The essential guide to doing your research project /
Zina O'Leary.
- [2nd ed.]
- Los Angeles : Sage, c2010.
- x, 308 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
1st published 2004 as: Essential guide to doing research.
Includes bibliographical references (p.[ 297]-304) and index.
PART ONE: TAKING THE LEAP INTO THE RESEARCH WORLD
The challenge of tackling a research project
So what is this thing called research and why do it? The need for research knowledge The potential of research knowledge
Delving into the 'construct' of research Ontology and epistemology Competing positions The position of the reflexive researcher
Getting help along the way The structure of the book How to get the most out of the book
PART TWO: GETTING STARTED
On your mark, get set, go!
Navigating the process Understanding your programme Getting set up Getting the right advice Managing the workload
Staying on course Finding a balance Dealing with 'crisis'
PART THREE: STRIVING FOR INTEGRITY IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Power, politics, ethics and research integrity Understanding the power game
Credibility: Integrity in the production of knowledge Working with appropriate indicators Managing subjectivities Capturing 'truth' Approaching methods with consistency Making relevant and appropriate arguments Providing accurate and verifiable research accounts
Ethics: Integrity and the 'researched' Legal obligations Moral obligations Ethical obligations Ethics approval processes
Integrity indicators and checklist
PART FOUR: DEVELOPING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION
The importance of good questions
Defining your topic Curiosity and creativity Looking for inspiration Practicalities
From interesting topics to researchable questions Narrowing in The need to redefine
The hypothesis dilemma Hypothesis defined Appropriateness
Characteristics of good questions
PART FIVE: CRAFTING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The role of the proposal Demonstrating merits of the research question Demonstrating merits of the proposed methods Demonstrating merits of the researcher
Elements of the proposal
Writing a winning proposal Following guidelines Writing purposively Drafting and redrafting
Obstacles and challenges When your design doesn't fit proposal requirements When your design is emergent When want to or need to change direction/method
PART SIX: WORKING WITH LITERATURE
The importance of literature
The role of literature
Sourcing relevant literature Types of literature Calling on 'experts' Honing your search skills
Managing the literature Assessing relevance Being systematic Annotating references
Writing a the formal 'literature review' Purpose Coverage The writing process
PART SEVEN: DESIGNING A RESEARCH PLAN
Methodology, methods and tools The relationship between methodology and methods
Moving from questions to answers Finding a path Hitting the target
Getting down to the nitty gritty Fundamental questions Emergent methodological design
PART EIGHT: UNDERSTANDING METHODOLOGIES: QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE AND 'MIXED' APPROACHES
Understanding the quantitative/ qualitative divide
The quantitative tradition Scientific/ hypothetico-deductive methods Experimental design Exploring a population
The qualitative tradition Credibility in qualitative studies Ethnography Phenomenology Ethnomethodology Understanding feminist approaches
Mixed methodology Arguments for mixed methodology Perspectives and strategies Challenges and obstacles
PART NINE: UNDERSTANDING METHODOLOGIES: EVALUATIVE, ACTION-ORIENTED AND EMANCIPATORY STRATEGIES
Research that attempts to drive change
Evaluation research Summative/outcome evaluation Formative/process evaluation The politics of evaluative research Negotiating real-world challenges of evaluative research
Action research The scope of action research Key elements of action research Challenges associated with action research
Emancipatory research Participatory action research Critical ethnography Issues in emancipatory research
PART TEN: SEEKING 'RESPONDENTS'
Who holds the answer?
Samples: Selecting elements of a population Opportunities in working with a 'sample' Sample selection Random samples Non-random samples
Key informants: Working with experts and insiders Opportunities in working with key informants Informant selection
Cases: Delving into detail Opportunities in working with cases Case selection
PART ELEVEN: DIRECT DATA COLLECTION - SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS
The challenge of getting data directly from the source
Surveying Options and possibilities Issues and complexities The survey process The survey instrument
Interviewing Options and possibilities Issues and complexities The interview process Conducting your interview
PART TWELVE: INDIRECT DATA COLLECTION: WORKING WITH OBSERVATIONS AND EXISTING TEXT
The challenge of gathering indirect data
Observation Options and possibilities Issues and complexities The observation process Receiving, reflecting, recording, authenticating
Working with existing 'text' Options and possibilities Issues and complexities The process of textual analysis Delving into documents, history, artefacts, and secondary data
PART THIRTEEN: ANALYSING QUANTITATIVE DATA
Moving from raw data to significant findings Keeping a sense of the overall project Doing statistical analysis
Managing data and defining variables Data management Understanding variables - cause and effect Understanding variables - measurements scales
Descriptive statistics Measuring central tendency Measuring dispersion Measuring the shape of the data
Inferential statistics Questions suitable to inferential statistics Statistical significance Understanding and selecting the right statistical test
Presenting quantitative data
PART FOURTEEN: ANALYZING QUALITATIVE DATA
The promise of qualitative analysis Keeping the bigger picture in focus From raw data to significant findings QDA software
The logic of QDA Balancing creativity and focus Moving between inductive and deductive reasoning
The methods of QDA Identifying biases/ noting impressions Reducing and coding into themes Looking for patterns and interconnections Mapping and building themes Developing theory Drawing conclusions
Specific QDA strategies
Presenting quantitative data
PART FIFTEEN: THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING UP
The writing challenge
Research as communication Knowing and engaging your audience Finding an appropriate structure and style
The writing process Writing as analysis Constructing your 'story' Developing each section/ chapter From first to final draft
The need for exposure Attending conferences Giving presentations Writing and submitting articles
The final word
This is a comprehensive, practical and engaging guide to understanding and embarking upon social science research. By adopting a clear and accessible approach, the text encourages students to think about, and engage with, every aspect of the research process.