This book provides an introduction to the main methods of analysing samples of learner language. It examines the theoretical and research bases for the different methods, and thereby serves as an introduction to the field of second language acquisition research.
I absolutely love this book. Now I am not a genius or nerd. I used this in my SLA coursework and every class since then (functional and generative syntax, FLA, critical theoretical an applied linguistics, etc etc etc. I really enjoy this book as it teaches methodology and research basics using the scientific method. It has been critical to my high scores on term papers for these linguistics courses, as it presents the rubrics and great background information (and exercises) for data collection and analysis. I admit it might be more difficult to read and apply this information without instruction. However you may find something within the free online syllabi to augment that need. Definitely a recommended reading for linguistic students and professors alike.
A great resource for researchers in the language learning field. Ellis and Barkhuizen clearly lay out research methods and applications, along with outcomes and issues.