eBook downloads, eBook resources & eBook authors
Doing your Research Project is the market leading book for students across the social sciences conducting small scale research projects.
*Interested in purchasing Doing Your Research Project as a SmartBook? Visit https://connect2.mheducation.com/join/?c=bellwaters7e to register for access today* Step-by-step advice on completing an outstanding research project. This is the market-leading book for anyone conducting a research project, whether for the first time or as an experienced researcher honing their skills. Clear, concise and readable, this bestselling resource provides a practical, step-by-step guide from initial concept to completion of your research report. Thoroughly updated but retaining its well-loved style, this seventh edition provides: • A brand new first chapter outlining what it means to carry out research, the responsibilities of the researcher, the research journey, and the 'intentional' and 'unintentional' roles of a researcher. • An extensive update to chapter nine on using social media in research, to include ethical considerations and how the researcher can use and reference information collected via these platforms and create collaborative connections. • An online review of the latest tools for collecting and analysing both quantitative and qualitative data gathered from social media sites, such as Survey Monkey and Google Forms. • Further coverage on how to protect research participants, including advice from the NHS on how to conduct research in health-based settings. • More detailed coverage of how to conduct effective online literature searches, not only using Google but also other research-based search engines such as PubMed and professionally-focussed sites. • To support your learning, questions at the end of each chapter, which prompt you to reflect on your research journey. This practical, no-nonsense guide is vital reading for all those embarking on undergraduate or postgraduate study, irrespective of discipline, and for professionals in such fields as social science, education and health. 'The latest edition provides extensive coverage of all that a research student might need to know. The expanse of the topics covered enables this book to be indispensable to a great range of students, not only at different levels of study but also in a variety of disciplines. Bell and Waters present an honest and practical look at a daunting academic undertaking and provide the student with a resource that is currently has no parallel. This new edition brings the text up to date with a look at some of the more creative approaches the research project might take and challenges students to think before making research decisions.' Dr Susan Schutz PhD, MSc, RNT, RGN, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, UK
The ultimate companion to successfully completing your research project, the author guides you through a step-by-step approach to research and provides all of the skills and momentum you need to excel. Each stage of a project is clearly set out with best practice highlighted alongside pragmatic advice for tackling research in the real world. The Third Edition uses multidisciplinary case studies, and examples from the author’s own experience, to answer your questions and support your progress as you move smoothly through each stage. With a new chapter on mixed methods approaches, more on disseminating research, more on the practical and legal implications of ethics and more international examples, the book is packed full of learning features and tools to support your journey, including: A fully-developed website with podcasts, videos, journal articles and examples of real projects Activities and worksheets to help you organize your time Learning objectives to sustain your momentum Top tips relating to key research skills Full glossary to test understanding and provide definitions Annotated further reading to help you move through the literature ‘Excuse me, I have a question!’ feature to answer common questions. Warm, innovative and clever, this book is packed full of must-have information for anyone doing a research project.
Are you doing a research project? Do you need advice on how to carry out research? Does writer's block get in the way of your dissertation? Nearly all students need to do a research project at some point during their degree. How to do your Research Project guides you through the different phases of doing so. With practical examples, Thomas explains what should happen at each project phase, detailing the main design frames and methods used in social science research, and providing down to earth and practical advice on weaving these elements together into a coherent whole.
This bestselling guide to undertaking your Early Years research project takes the reader on a practical step-by-step journey. Breaking down each section into accessible and digestible topics, and accompanied by a multitude of practical examples, case studies, research summaries and key points, the author brings this process to life. The updated and revised fourth edition includes: Useful additional resources at the end of each chapter Extended material on the child’s voice within research Signposted glossary terms throughout the text Updated website materials for further study From learning how to structure and organise your project, through to the final presentation and written report of your findings, this is the essential guide and companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students throughout their early childhood and social science courses. Guy Roberts-Holmes will be discussing key ideas in Doing Your Early Years Research Project, a SAGE Masterclass for early years students and practitioners in collaboration with Kathy Brodie.
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.
Direct, informative and accessible the new edition of Gary Thomas's bestselling title is essential reading for anyone doing a research project. Packed full of relevant advice and real world examples the book guides you through the complete research process. Using refreshingly jargon-free language and anecdotal evidence it is a witty, easy to follow introduction that will answer your questions, set out best practice and walk you through every stage of your project step-by-step. It covers: - How to choose your research question - Project management and study skills - Doing an effective literature review - Methodology, theory and research design - Design frames - Ethics and access - Tools for data collection - Effective data analysis - Discussing findings, concluding and writing up The expanded, insightfully redesigned second edition has a fully integrated companion website including student worksheets, annotated examples and links to SAGE Journals. Gary Thomas also has an exciting new video in which he explains what’s new to this Second Edition. This popular book is ideal for anyone undertaking a research project in the applied social sciences.
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.
'Mike Lambert's book is a useful source of information, helping to create and shape your research methods project. The book contains detailed chapters with easy to follow guidelines, tips and suggestions ensuring help at every step of the way from start to finish' Alexander Miesen, student, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences In this basic guide, step-by-step advice is presented in a clear way and chapters take the reader through the entire process, from planning and doing research, to writing it up. Each stage is covered, with detailed help on choosing a topic, drawing up research questions, doing the literature review, choosing and designing research methods, the ethics of doing research, analyzing data, and collating and presenting findings. Features in the text include: - explanations of key research terms - activities (with answers) - progress sheets - case studies Online resources to accompany the book are available at www.methodspace.com/groups/mikelambert This is an ideal text for undergraduate students undertaking their first ever research project, postgraduates pursuing Masters awards and teachers carrying out action research.
Lecturers, why waste time waiting for the post to arrive? Click on the above icon and receive your e-inspection copy today! ′Whether embarking on research as an undergraduate or for a doctorate, Gary Thomas′ book will be of great value to you. It is refreshingly different from other books about doing research: it′s informative, well-written, wide-ranging yet sufficiently detailed and above all it′s enjoyable to read! I recommend it highly′. Professor Peter Earley, Institute of Education, University of London Are you doing a research project? Do you need advice on how to carry out research? Using practical examples, this book takes you through what should happen at each phase in the project′s schedule. Gary Thomas explains the main design frames and methods of data collection and analysis used in education and social science research, and provides down to earth advice on how to weave these elements together into a coherent whole. Structured according to the main phases of doing a project, the book covers · deciding your topic and your research question · project management and study skills · doing a literature review · methodology and research design · design frames · ethics and access · how to analyse the information you gather · discussing findings, theorising, concluding and writing up This book is an essential read for undergraduate, postgraduate, CPD and doctoral students undertaking a project in the applied social sciences. Comments from tutors: ′I loved this book! It brought research methods alive′: Gill Richards ,Nottingham Trent University ′Unputdownable′: Joy Jarvis ,University of Hertfordshire ′Accessible and encouraging style′: Neil Stott ,Nottingham Trent University Comments from students: ′Brilliant′: Alison Patterson ′Love the visual models′: Susan Allan ′Filled me with optimism′: Anne Cowan ′Very entertaining as well as extremely useful′: Viv Brown Gary Thomas is Professor of Education at the University of Birmingham.
