Doing Your Research Project

A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education and Social Science.
Third edition.

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 twenty-first century. However, the book's formula remains essentially the same because of its unmatched ability to deliver two key benefits:

- it will enable you to get through your first research projects successfully and without wasting lots of time in trial and error;
- in the process, it will help you to develop sound techniques and good practice which will serve you well in future research projects.

'Doing Your Research Project' assumes 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.

We all learn to do research by actually doing it, but a great deal of time can be wasted and goodwill dissipated by inadequate preparation. This book aims to provide you with the tools to do the job, to help you avoid pitfalls and time wasting false trails and to establish good research habits. It takes you from the stage of choosing a topic through to the production of a well planned, methodologically sound and well written report or dissertation on time.

The third edition contains new material on narrative inquiry, supervision, intellectual property, ethics, finding and searching information sources (including an extensive section on the use of electronic resources such as CD-ROMs and the Internet), and the production of literature reviews.

Suitable for beginning researchers in the social sciences and humanities including undergraduate and postgraduate students, and professionals such as teachers, nurses and social workers.