Speech and language pathologists, like all professionals who claim to be scientific in their practice, make
a public commitment to operate on the basis of knowledge derived in accordance with sound scientific standards.
Yet students in communication disorders are given relatively little grounding in the fundamentals of science; indeed,
they often receive implicit encouragement to rely on clinical wisdom. This pathbreaking text introduces the principles
of critical scientific thinking as they relate to assessing communication problems, deciding about alternative
approaches to intervention, and evaluating outcomes. The author provides many illustrative examples to help readers
contextualize the ideas. Her clear presentation will help not only undergraduate and graduate students but also
established professionals reason more effectively about what they are doing and why. Though the examples come from
speech and language pathology, this illuminating and readable book constitutes a valuable resource for all clinical
practitioners.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Science and Pseudoscience
Arguments
Discovering Knowledge
Scientific Description and Explanation
Models, Hypotheses, Theories, and Laws
The Scientific Method
Chance, Probability, and Sampling
Describing and Measuring Events
Types of Research
The Scientific Clinician
Efficacy of Interventions
A Clinician's Guide: Evaluating the Evaluations
The Art and Science of Intervention