The Craft of Research

First edition

Authors| Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald
Language| English
Subject| research methods
Publisher| University of Chicago Press

Publication date

| 1995 (2nd ed. 2003, 3rd ed. 2008, 4th ed. 2016, 5th ed. 2024)
Publication place| United States
Media type| Print
Pages| 368
ISBN| 978-0226826677
OCLC| 1411307366

The Craft of Research is a book by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald.[a] The work is published by the University of Chicago Press. The book aims to provide a basic overview of how to research, from the process of selecting a topic and gathering sources to the process of writing results. The book has become a standard text in college composition classes and is now in its fifth edition.

The first edition of The Craft of Research was a winner of the 1995–1996 Critics' Choice Award.[1] Material from The Craft of Research has also been adapted to form the first part of Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

## Structure

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Below is the structure of the work, as outlined in the fourth edition.

### Preface: The Aims of This Edition

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### Part 1: Research, Researchers, and Readers

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* Thinking in Print: The Uses of Research, Public and Private
* Connecting with Your Reader: Creating a Role for Yourself and Your Readers

### Part 2: Asking Questions, Finding Answers

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* From Topics to Questions
* From Questions to Problems
* From Problems to Sources
* Engaging Sources

### Part 3: Making an Argument

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* Making Good Arguments: An Overview
* Making Claims
* Assembling Reasons and Evidence
* Acknowledgments and Responses
* Warrants

### Part 4: Writing Your Argument

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* Planning and Drafting
* Organizing Your Argument
* Incorporating Sources
* Communicating Evidence Visually
* Introductions and Conclusions
* Revising Style: Telling Your Story Clearly

### Part 5: Some Last Considerations

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* The Ethics of Research
* A Postscript for Teachers
* Appendix: Bibliographical Resources

## Editions

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Editions of The Craft of Research Edition  | Year  | ISBN  | In Print?

|
|
|

First  | 1995  | ISBN 978-0226065847 | No
Second  | 2003  | ISBN 978-0226065670 | No
Third  | 2008  | ISBN 978-0226065656 (Cloth)

ISBN 978-0226065663 (Paperback)

| Yes
Fourth  | 2016  | ISBN 978-0226239736 | Yes
Fifth  | 2024  | ISBN 9780226826677 | Yes

## Translations

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* Swedish: Forskning och skrivande: konsten att skriva enkelt och effektivt, ISBN 978-9144129327 (from 4th ed. 2019)
* Japanese: Risachi no giho, ISBN 978-4802611527 (from 4th ed. 2018)
* Korean: Haksul nonmun chaksongbop, ISBN 978-8993712889 (from 4th ed. 2017)
* Chinese: Yan jiu shi yi men yi shu, ISBN 978-7501189045 (from 2nd ed. 2009)
* Portuguese: A arte da pesquisa, ISBN 978-8533621572 (from 2nd ed. 2008)
* Spanish: Cómo convertirse en un hábil investigador, ISBN 978-8474328172 (from 1st ed. 2001)

## See also

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* Research design
* Research question

## Notes

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1. ^ Joseph Bizup and William T. Fitzgerald became contributing authors with the fourth edition.

## References

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1. ^ Bromley, Anne E. (October 13, 2011). "In Memoriam: Greg Colomb". news.virginia.edu. Archived from the original on 2025-04-09. Retrieved 2025-04-09.

## External links

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* Interview with the authors of The Craft of Research, 2008

*[OCLC]: Online Computer Library Center number