Whether replication research is necessary in applied linguistics has again become a hot topic. In the field of second language (L2) writing, for example, Atkinson (Reference Atkinson2012) calls for its discussion in the latest issue of the Journal of Second Language Writing. Porte and Richards (Reference Porte and Richards2012, p. 285) reflect that L2 research pays too much attention to “knowledge accumulation” rather than “knowledge construction,” and they advocate replicating previous work and taking a second look at conflicting findings. Matsuda (Reference Matsuda2012) recognizes the importance of replication and points out the existence of earlier L2 writing replication research, although he considers it unfeasible to replicate qualitative research. As an aid to replication studies in applied linguistics, Porte has edited this latest volume on replication research in applied linguistics, which includes both theoretical and practical discussions on replication.

This book is composed of three parts: (a) discussion of the definition, history, need for, and methods of replication studies; (b) suggestions for integrating replication studies into graduate programs; and (c) examples of replication studies in practice. There are 10 chapters, each of which explores the importance of replication as a means to confirm and also bring new understanding to the original studies. The contributors to the volume are all specialists in applied linguistics, and some of them have been offering courses on replication research to the new generation of researchers. Thus, this hands-on book is easily accessible to those who would like to undertake replication studies.

Part 1 of the book introduces the theoretical background of replication research in applied linguistics. In Chapter 1, Mackey explains why replication is useful and when and how replication can be carried out. Chapter 2 provides a detailed discussion of replication research in applied linguistics from a historical perspective. In Chapter 3, Nassaji considers misunderstanding the functions and utility of statistical significance tests as the cause for lack of replication studies in applied linguistics, and in Chapter 4, Plonsky expounds on the relationship between replication and meta-analysis, offering a useful instrument for assessing written reports of L2 meta-analysis at the end of the chapter. Part 2 presents two graduate programs that have successfully integrated perspectives and practices of replication research into their curricula. In Part 3, two examples of replication studies are provided to illustrate how a replication study can be carried out and presented. According to Brown (Chapter 7), “replications can be exact, approximate, or conceptual replications and they can occur in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research” (p. 173). In Chapter 10, Porte summarizes the key issues discussed in the previous chapters and advocates calling for more replication research to examine the knowledge in the field of applied linguistics.

This book raises our awareness of the significance of replication research in applied linguistics. It analyzes why there is a dearth of such studies in L2 research and how a replication study can be carried out. This volume is well designed and introduces both the theoretical reasoning and practical applications of replication studies. One helpful feature is the many checklists that are provided in the book for novice researchers to use in their own replication studies. Although the explanations for the lack of replications in applied linguistics are very useful, perhaps more examples of experimental investigations rather than speculations about the reasons for the dearth of L2 replication research would provide the audience with much deeper insight.

This thoughtfully edited collection is successful in exploring in-depth replication studies in applied linguistics. It shows how to integrate replication research into graduate programs, advocating a specific framework that values replication, and how to write up reports of replication studies. Applied linguistics research centers may learn from the graduate programs mentioned in the book in order to foster a new generation of qualified researchers who value replication research as well as original research. Novice researchers may especially benefit from the step-by-step instructions of replication studies introduced in the book.