Doing Your Research Project A Guide For First Time Researchers

This is the market leading book for anyone doing their research project. Clear, concise and extremely readable, this book provides a practical, step-by-step guide to doing a research project from start to finish. Thoroughly updated but retaining its well-loved style, this 6th edition includes: information on using online surveys; information on online interviewing and using online platforms for observation, e.g. Skype, Google Hangouts; new chapter on the use of social media in small scale research; thoroughly updated chapter on literature searching; revised and additional pedagogy; and a brand new text design. This practical, no-nonsense guide is vital reading for all those embarking on undergraduate or postgraduate study in any discipline, and for professionals in such fields as social science, education and health.

Doing your Research Project is the market leading book for students across the social sciences conducting small scale research projects.

With the growth of practitioner research, this book leads the way by addressing key issues faced by ‘insider researchers’ – those doing research projects in the organizations and communities in which they themselves work, or where they are already familiar with the setting. The authors explore the implications of these research contexts, and discuss approaches and methodologies that researchers in these contexts might adopt, with a particular focus on ethics - one of the key concerns for students undertaking a research project of this type.

If you are a beginner researcher, the problems facing you are much the same whether you are producing a small project, an MEd dissertation or a PhD thesis. You will need to select a topic; identify the objectives of your study; plan and design a suitable methodology; devise research instruments; negotiate access to institutions, material and people; collect, analyse and present information; and finally, produce a well-written report or dissertation. Whatever the scale of the undertaking, you will have to master techniques and devise a plan of action which does not attempt more than the limitations of expertise, time and access permit. We all learn to do research by actually doing it, but a great deal of time can be wasted and goodwill dissipated by inadequate preparation. This book aims to provide you with the tools to do the job, to help you avoid some of the pitfalls and time-wasting false trails that can eat into your time, and to establish good research habits. It takes you from the stage of choosing a topic through to the production of a well-planned, methodologically sound and well-written final report or dissertation on time. Doing Your Research Project serves as a source of reference and guide to good practice for all beginner researchers, whether undergraduate and postgraduate students or professionals such as teachers or social workers undertaking investigations in Education and the Social Sciences. This second edition retains the basic structure of the very successful first edition whilst incorporating some important new material.

An invaluable tool for anyone carrying out a research project We all learn to do research by actually doing it, but a great deal of time and effort can be wasted and goodwill dissipated by inadequate preparation. This book provides beginner researchers with the tools to do the job, to help them avoid some of the pitfalls and time-wasting false trails, and to establish good research habits. It takes researchers from the stage of choosing a topic through to the production of a well-planned, methodologically sound, and well-written final report or thesis on time. It is written in plain English and makes no assumptions about previous knowledge. This new edition of "Doing Your Research Project includes: Coverage of latest techniques such as grounded theory A new chapter on ethics Increased examples from health studies New referencing, library searching, and literature review chapters Completely updated references throughout This book serves as a guide to good practice for beginner researchers in any discipline embarking on undergraduate or postgraduate study, and for professionals in such fields as social science, education, and health.

In this new edition of Your Research Project, Nicholas S.R. Walliman has made this bestselling book even better with the addition of a number of new features whilst retaining all the benefits of the original. New features include: more elaboration on the differing needs of masters and PhD students; a new overview of the entire research chronology from start to finish; student checklists throughout; a new chapter on research ethics; new sections on critical reading skills and compiling literature reviews; examples from a wide range of disciplines and a student glossary.