Where Research Begins

Author: Thomas S. Mullaney
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226817350
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Book Description
Plenty of books tell you how to do research. This book helps you figure out WHAT to research in the first place, and why it matters. The hardest part of research isn't answering a question. It's knowing what to do before you know what your question is. Where Research Begins tackles the two challenges every researcher faces with every new project: How do I find a compelling problem to investigate—one that truly matters to me, deeply and personally? How do I then design my research project so that the results will matter to anyone else? This book will help you start your new research project the right way for you with a series of simple yet ingenious exercises. Written in a conversational style and packed with real-world examples, this easy-to-follow workbook offers an engaging guide to finding research inspiration within yourself, and in the broader world of ideas. Read this book if you (or your students): have difficulty choosing a research topic know your topic, but are unsure how to turn it into a research project feel intimidated by or unqualified to do research worry that you’re asking the wrong questions about your research topic have plenty of good ideas, but aren’t sure which one to commit to feel like your research topic was imposed by someone else want to learn new ways to think about how to do research. Under the expert guidance of award-winning researchers Thomas S. Mullaney and Christopher Rea, you will find yourself on the path to a compelling and meaningful research project, one that matters to you—and the world.

Authoring a PhD

Author: Patrick Dunleavy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0230802087
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 311

Book Description
This engaging and highly regarded book takes readers through the key stages of their PhD research journey, from the initial ideas through to successful completion and publication. It gives helpful guidance on forming research questions, organising ideas, pulling together a final draft, handling the viva and getting published. Each chapter contains a wealth of practical suggestions and tips for readers to try out and adapt to their own research needs and disciplinary style. This text will be essential reading for PhD students and their supervisors in humanities, arts, social sciences, business, law, health and related disciplines.

Nursing Research

Author: Denise F. Polit
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISBN: 9780781794688
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 842

Book Description
Thoroughly updated and revised to emphasize the link between research and evidence-based practice, this Eighth Edition of a classic textbook presents state-of-the-art methods for conducting high-quality studies. New chapters offer guidance on developing self-report scales, conducting systematic reviews, and enhancing the integrity of qualitative studies. The ancillary Resource Manual includes application exercises, models of comprehensive research critiques, a full NINR grant application, and a "must-have" Toolkit on a CD-ROM, containing a treasure-trove of exemplary research tools (e.g., consent forms, a demographic questionnaire, statistical table templates)--all in easily-adapted Word documents to meet individual research needs. A watershed edition! Student Resource Manual with Toolkit, ISBN: 978-0-7817-7052-1.

Returning to Scientific Practice

Author: Xu Zhu
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317538943
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 329

Book Description
This book is a result from a collective study on philosophy of scientific practice (PSP), which began around 2002 and still ongoing. There is an apparently increasing interest in scientific practice, influenced by the historicistic philosophy of science and the sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK). Prof. WU Tong and his research group believe that it is necessary for PSP to turn from the theory-dominant position to the practice dominance. PSP has also put forward the possibility of reinterpreting the epistemic status of local knowledge in Chinese tradition, which provides the most significant motivation to participate this study. In this book, we have selected three main cases – namely, Chinese medicine, Fengshui, and Ethnobotany – to examine the effect of PSP. The aim of our collective study is not merely on theoretical construction of PSP, but also to consider the various applications of PSP, especially for re-interpreting and demonstrating the variety of local knowledge from traditional China, which seems to be a genuine contribution to the international enterprise of philosophy of science, particularly made by Chinese scholars.

Listening to People

Author: Annette Lareau
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022680660X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Book Description
This book will help you: Understand the importance of talking to others, including listening to feedback from others while conducting research Recognize that there is not only one right way to sculpt your study Learn how to plan the early stages of a project such as designing the study and choosing whom to study See how to navigate the IRB and how to perform practical matters while collecting data Learn how to plan before an interview and how to construct an interview guide Read real-life interviews with notes showing what probes work well and which are less successful A down-to-earth, practical guide for interview and participant observation and analysis. In-depth interviews and close observation are essential to the work of social scientists, but inserting one’s researcher-self into the lives of others can be daunting, especially early on. Esteemed sociologist Annette Lareau is here to help. Lareau’s clear, insightful, and personal guide is not your average methods text. It promises to reduce researcher anxiety while illuminating the best methods for first-rate research practice. As the title of this book suggests, Lareau considers listening to be the core element of interviewing and observation. A researcher must listen to people as she collects data, listen to feedback as she describes what she is learning, listen to the findings of others as they delve into the existing literature on topics, and listen to herself in order to sift and prioritize some aspects of the study over others. By listening in these different ways, researchers will discover connections, reconsider assumptions, catch mistakes, develop and assess new ideas, weigh priorities, ponder new directions, and undertake numerous adjustments—all of which will make their contributions clearer and more valuable. Accessibly written and full of practical, easy-to-follow guidance, this book will help both novice and experienced researchers to do their very best work. Qualitative research is an inherently uncertain project, but with Lareau’s help, you can alleviate anxiety and focus on success.

Canadian Essentials of Nursing Research

Author: Joanne Profetto-McGrath
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISBN: 160547729X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 512

Book Description
"Completely revised With timely content and state-of-the-art research undertaken by Canadian nurse researchers, the Third Edition of this trusted resource provides the guidance you need to effectively critique every aspect of nursing research and apply the results to clinical practice. Canadian Essentials of Nursing Research uses clear, straightforward language and a "user-friendly" presentation to help you understand, retain, and apply fundamental concepts with ease." --Book Jacket.

Methodological Thinking

Author: Donileen R. Loseke
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1412997208
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 217

Book Description
"The text is organized to help students become good consumers and producers of research by developing skills to design small-scale research projects and evaluate research done by others. The author highlights the relationships among these components of research; she also explains that it is not possible to argue that one of research is better than any other and that good researchers understand the differences among - and appreciate the capabilities of - different tools."--Publisher description.

Participant Observation

Author: Kathleen Musante DeWalt
Publisher: Rowman Altamira
ISBN: 9780759100459
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 300

Book Description
Participant Observation is a central and defining method of research in cultural anthropology, as well as a common feature of qualitative research in other disciplines--sociology, education, health sciences. The authors provide the basic guide to the participant observation field methods of collection of systematic data in naturalistic settings--communities in many different cultures. It is a valuable primer for the beginning researcher, as well as a reference for the experienced ethnographer.

Political Research

Author: Sandra Halperin
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198702744
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 485

Book Description
This title equips students of politics and international relations with the analytical skills and resources to evaluate, understand and criticise research findings in political research, as well as the practical skills to carry out their own research.

The Craft of Research, Fourth Edition

Author: Wayne C. Booth
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022623987X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 335

Book Description
With more than three-quarters of a million copies sold since its first publication, The Craft of Research has helped generations of researchers at every level—from first-year undergraduates to advanced graduate students to research reporters in business and government—learn how to conduct effective and meaningful research. Conceived by seasoned researchers and educators Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, this fundamental work explains how to find and evaluate sources, anticipate and respond to reader reservations, and integrate these pieces into an argument that stands up to reader critique. The fourth edition has been thoroughly but respectfully revised by Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald. It retains the original five-part structure, as well as the sound advice of earlier editions, but reflects the way research and writing are taught and practiced today. Its chapters on finding and engaging sources now incorporate recent developments in library and Internet research, emphasizing new techniques made possible by online databases and search engines. Bizup and FitzGerald provide fresh examples and standardized terminology to clarify concepts like argument, warrant, and problem. Following the same guiding principle as earlier editions—that the skills of doing and reporting research are not just for elite students but for everyone—this new edition retains the accessible voice and direct approach that have made The Craft of Research a leader in the field of research reference. With updated examples and information on evaluation and using contemporary sources, this beloved classic is ready for the next generation of researchers.