Introduction

This introduction chapter presents an overview of key concepts discussed in subsequent chapters of this book. This book aims to contribute and benefit from the momentum in the area, serving as a catalyst for much additional work seeking to advance the means by which L2 research is conducted. Several reviews of quantitative second language research have demonstrated that empirical efforts in the field rely heavily on a very narrow range of statistical procedures. The first and most prevalent theme is the role of researcher judgment in conducting each of the analyses presented. The second theme, transparency, builds naturally on the first. The third major theme found throughout this volume is the interrelatedness of the procedures presented. It also begins with a critique of the status quo of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) in L2 research. The chapters also focuses on more advanced statistical procedures that, despite their potential, are not commonly found in L2 research.