DOING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT

Since it was first published in the late 1980s, "Doing Your Research Project" has become something of a "bible" for first-time researchers in social science. This third edition reflects advances in technology and methodology and positions the book to support researchers in the 21st century. However, the book's formula remains essentially the same because of its unmatched ability to deliver two key benefits: it enables students to get through their first research projects successfully and without wasting lots of time in trial and error; and in the process, it helps students to develop sound techniques and good practice which will serve them well in future research projects. "Doing Your Research Projects" assumes that the reader has no prior knowledge of research methodology or experience of carrying out research. Written in lucid, plain English, it takes the reader step by step through each stage of preparing for, carrying out and writing up a research project. Judith Bell speaks directly to the beginner student, frequently introducing examples from her own experience of, for example, supervision, the problems of getting access to data, and so on. There are regular checklists of good practice and warnings about pitfalls to be avoided. It serves as a guide to practice for beginner researchers who are embarking on undergraduate or postgraduate study and professionals such as teachers, nurses and social workers who are involved in the preparation and production of research projects. The third edition contains new material on narrative inquiry, supervision, intellectual property, ethics, finding and searching information sources (including an extensive section on use of electronic resources such as CD ROMs and the Internet), and the production of literature reviews.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Preparing the ground: approaches to educational research; planning the project; negotiating access, ethics and the problems of "inside" research; keeping records, making notes and locating libraries; finding and searching information sources; the literature review. Part 2 Selecting methods of data collection: introduction; the analysis of documentary evidence; designing and administering questionnaires; planning and conducting interviews; diaries; observation studies. Part 3 Interpreting the evidence and reporting the findings: introduction; interpretation and presentation of the evidence; writing the report; postscript.