How to Research

Dr Loraine Blaxter is a Lecturer in Continuing Education at the University of Warwick Dr Christina Hughes is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Warwick Professor Malcolm Tight works in the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Warwick

List of exercises

viii

List of boxes

x

Acknowledgements

xiv

Thinking about research

1

(20)

Introduction

1

(1)

What is research?

2

(8)

Why research?

10

(3)

What is original?

13

(1)

Truth, power and values

14

(3)

How to use this book

17

(2)

Summary

19

(1)

Further reading

19

(2)

Getting started

21

(32)

Introduction

21

(1)

Choosing a topic

22

(8)

What to do if you can't think of a topic

30

(4)

Focusing

34

(8)

Finding and choosing your supervisor

42

(2)

Individual and group research

44

(4)

Keeping your research diary

48

(1)

Summary

49

(3)

Further reading

52

(1)

Thinking about methods

53

(39)

Introduction

53

(1)

Everyday research skills

54

(4)

Families, approaches and techniques

58

(5)

Action research

63

(3)

Case studies

66

(2)

Experiments

68

(2)

Surveys

70

(1)

Which methods suit?

71

(6)

Deciding about methods

77

(2)

Sampling and selection

79

(1)

Summary

80

(2)

Further reading

82

(10)

Reading for research

92

(25)

Introduction

92

(1)

Why read?

93

(1)

Coping with the research literature

94

(1)

Basic reading strategies

95

(4)

Using libraries

99

(3)

Good enough reading

102

(4)

Reading about method as well as subject

106

(2)

Recording your reading

108

(1)

The literature review

109

(2)

Issues in reading

111

(5)

Summary

116

(1)

Further reading

116

(1)

Managing your project

117

(24)

Introduction

117

(1)

Managing time

118

(2)

Mapping your project

120

(1)

Piloting

121

(3)

Dealing with key figures and institutions

124

(4)

Sharing responsibility

128

(4)

Using wordprocessors and computers

132

(3)

Managing not to get demoralized when things do not go as planned

135

(2)

Summary

137

(1)

Further reading

138

(3)

Collecting data

141

(32)

Introduction

141

(1)

Access and ethical issues

142

(6)

Applying techniques to data collection

148

(2)

Documents

150

(2)

Interviews

152

(4)

Observations

156

(4)

Questionnaires

160

(1)

Recording your progress

161

(5)

The ups and downs of data collections

166

(3)

Summary

169

(1)

Further reading

169

(4)

Analysing data

173

(34)

Introduction

173

(1)

The shape of your data

174

(2)

The nature of data

176

(7)

Managing your data

183

(2)

The process of analysis

185

(1)

Analysing documents

186

(1)

Analysing interviews

187

(4)

Analysing observations

191

(2)

Analysing questionnaries

193

(4)

Interpretation

197

(3)

Summary

200

(1)

Further reading

201

(6)

Writing up

207

(25)

Introduction

207

(1)

Drafting and readrafting

208

(5)

How to argue

213

(3)

How to criticize

216

(4)

Who am I writing for?

220

(6)

Grammar, punctuation and spelling

226

(1)

Using tables, diagrams and other illustrations

226

(1)

Panics

227

(3)

Summary

230

(1)

Further reading

231

(1)

Finishing off

232

(23)

Introduction

232

(1)

Planning to finish?

233

(1)

The penultimate and final drafts

234

(3)

Added extras

237

(3)

The process of assessment

240

(6)

What do I do now?

246

(3)

Summary

249

(1)

Further reading

249

(6)

References

255

(6)

Index

261

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