Doing your research project : a guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science

Step-by-step advice on completing an outstanding research project. Research can be daunting, particularly for first-timers, but this indispensable book provides everything you need to know to prepare for research, draft and finalise a methodologically sound and well-written report or thesis, plus it warns you of potential pitfalls to prevent you wasting time on false trails. Front cover; Half title; Title page; Copyright page; Contents; Acknowledgements; Intriduction; Part I Preparing The Ground; Part Ii Selecting Methods Of Data Collection; Part Iii Interpreting The Evidence And Reporting The Findings; References; Index; Back cover Front cover......Page 1 Half title......Page 2 Title page......Page 4 Copyright page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Intriduction......Page 16 Part I PREPARING THE GROUND......Page 18 1 APPROACHES TO RESEARCH......Page 20 Action research and the role of practioner researchers......Page 21 Case study......Page 23 Critics of case study......Page 24 Survey......Page 26 The experimental style......Page 27 Ethnography and the ethnographic style of research......Page 29 The grounded theory approach......Page 30 Narrative inquiry and stories......Page 33 Further reading......Page 37 Selecting a topic......Page 42 Getting started......Page 43 The purpose of the study......Page 45 Hypotheses, objectives and researchable questions......Page 46 Working title and the project online......Page 48 Timing......Page 49 Student-supervisor relationships......Page 50 Codes of practice for supervision......Page 51 Changes of supervisor......Page 52 The research experience......Page 53 Writing as you go along and the research diary......Page 54 Planning the project checklist......Page 55 Further reading......Page 57 3 ETHICS AND INTEGRITY IN RESEARCH......Page 59 Research contracts, codes of practice, protocols and the principle of informed consent......Page 60 Ethics committees......Page 62 Confidentiality and anonymity......Page 64 Safeguarding confidentiality and anonimity if disseminating information by computer......Page 65 Ethical research in practice, the problems of 'inside' research and personal coddes of practice......Page 68 Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership/property......Page 72 The ethical and integrity in research checklist......Page 74 Further reading......Page 76 Reading......Page 78 Note-taking and guarding against plagiarism......Page 79 Referencing......Page 82 Creating editing and storing references electronocally......Page 86 The management of information......Page 89 A lot of fuss about nothing?......Page 91 Reading note-taking, guarding against plagiarism, referencing and the management of information checklist......Page 93 Further reading......Page 95 5 LITERATURE SEARCHING......Page 97 Defining the parameters of your search (search limiters) and keywords......Page 98 Focusing, refining and grouping your keywords......Page 99 Passwords, usernames and working from home......Page 101 Libraries, librarian-and books......Page 102 Scanning books into digital format......Page 103 Journals......Page 106 Citing sources from the Internet......Page 107 Evaluating sources......Page 108 Copyright and licencing restrictions when downloading items from web pages......Page 110 The top ten guide to searching the Internet......Page 111 Further reading......Page 113 Appendix: Search engines and Internet Gateways......Page 114 6 THE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE......Page 118 The ‘critical review’ of the literature......Page 119 Theory and theoretical (or conceptual) frameworks......Page 120 The ‘critical review’ in practice......Page 122 Reviewing the reviews......Page 126 The review of the literature checklist......Page 127 Further reading......Page 129 Part II SELECTING METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION......Page 130 INTRODUCTION......Page 132 Constraints......Page 133 Reliability and validity......Page 134 Thinking about computer data analysis?......Page 135 Not thinking about computer data analysis?......Page 136 Further reading......Page 137 7 THE ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE......Page 139 Approaches to documents......Page 140 The location of documents......Page 141 The selection of documents......Page 146 The critical analysis of documents......Page 149 The analysis of documentary evidence checklist......Page 153 8 DESIGNING AND ADMINISTERING QUESTIONNAIRES......Page 155 Question types......Page 156 Question wording......Page 157 Appearance and layout......Page 163 Drawing a sample......Page 164 Piloting the questionnaire......Page 166 Respondents’ and your rights and responsibilities......Page 167 Non-response......Page 168 Designing and administering questionnaires checklist......Page 169 Further reading......Page 172 The ethics of conducting interviews......Page 175 Advantages and disadvantages of the interview......Page 176 The interview schedule......Page 177 Group interviews and focus groups......Page 180 Recording interviews......Page 182 Bias – the old enemy......Page 184 Remember!......Page 185 Planning and conducting interviews checklist......Page 187 Further reading......Page 190 10 DIARIES, LOGS AND CRITICAL INCIDENTS......Page 192 Representativeness......Page 193 The diary-interview method......Page 194 Piloting returns forms and instructions to participants......Page 195 The supply teachers’ diary and time log......Page 197 The general practitioners’ time log......Page 198 The heads of department critical incidents and problem-portfolio logs......Page 199 A final word of warning......Page 201 Diaries, logs and critical incidents checklist......Page 202 Further reading......Page 204 11 OBSERVATION......Page 206 Unstructured observation......Page 207 Participant observation......Page 208 Structured observation and keeping records......Page 210 Recording behaviour......Page 212 Content......Page 214 A few words of warning – again......Page 216 After the event......Page 217 Observation checklist......Page 218 Further reading......Page 219 Part III INTERPRETING THE EVIDENCE AND REPORTING THE FINDINGS......Page 222 INTRODUCTION......Page 224 12 INTERPRETING THE EVIDENCE AND REPORTING THE FINDINGS......Page 226 List questions......Page 227 Quantity and category questions......Page 229 Measures of central tendency......Page 230 Coding......Page 236 Grids......Page 239 Scales......Page 240 Conclusions......Page 248 Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings checklist......Page 249 Further reading......Page 250 Getting started......Page 253 The final writing task......Page 254 Structuring the report......Page 256 The need for revision......Page 263 Any possibility of plagiarism?......Page 265 Evaluating your own research......Page 266 Writing the report checklist......Page 267 Further reading......Page 270 REFERENCES......Page 273 INDEX......Page 286 Back cover......Page 293 Front cover 1 Half title 2 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 12 Intriduction 16 Part I PREPARING THE GROUND 18 1 APPROACHES TO RESEARCH 20 Action research and the role of practioner researchers 21 Case study 23 Critics of case study 24 Survey 26 The experimental style 27 Ethnography and the ethnographic style of research 29 The grounded theory approach 30 Narrative inquiry and stories 33 Which approach? 37 Further reading 37 2 PLANNING THE PROJECT 42 Selecting a topic 42 Getting started 43 The purpose of the study 45 Hypotheses, objectives and researchable questions 46 Working title and the project online 48 Timing 49 Supervision 50 Student-supervisor relationships 50 Codes of practice for supervision 51 Changes of supervisor 52 Keeping records of supervisory tutorials 53 The research experience 53 Writing as you go along and the research diary 54 Planning the project checklist 55 Further reading 57 3 ETHICS AND INTEGRITY IN RESEARCH 59 Research contracts, codes of practice, protocols and the principle of informed consent 60 Ethics committees 62 Confidentiality and anonymity 64 Safeguarding confidentiality and anonimity if disseminating information by computer 65 Ethical research in practice, the problems of 'inside' research and personal coddes of practice 68 Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership/property 72 The ethical and integrity in research checklist 74 Further reading 76 4 READING, REFERENCING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION 78 Reading 78 Note-taking and guarding against plagiarism 79 Referencing 82 Creating editing and storing references electronocally 86 The card index 89 The management of information 89 A lot of fuss about nothing? 91 Reading note-taking, guarding against plagiarism, referencing and the management of information checklist 93 Further reading 95 5 LITERATURE SEARCHING 97 Defining the parameters of your search (search limiters) and keywords 98 Focusing, refining and grouping your keywords 99 Passwords, usernames and working from home 101 Libraries, librarian-and books 102 Scanning books into digital format 103 Journals 106 Citing sources from the Internet 107 Evaluating sources 108 Copyright and licencing restrictions when downloading items from web pages 110 Time to move on 111 The top ten guide to searching the Internet 111 Further reading 113 Appendix: Search engines and Internet Gateways 114 6 THE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 118 The ‘critical review’ of the literature 119 Theory and theoretical (or conceptual) frameworks 120 The ‘critical review’ in practice 122 Reviewing the reviews 126 The review of the literature checklist 127 Further reading 129 Part II SELECTING METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 130 INTRODUCTION 132 Constraints 133 Reliability and validity 134 Thinking about computer data analysis? 135 Not thinking about computer data analysis? 136 A reminder 137 Further reading 137 7 THE ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE 139 The nature of documentary evidence 140 Approaches to documents 140 The location of documents 141 The selection of documents 146 The critical analysis of documents 149 The analysis of documentary evidence checklist 153 8 DESIGNING AND ADMINISTERING QUESTIONNAIRES 155 Exactly what do you need to .nd out? 156 Question types 156 Question wording 157 Appearance and layout 163 Drawing a sample 164 Piloting the questionnaire 166 Distribution and return of questionnaires 167 Respondents’ and your rights and responsibilities 167 Non-response 168 Analysis of data 169 Designing and administering questionnaires checklist 169 Further reading 172 9 PLANNING AND CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS 175 The ethics of conducting interviews 175 Advantages and disadvantages of the interview 176 Question wording 177 The interview schedule 177 Group interviews and focus groups 180 Recording interviews 182 Bias – the old enemy 184 Remember! 185 Planning and conducting interviews checklist 187 Further reading 190 10 DIARIES, LOGS AND CRITICAL INCIDENTS 192 Representativeness 193 The diary-interview method 194 Piloting returns forms and instructions to participants 195 The primary pupils’ food diary 197 The supply teachers’ diary and time log 197 The general practitioners’ time log 198 The asthma treatment diary 199 The heads of department critical incidents and problem-portfolio logs 199 The ethics of diary use 201 A final word of warning 201 Diaries, logs and critical incidents checklist 202 Further reading 204 11 OBSERVATION 206 Unstructured observation 207 Participant observation 208 Structured observation and keeping records 210 Recording behaviour 212 Content 214 A few words of warning – again 216 After the event 217 Observation checklist 218 Further reading 219 Part III INTERPRETING THE EVIDENCE AND REPORTING THE FINDINGS 222 INTRODUCTION 224 12 INTERPRETING THE EVIDENCE AND REPORTING THE FINDINGS 226 List questions 227 Quantity and category questions 229 Measures of central tendency 230 Coding 236 Grids 239 Scales 240 Verbal questions 248 Conclusions 248 Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings checklist 249 Further reading 250 13 WRITING THE REPORT 253 Getting started 253 The final writing task 254 Structuring the report 256 The need for revision 263 Any possibility of plagiarism? 265 Evaluating your own research 266 Writing the report checklist 267 Further reading 270 REFERENCES 273 INDEX 286 Back cover 293 The author assumes that the reader has no prior knowledge of research methodology or experience of carrying out research. She takes the reader step by step through each stage of preparing for, carrying out and writing up a research project