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Guide: Academic Skills: Research Process

Welcome

Welcome to the 'Research Process' Guide.

Introduction

You will find information here relating to the research process, and some useful hints/ tips on how to undertake research projects during your studies.

Step 1: Planning?

Good 'time management' and 'planning skills' are key when undertaking any form of research.  You need to be clear about:

  • Project Specifications (Word limit? | Deadline date? | Preferred presentation style of your final report?)
  • Project Management (What do you need to do? | How long will it take? | What is your research methodology? | Are there any restrictions/ obstacles you may encounter during the research?)
  • Supervisor (Remember to check-in with your supervisor, to ensure that you are 'on track').

Step 2: Choose Your Subject?

Choosing the topic/ subject that you wish to research, is undoubtedly the most important part of the research management process.

It is important to build on existing knowledge.  What has been researched previously? How can you advance that research; and conduct sound, ethical research within the time-frame specified?

Step 3: Literature Review?

A good literature review is an essential element of a research project.  In many cases it sets the stage, for the quality of your research that is to follow.  Carrying out a competent literature review not only sets your research within context, but will also heighten your awareness of possible limitations; and provide further insights from the published work of others in your field.

Ask yourself - how extensive/ current/ relevant is your literature review? Have you consulted all of the most relevant research published in your field? Are there any glaring omissions?

Have you evaluated/ critically assessed the information that you have collected; in relation to your own research?

"Research is greatly strengthened by placing your new information in the context of what is already known about the issue" (Blaxter et al., 2010, p. 122).

Step 4: Methodology?

The methodology that you chose for your research, will depend on a number of factors:

(1) Problem to be investigated

(2) Purpose of the study

(3) Theory basis

(4) Nature of the data                                                

There are fundamentally two main research methodologies at your disposal - Quantitative and Qualitative.  They can also be used together in a 'hybrid approach'.

Step 5: Data Collection?

The data that you collect for your research may be numerical (quantitative), or written responses (qualitative).  You may also choose to undertake a combination of the two.  The four main data collection sources are:

(A) Documents

(B) Interviews

(C) Observation

(D) Questionnaires                            

Step 6: Data Analysis?

Analysis of your data can be done in a number of ways. Your aim should be to scrutinize the data from as many different angles as you can, and choose the most appropriate way of presenting your findings.

  • Analyse your data (What does it tell you? Is this what you expected?)
  • Compare your findings (How do your findings compare with those in the research literature?)
  • Limitations (What questions are you not able to answer because of the way you designed your research? | Could the design be improved?)
  • Further Research (What questions are raised by your research?)

Step 7: Write Up Your Findings

This section provides general guidelines for the structure of research project reports.  Please refer to your department guidelines for recommendations specific to your discipline.

Section: Description:
Title Page
This should feature the 'title' of your research project, accompanied by your name, course title, and date (all centre formatted).
Abstract A summary of the research project (approx. 300 words) covering the main aims and conclusions.
Acknowledgements Acknowledge any help you received during the research process (e.g. supervisor/ librarian/ family/ friends etc. as appropriate).
Table of Contents List chapters & sections, along with the corresponding page numbers that they each begin on.
Introduction Aims, objectives & hypothesis should be set out here, along with some background and context to the project.
Literature Review You should be selective here, and include references to the main writers and research within the field; to show how your own research relates to what has gone before.
Research Methodology Outline 'how' you conducted your research & the methods you employed. Discuss the different forms of data that you gathered & how you analysed them. Acknowledge any 'limitations' of the research.
Results & Discussion Set out your results in a structured format. Interpret and discuss your results in relation to theories within the appropriate field, along with your original project aims/ hypothesis.
Conclusions & Recommendations Summarise your main points & assess whether the aims of the study have been met. Consider questions that have arisen through the research, and make recommendations for further investigation. Conclusions should be positive & constructive.
References List all the authors cited within your report in alphabetical order using the Harvard System.
Appendices Present additional source material referred to within the context of your project report (e.g. questionnaire forms, data, tables, graphs etc.).

 

Research Project?

During your studies, you will be expected to complete a number of written assignments e.g. case studies/ research projects.

For the purposes of a research project, you will be required to research a subject/ topic, and then present your findings.  Research projects/ assignments can be set at any point during your course of study; and management of the research process is the responsibility of each individual student.

Research Process

Literature Review Questions?

Source: (Hart, 1998;  as cited in Blaxter et al., 2010, p.123)

Definitions

epistemology (noun): the philosophical theory of knowledge. epistemological (adjective).

ontology (noun): philos the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature and essence of things or of existence. ontologic or ontological (adjective).

(Chambers Dictionary, 2017)

Research Methodology?

Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

* Naturalistic designs

* Descriptive

* Inductive analysis (generate hypothesis)

* Observations/ interviews

* The researcher is the instrument

* Trustworthiness depends on the researcher's skill and competence

* Depth (collection of intensive data)

* Small samples (purposive sampling)

* Discovering/ exploring concepts

* Extrapolations

* Experimental designs

* Explanatory

* Deductive analysis (test hypotheses)

* Standardized methods

* Validity depends on careful instrument construction

* Breadth (limited set of variables measured)

* Large samples (random sampling)

* Testing/ verifying theories and concepts

* Generalizations

 

References:

Sources consulted in the creation of this guide include:

Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. & Tight, M. (2010) How to research. 4th edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Chambers Dictionary (2017) The Chambers dictionary. Available at: http://chambers.co.uk/book/the-chambers-dictionary/ (Accessed: 22 August 2017).

Roberts, C.M. (2010) The dissertation journey: a practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452219219.n12 (Accessed: 22 August 2017).

Skills4StudyCampus (2017) Projects, dissertations and reports. Available at: http://www.skills4studycampus.com/orglogin.aspx (Accessed: 22 August 2017).

Wilkinson, D. (ed.) (2000) The researcher's toolkit: the complete guide to practitioner research. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Report Template