write book reviews like this one, but I agreed to do so for this one because of my regard for the editors, but especially because of my excitement that such a volume is being planned and developed. I wish the editors and the publisher the best of luck in pushing this project through to successful completion." -Joe Rodgers, University of Oklahoma

"This volume will provide motivation and encourage best practices...The strength lies in its vision, and the truth of the need outlined at the beginning of the proposal. Ethics and bias are generally covered in the beginning of methods sequences, and the ethical issues attendant with advanced sampling, research designs, or modeling are almost never treated in advanced methods classes. This text is welcome because it articulates ethics in the context of advanced methods.... selected chapters ... would be appropriate for different levels of courses available in most graduate programs....a better audience expectation might be ... quantitative psychologists who are learning or already familiar with some of the advanced analyses discussed in the book, or consulting statisticians who could leverage the case examples in each chapter to help clients understand recommendations from an ethical point of view....[likely audience] Research methods consultants and quantitative psychology and social science students... [Market] Advanced graduate courses, special topics course on ethics and research methods...I would like to see something like this move forward." -Scott Hofer, Oregon State University, USA [permission to quote??]

"A timely book that fills a notable void – highlighting ethical issues that arise in applying quantitative techniques. Leading researchers have written engaging chapters that probe matters often given less-than-adequate emphasis. A ‘must read’ for graduate students and professionals alike." –Keith F. Widaman, University of California at Davis, USA

"The editors have assembled an impressive panel of contributors. This timely treatment of an important topic is sure to have a prominent place on the shelf of anyone who mentors graduate students or serves as a statistical consultant." - Linda M. Collins, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

"This remarkable volume brings together experts who write about best-practice use of quantitative methods that will promote competence and therefore ethical use of these methods. I consider this Handbook to be essential reading for researchers who aim to demonstrate their integrity in the post-modernist era of science." - Patrick E. Shrout, New York University, USA

"An original and informative volume that is filled with good advice to help make better choices about research design, data analysis, and the communication of research findings." -Debbie S. Moskowitz, McGill University, Canada

"This book could be one of the most exciting to emerge in our field for many years, and could set the stage for a whole movement of attention toward treatment of ethical issues in Quantitative Psychology." -Joe Rodgers, University of Oklahoma, USA

"The faulty identification or failure to identify risk factors, treatments, and adverse events is consequential for the people we treat. If the fault is the result of outmoded methods that could be avoided, there is an ethical issue. …This book will be one of a kind. …I will require this book in my intro graduate statistics class." -William F. Chaplin, St. John’s University, USA

"There is need to draw on an ethical framework to motivatethe accelerated use of the newer or most appropriate methods. In fact, this may be a key ingredient in [preventing]… social scientists from being dismissive of the need to understand issues in their methods classes.… As a resource for journal editors and other quantitatively oriented researchers, this book would be of general interest."-Scott M. Hofer, University of Victoria, Canada