Becoming A Researcher A Research Companion For The Social Sciences

This innovative book combines what most books separate: research as practical activity and research as intellectual engagement. It clarifies and makes explicit the methodological issues that underlie the journey from initial research idea to the finished report and beyond. The text moves the researcher logically through the research process and provides insights into methodology through an in-depth discussion of methods. It presents the research process as an engagement with text. This theme moves through the construction of text in the form of data and the deconstruction of text in analysis. Finally the focus moves to the reconstruction of text through the re-presentation of the research in the report. Following through each of these stages in turn, the chapters consider either a practical issue or a group of methods and interrogate the associated methodological concerns. In addition, the book also addresses the rarely explored issues of the researcher as writer and researcher identity as core elements of the research process. The book provides a range of insights and original perspectives. These successfully combine practical guidance with the invitation to consider the problematic nature of research as social practice. It is an ideal reference for those embarking on research for the first time and provides a new methodological agenda for established researchers.

This innovative book combines what most books separate: research as practical activity and research as intellectual engagement. It clarifies and makes explicit the methodological issues that underlie the journey from initial research idea to the finished report and beyond. The text moves the researcher logically through the research process and provides insights into methodology through an in-depth discussion of methods. It presents the research process as an engagement with text. This theme moves through the construction of text in the form of data and the deconstruction of text in analysis. Finally the focus moves to the reconstruction of text through the re-presentation of the research in the report. Following through each of these stages in turn, the chapters consider either a practical issue or a group of methods and interrogate the associated methodological concerns. In addition, the book also addresses the rarely explored issues of the researcher as writer and researcher identity as core elements of the research process. The book provides a range of insights and original perspectives. These successfully combine practical guidance with the invitation to consider the problematic nature of research as social practice. It is an ideal reference for those embarking on research for the first time and provides a new methodological agenda for established researchers.

Have you ever wanted to know an effective and ethical way to: Design a study? Recruit participants? Report findings? And improve the quality and output of your research? The Research Companion focuses on the practical skills needed to complete research in the social or health sciences and development. It covers the behind-the-scenes essentials you need to run an effective and ethical piece of research and offers clear, honest advice to help avoid typical problems and improve standards and outcomes. It addresses each stage of the research process from thinking of a research idea, through to managing, monitoring, completing and reporting your project, and working effectively and safely with participants and colleagues. As well as covering theoretical issues in research, the book is full of links to other resources and contains practical tips and stories from researchers at all levels. This new edition is fully updated to reflect shifts in funding structures, open access, and online developments and has a link to a blog and friendly online community for readers to connect with diverse researchers all sharing experiences and offering practical advice. The Research Companion brings hard-earned lessons from the real world to offer invaluable guidance to all students of the social and health sciences, from those just beginning their first research project, to experienced researchers and practitioners. It will be instrumental in raising readers’ competence levels and making their research more accurate, ethical, and productive.

Social science research has traditionally focused on the historical study of research methods, frequently overlooking the practical skills needed to undertake a project. This book recognizes this need for instruction in the practice of research and offers advice to help avoid typical problems and improve the standards.

This volume moves the beginning researcher logically through the research process and provides insights into methodology through an in-depth discussion of methods.

`The book covers such a diverse range of material and there are so many practical tips provided, that it is useful - as the title suggests - as a companion for those conducting or teaching research′ - Nurse Researcher This exciting companion provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the latest writing on every aspect of qualitative research. A Companion to Qualitative Research draws on the work of an array of leading scholars from Europe, Britain and North America, to present a summary of every aspect of the qualitative research process from nuts-and-bolts methods and research styles, to examinations of methodological theory and epistemology. It is one of the few surveys of qualitative research to adopt a genuinely international voice. The Companion: includes an introduction to the field; provides examples of how key researchers, from Garfinkel to Geertz, carried out their research and examines the nature of their legacy; investigates different methodological and epistemological approaches to the act of researching; takes the classic methods available to the researcher and asks what the thinking is behind choosing to use such methods; is a how-to guide to the actual process of gathering research data in the field; introduces the reader to important practical issues such as ethics and teaching in research; and, provides the reader with practical information about methods literature, and guides the reader on how to study methods, and use databases and the Internet in qualitative research. Easy to use, A Companion to Qualitative Research presents a concise and systematic introduction. Recent developments, such as the use of computers and the internet, and the analysis of visual materials are covered at length, as are the future challenges for qualitative research. Essential reading for students, researchers and practitioners alike, the Companion will serve as a comprehensive textbook for any student embarking on a research methods course, and at the same will be an invaluable reference book for active researchers and practitioners.

Offering an engaging and entertaining introduction to research methods, this is a practical and easy-to-use companion for all new researchers and students in the social sciences. Covering all the key stages of the research process, this book guides students in navigating some of the biggest challenges in developing a research project. This book: Uses real-life everyday examples, connecting research methods to your experiences Includes dedicated chapters on identifying a research question, ethics and writing up your findings Comprises an array of activities, tips, illustrations and international case studies Covers qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research Bringing methods to life for students across the social sciences, this book will provide you with the confidence you need to get your research off the ground.