Blaxter L., Hughes C., Tight M. How to Research

3rd ed. — Berkshire; Open University Press, 2006. — 287 p.Writing research proposals; Making presentations; Researching in your own workplace; Data collection software and time management; Case studies of small scale research projects. It is written in an original, accessible and jargon-free style using a variety of different forms of presentation to support the researcher. It is written for all those who are required to complete a research project as part of their studies and is invaluable for those conducting research in the workplace.List of boxes
All at sea but learning to swimThe first time researcher
Getting a flavour of possibilities
Why am I doing this research?
Will I have anything new to say?
In whose interests is this research?
At last, writing up
How to use this book
What's different about this edition?Exercises
Further reading
Getting startedChoosing a topic
What to do if you can't think of a topic
Focusing
Finding and choosing your supervisor
Individual and group research
Researching in your workplace
Keeping your research diaryExercises
Further reading
Thinking about methodsEveryday research skills
Which method is best?
Families, approaches and techniques
Action research
Case studies
Experiments
Surveys
Which methods suit?
Deciding about methodsExercises
Further reading
Reading for researchWhy read?
Coping with the research literature
Basic reading strategies
Using libraries
Using the Internet
Good enough reading
Reading about method as well as subject
Recording your reading
The literature review
Issues in readingExercises
Further reading
Managing your projectManaging time
Mapping your project
Piloting
Dealing with key figures and institutions
Sharing responsibility
Using computers
Managing not to get demoralized when things do not go as plannedExercises
Further reading
Collecting dataAccess and ethical issues
Sampling and selection
Appiying techniques for collecting data
Documents
Interviews
Observations
Questionnaires
Recording your progress
Theupsand downs of data collectionExercises
Further reading
Analysing dataThe shape of your data
The nature of data
Managing your data
Computer-based data management and analysis
The process of analysis
Analysing documents
Analysing interviews
Analysing observations
Analysing questionnaires
InterpretationExercises
Further reading
Writing upDrafting and re-drafting
How to argue
How to criticize
Who am I writing for?
Grammar, referencing and plagiarism
Using tables, diagrams and other illustrations
PanicsExercises
Further reading
Finishing offPlanning to finish?
The penultimate and final drafts
Added extras
The process of assessment
What do I do now?Exercise
Further reading
References
Index