MTU Cork Library Catalogue

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Doing your research project : a guide for first-time researchers in education and social science / Judith Bell.

By: Bell, Judith, 1929-2015.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Berkshire : Open University Press, 2005Edition: 4th ed.Description: xv, 267 p. ; 22 cm. + pbk.ISBN: 0335215041.Subject(s): Education -- Research | Education -- Research -- Methodology | Social sciences -- Research | Social sciences -- Research -- Methodology | Independent studyDDC classification: 370.78
Contents:
Introduction -- Part I: Preparing the ground -- Approaches to research -- Planning the project -- Ethics and integrity in research -- Reading, referencing and the management of information -- Literature searching -- The review of the literature -- Part II: Selecting methods of data collection -- Introduction -- The analysis of documentary evidence / Brendan Duffy -- Designing and administering questionnaires -- Planning and conducting interviews -- Diaries logs and critical incidents -- Observation studies -- Part III: Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings -- Introduction -- Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings -- Writing the report.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
General Lending MTU Bishopstown Library Store Item 370.78 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00169328
General Lending MTU Bishopstown Library Store Item 370.78 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00112483
General Lending MTU Bishopstown Library Lending 370.78 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00089998
General Lending MTU Cork School of Music Library Lending 370.78 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00148491
General Lending MTU National Maritime College of Ireland Library Lending 370.78 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00131352
General Lending MTU National Maritime College of Ireland Library Lending 370.78 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00115217
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An invaluable tool for anyonecarrying out a research project

We all learn to do research by actually doing it,but a great deal of time and effort can be wastedand goodwill dissipated by inadequate preparation.This book provides beginner researcherswith the tools to do the job, to help them avoidsome of the pitfalls and time-wasting false trails,and to establish good research habits. It takesresearchers from the stage of choosing a topicthrough to the production of a well-planned,methodologically sound, and well-written finalreport or thesis on time. It is written in plainEnglish and makes no assumptions about previousknowledge.

This new edition of Doing Your ResearchProject includes:

Coverage of latest techniques such asgrounded theory A new chapter on ethics Increased examples from health studies New referencing, library searching, andliterature review chapters Completely updated references throughout

This book serves as a guide to good practice forbeginner researchers in any discipline embarkingon undergraduate or postgraduate study, andfor professionals in such fields as social science,education, and health.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-260) and index.

Introduction -- Part I: Preparing the ground -- Approaches to research -- Planning the project -- Ethics and integrity in research -- Reading, referencing and the management of information -- Literature searching -- The review of the literature -- Part II: Selecting methods of data collection -- Introduction -- The analysis of documentary evidence / Brendan Duffy -- Designing and administering questionnaires -- Planning and conducting interviews -- Diaries logs and critical incidents -- Observation studies -- Part III: Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings -- Introduction -- Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings -- Writing the report.

CIT Module EDUC 8004 - Core reading.

CIT Module SPRT 7008 - Supplementary reading.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Preface to the fourth edition (p. xi)
  • Acknowledgements (p. xiii)
  • Introduction (p. 1)
  • Part I Preparing the ground (p. 5)
  • 1 Approaches to research (p. 7)
  • Action research and the role of practitioner researchers (p. 8)
  • Case study (p. 10)
  • Survey (p. 13)
  • The experimental style (p. 14)
  • Ethnography and the ethnographic style of research (p. 16)
  • The grounded theory approach (p. 18)
  • Narrative inquiry and stories (p. 21)
  • Which approach? (p. 24)
  • Further reading (p. 24)
  • 2 Planning the project (p. 28)
  • Selecting a topic (p. 28)
  • Getting started (p. 29)
  • Hypotheses, objectives and researchable questions (p. 32)
  • Working title and the project outline (p. 34)
  • Timing (p. 35)
  • Supervision (p. 36)
  • Student-supervisor relationships (p. 36)
  • Codes of practice for supervision (p. 38)
  • Change of supervisor (p. 38)
  • Keeping records of supervisory tutorials (p. 39)
  • The research experience (p. 39)
  • Planning the project checklist (p. 40)
  • Further reading (p. 42)
  • 3 Ethics and integrity in research (p. 43)
  • Research contracts, codes of practice, protocols and the principle of informed consent (p. 44)
  • Ethics committees (p. 46)
  • Confidentiality and anonymity (p. 48)
  • Ethical research in practice and the problems of 'inside' research (p. 50)
  • Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership/property (p. 55)
  • The ethics and integrity in research checklist (p. 57)
  • Further reading (p. 58)
  • 4 Reading, referencing and the management of information (p. 61)
  • Reading (p. 61)
  • Note-taking and guarding against plagiarism (p. 62)
  • Referencing (p. 65)
  • Creating, editing and storing references electronically (p. 68)
  • The management of information (p. 72)
  • A lot of fuss about nothing? (p. 74)
  • Reading, referencing and the management of information checklist (p. 75)
  • Further reading (p. 77)
  • 5 Literature searching (p. 79)
  • The library search (p. 79)
  • Computer literature searching (p. 82)
  • Devising a search strategy (p. 85)
  • The critical examination of evidence (p. 89)
  • To conclude (p. 90)
  • Top ten guide to searching the Internet (p. 90)
  • Electronic sources of information (p. 92)
  • Databases, books, journal articles (and a few other resources) (p. 94)
  • Libraries (p. 95)
  • Citations and references (p. 96)
  • Health and ethics (p. 97)
  • 6 The review of the literature (p. 99)
  • The 'critical review' of the literature (p. 100)
  • Theory and theoretical (or conceptual) frameworks (p. 101)
  • The 'critical review' in practice (p. 103)
  • Reviewing the reviews (p. 109)
  • Remember! (p. 110)
  • The review of the literature checklist (p. 110)
  • Further reading (p. 112)
  • Part II Selecting methods of data collection (p. 113)
  • Introduction (p. 115)
  • Constraints (p. 116)
  • Reliability and validity (p. 117)
  • Thinking about computer data analysis? (p. 118)
  • Not thinking about computer data analysis? (p. 119)
  • A reminder (p. 120)
  • Further reading (p. 120)
  • 7 The analysis of documentary evidence (p. 122)
  • Approaches to documents (p. 123)
  • The location of documents (p. 123)
  • The nature of documentary evidence (p. 125)
  • The selection of documents (p. 128)
  • Content analysis (p. 128)
  • The critical analysis of documents (p. 129)
  • Fact or bias? (p. 132)
  • The analysis of documentary evidence checklist (p. 133)
  • 8 Designing and administering questionnaires (p. 136)
  • Exactly what do you need to find out? (p. 137)
  • Question type (p. 137)
  • Question wording (p. 138)
  • Appearance and layout (p. 144)
  • Drawing a sample (p. 145)
  • Piloting the questionnaire (p. 147)
  • Distribution and return of questionnaires (p. 148)
  • Non-response (p. 149)
  • Analysis of data (p. 150)
  • Designing and administering questionnaires checklist (p. 150)
  • Further reading (p. 153)
  • 9 Planning and conducting interviews (p. 156)
  • The ethics of conducting interviews (p. 156)
  • Advantages and disadvantages of the interview (p. 157)
  • Question wording (p. 158)
  • The interview schedule (p. 159)
  • Group interviews and focus groups (p. 162)
  • Tape-recording interviews (p. 164)
  • Bias - the old enemy (p. 166)
  • Remember! (p. 167)
  • Planning and conducting interviews checklist (p. 169)
  • Further reading (p. 171)
  • 10 Diaries Logs and Critical Incidents (p. 173)
  • The diary-interview method (p. 174)
  • Variations in diary use and design (p. 175)
  • Personal research diaries (p. 180)
  • The ethics of diary use (p. 181)
  • Diaries, logs and critical incidents checklist (p. 181)
  • Further reading (p. 183)
  • 11 Observation Studies (p. 184)
  • Unstructured observation (p. 185)
  • Participant observation (p. 186)
  • Structured observation and keeping records (p. 188)
  • Recording behaviour (p. 189)
  • Content (p. 191)
  • A few words of warning - again (p. 194)
  • After the event (p. 195)
  • Observational studies checklist (p. 195)
  • Further reading (p. 197)
  • Part III Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings (p. 199)
  • Introduction (p. 201)
  • 12 Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings (p. 203)
  • List questions (p. 204)
  • Quantity and category questions (p. 207)
  • Grids (p. 217)
  • Scales (p. 218)
  • Verbal questions (p. 225)
  • Conclusions (p. 226)
  • Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings checklist (p. 227)
  • Further reading (p. 228)
  • 13 Writing the report (p. 231)
  • Getting started (p. 231)
  • Structuring the report (p. 234)
  • The need for revision (p. 241)
  • Any possibility of plagiarism? (p. 243)
  • Evaluating your own research (p. 244)
  • Writing the report checklist (p. 245)
  • Further reading (p. 247)
  • Postscript (p. 249)
  • References (p. 251)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Judith Bell holds the post of special professor inthe School of Continuing Education at the Universityof Nottingham, United Kingdom.

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