Research Methodology
A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
3rd Edition
Published on 16. November 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
440 pages
978-1-84920-301-2 (ISBN)
Description
Written specifically for students with no previous experience of research and research methodology, the Third Edition of Research Methodology breaks the process of designing and doing a research project into eight manageable steps and provides plenty of examples throughout to link theory to the practice of doing research.
The book contains straightforward, practical guidance on:
- Formulating a research question
- Ethical considerations
- Carrying out a literature review
- Choosing a research design
- Selecting a sample
- Collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data
- Writing a research report
The third edition has been revised and updated to include extended coverage of qualitative research methods in addition to the existing comprehensive coverage of quantitative methods. There are also brand new learning features such as reflective questions throughout the text to help students consolidate their knowledge.
The book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the social sciences embarking on qualitative or quantitative research projects.
The book contains straightforward, practical guidance on:
- Formulating a research question
- Ethical considerations
- Carrying out a literature review
- Choosing a research design
- Selecting a sample
- Collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data
- Writing a research report
The third edition has been revised and updated to include extended coverage of qualitative research methods in addition to the existing comprehensive coverage of quantitative methods. There are also brand new learning features such as reflective questions throughout the text to help students consolidate their knowledge.
The book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the social sciences embarking on qualitative or quantitative research projects.
More details
Edition
3rd Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
Revised edition
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 186 mm
Weight
800 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84920-301-2 (9781849203012)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
01/2014
4th Edition
SAGE Publications Ltd
€63.39
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Previous edition
Book
05/2005
2nd Edition
SAGE Publications Inc
€55.95
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Dr Ranjit Kumar taught at Curtin University of Technology and the University of Western Australia for 30 years. He is currently a freelance research and evaluation consultant in Western Australia.
Content
Research: A Way of Thinking
Research: An Integral Part of Your Practice
Research: A Way to Gather Evidence for Your Practice
Applications of Research
Research: What Does It Mean?
The Research Process: Characteristics and Requirements
Types of Research
Paradigms of Research
Summary
The Research Process: A Quick Glance
The Research Process: An Eight-Step Model
Phase I: Deciding What to Research
Phase II: Planning a Research Study
Phase III: Conducting a Research Study
Summary
PART ONE: FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
Reviewing the Literature
The Place of the Literature Review in Research
How to Review the Literature
Writing about the Literature Reviewed
Summary
Formulating a Research Problem
The Research Problem
The Importance of Formulating a Research Problem
Sources of Research Problems
Considerations in Selecting a Research Problem
Steps in Formulating a Research Problem
The Formulation of Research Objectives
The study population
Establishing operational definitions
Formulating a research problem in qualitative research
Summary
Identifying Variables
What is a variable?
The difference between a concept and a variable
Converting concepts into variables
Types of variable
Types of measurement scale
Summary
Constructing Hypotheses
The definition of a hypothesis
The functions of a hypothesis
The testing of a hypothesis
The characteristics of a hypothesis
Types of hypothesis
Errors in testing a hypothesis
Hypotheses in qualitative research
Summary
PART TWO: CONCEPTUALISING A RESEARCH DESIGN
The Research Design
What is a research design?
The functions of a research design
The theory of causality and the research design
Summary
Selecting a Study Design
Differences between quantitative and qualitative study designs
Study designs in quantitative research
Other designs commonly used in quantitative research
Study designs in qualitative research
Other commonly used philosophy-guided designs
Summary
PART THREE: CONSTRUCTING AN INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION
Selecting a Method of Data Collection
Differences in the methods of data collection in quantitative and qualitative research
Major approaches to information gathering
Collecting data using primary sources
Methods of data collection in qualitative research
Collecting data using secondary sources
Summary
Collecting Data Using Attitudinal Scales
Measurement of attitudes in quantitative and qualitative research
Attitudinal scales in quantitative research
Functions of attitudinal scales
Difficulties in developing an attitudinal scale
Types of attitudinal scale
Attitudinal scales and measurement scales
Attitudes and qualitative research
Summary
Establishing the Validity and Reliability of a Research Instrument
The concept of validity
Types of validity in quantitative research
The concept of reliability
Factors affecting the reliability of a research instrument
Methods of determining the reliability of an instrument in quantitative research
Validity and reliability in qualitative research
Summary
PART FOUR: SELECTING A SAMPLE
Selecting a Sample
The differences between sampling in quantitative and qualitative research
Sampling in quantitative research
Sampling in qualitative research
Summary
PART FIVE: WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
How to Write a Research Proposal
The research proposal in quantitative and qualitative research
Contents of a research proposal
Work schedule
Summary
PART SIX: COLLECTING DATA
Considering Ethical Issues in Data Collection
Ethics: the concept
Stakeholders in research
Ethical issues to consider concerning research participants
Ethical issues to consider relating to the researcher
Ethical issues regarding the sponsoring organisation
Summary
PART SEVEN: PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING DATA
Processing Data
Part one: Data processing in quantitative studies
Part two: Data processing in qualitative studies
The role of statistics in research
Summary
Displaying Data
Methods of communicating and displaying analysed data
Summary
PART EIGHT: WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT
Writing a Research Report
Writing a research report
Developing an outline
Writing about a variable
Referencing
Writing a bibliography
Summary
Research Methodology and Practice Evaluation
What is evaluation?
Why evaluation?
Intervention-development-evaluation process
Perspectives in the classification of evaluation studies
Types of evaluation from a focus perspective
Types of evaluation from a philosophical perspective
Undertaking an evaluation: the process
Involving stakeholders in evaluation
Ethics in evaluation
Summary
Research: An Integral Part of Your Practice
Research: A Way to Gather Evidence for Your Practice
Applications of Research
Research: What Does It Mean?
The Research Process: Characteristics and Requirements
Types of Research
Paradigms of Research
Summary
The Research Process: A Quick Glance
The Research Process: An Eight-Step Model
Phase I: Deciding What to Research
Phase II: Planning a Research Study
Phase III: Conducting a Research Study
Summary
PART ONE: FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
Reviewing the Literature
The Place of the Literature Review in Research
How to Review the Literature
Writing about the Literature Reviewed
Summary
Formulating a Research Problem
The Research Problem
The Importance of Formulating a Research Problem
Sources of Research Problems
Considerations in Selecting a Research Problem
Steps in Formulating a Research Problem
The Formulation of Research Objectives
The study population
Establishing operational definitions
Formulating a research problem in qualitative research
Summary
Identifying Variables
What is a variable?
The difference between a concept and a variable
Converting concepts into variables
Types of variable
Types of measurement scale
Summary
Constructing Hypotheses
The definition of a hypothesis
The functions of a hypothesis
The testing of a hypothesis
The characteristics of a hypothesis
Types of hypothesis
Errors in testing a hypothesis
Hypotheses in qualitative research
Summary
PART TWO: CONCEPTUALISING A RESEARCH DESIGN
The Research Design
What is a research design?
The functions of a research design
The theory of causality and the research design
Summary
Selecting a Study Design
Differences between quantitative and qualitative study designs
Study designs in quantitative research
Other designs commonly used in quantitative research
Study designs in qualitative research
Other commonly used philosophy-guided designs
Summary
PART THREE: CONSTRUCTING AN INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION
Selecting a Method of Data Collection
Differences in the methods of data collection in quantitative and qualitative research
Major approaches to information gathering
Collecting data using primary sources
Methods of data collection in qualitative research
Collecting data using secondary sources
Summary
Collecting Data Using Attitudinal Scales
Measurement of attitudes in quantitative and qualitative research
Attitudinal scales in quantitative research
Functions of attitudinal scales
Difficulties in developing an attitudinal scale
Types of attitudinal scale
Attitudinal scales and measurement scales
Attitudes and qualitative research
Summary
Establishing the Validity and Reliability of a Research Instrument
The concept of validity
Types of validity in quantitative research
The concept of reliability
Factors affecting the reliability of a research instrument
Methods of determining the reliability of an instrument in quantitative research
Validity and reliability in qualitative research
Summary
PART FOUR: SELECTING A SAMPLE
Selecting a Sample
The differences between sampling in quantitative and qualitative research
Sampling in quantitative research
Sampling in qualitative research
Summary
PART FIVE: WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
How to Write a Research Proposal
The research proposal in quantitative and qualitative research
Contents of a research proposal
Work schedule
Summary
PART SIX: COLLECTING DATA
Considering Ethical Issues in Data Collection
Ethics: the concept
Stakeholders in research
Ethical issues to consider concerning research participants
Ethical issues to consider relating to the researcher
Ethical issues regarding the sponsoring organisation
Summary
PART SEVEN: PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING DATA
Processing Data
Part one: Data processing in quantitative studies
Part two: Data processing in qualitative studies
The role of statistics in research
Summary
Displaying Data
Methods of communicating and displaying analysed data
Summary
PART EIGHT: WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT
Writing a Research Report
Writing a research report
Developing an outline
Writing about a variable
Referencing
Writing a bibliography
Summary
Research Methodology and Practice Evaluation
What is evaluation?
Why evaluation?
Intervention-development-evaluation process
Perspectives in the classification of evaluation studies
Types of evaluation from a focus perspective
Types of evaluation from a philosophical perspective
Undertaking an evaluation: the process
Involving stakeholders in evaluation
Ethics in evaluation
Summary