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Summary:

"This practical, down-to-earth guide is for researchers, students, community groups, charities or employees - in fact anyone who needs to put together research projects quickly and effectively. It contains everything from developing your idea into a proposal, through to analysing data and reporting results"-- [Provided by publisher]

Table of Contents:

• 1 How to Define Your Project 1
• Asking questions 1
• Thinking about your project 4
• Understanding the five 'Ws' 5
• Summarising your research 8
• Summary 13
• Useful websites 13
• 2 How to Decide Upon a Methodology 14
• Recognising qualitative and quantitative research 14
• Understanding the methodological debate 15
• Choosing a methodology 16
• Summary 23
• Further reading 23
• 3 How to Choose Your Research Methods 27
• Using interviews 27
• Conducting focus groups 29
• Using questionnaires 30
• Undertaking participant observation 32
• Choosing your methods 33
• Summary 37

• Further reading 38
• 4 How to Conduct Background Research 40
• Conducting primary and secondary research 40
• Using websites 42
• Using interlibrary loans 44
• Keeping records 44
• Summary 46
• Further reading 47
• 5 How to Choose Your Participants 48
• Understanding sampling techniques 48
• Choosing your sample size 54
• Summary 55
• Further reading 56
• 6 How to Prepare a Research Proposal 57
• Understanding the format 57
• The contents of a proposal 58
• What makes a good proposal? 63
• Reasons why research proposals fail 64
• Summary 65
• Further reading 65
• 7 How to Conduct Interviews 66
• Methods of recording 66
• Developing an interview schedule 70
• Establishing rapport 73
• Asking questions and probing for information 74
• Completing the interview 76
• Summary 77
• Further reading 78
• 8 How to Conduct Focus Groups 79
• The role of the moderator 79
• Recording equipment 81
• Choosing a venue 84
• Recruiting your participants 85
• Summary 87
• Further reading 88
• 9 How to Construct Questionnaires 89
• Deciding which questionnaire to use 89
• Wording and structure of questions 91
• Length and ordering of questions 96
• Piloting the questionnaire 98
• Obtaining a high response 100
• Summary 102
• Further reading 103
• 10 How to Carry Out Participant Observation 105
• Places of study 105
• Gaining access 106
• Acting ethically 107
• Collecting and analysing information 109
• Withdrawing from the field 111
• Summary 112
• Further reading 113
• 11 How to Analyse Your Data 114
• Deciding which approach to use 114
• Analysing qualitative data 115
• Analysing quantitative data 125
• Measuring data 130
• Summary 132
• Further reading 133
• 12 How to Report Your Findings 134
• Writing reports 134
• Structuring reports 137
• Writing journal articles 143
• Producing oral presentations 146
• Summary 146
• Further reading 148
• 13 How to be an Ethical Researcher 149
• Treating participants with respect 149
• Recognising overt and covert research 150
• Producing a code of ethics 153
• Summary 157
• Further reading 158.

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Author/Creator:

Dawson, Catherine , author

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Introduction to research methods: a practical guide for anyone undertaking a research project [by Dawson, C.]

Related Works:

Practical guide to research methods [by Dawson, C.]

Related Series:

How to books (Oxford, England)

Subjects:

Research — Methodology

Research

General Notes:

Previous edition: published as A practical guide to research methods. 2007.
Includes bibliographical references and index.

Physical Description:

x, 166 pages ; 24 cm.

Call Numbers:

Q180.55.M4 D36 2009

ISBNs:

9781845283674 (pbk.)
1845283678 (pbk.)

OCLC Numbers:

312626654