Synopses & Reviews
Unlike any other book this teaches students how to generate their own ideas and develop them into original research projects. Using examples from all disciplines, it not only teaches students how to plan and research using all the qualitative and quantitative techniques and instruments, but also how to construct arguments and use evidence and language consistently. Throughout it emphasizes that writing is the most difficult form of thinking and dissertations are a test of our ability both to think and write clearly.
About the Author
Bryan Greetham was educated at the universities of Kent and Sussex, UK. He holds a PhD in moral philosophy from the University of Newcastle, Australia. He is currently engaged in research into moral thinking and the Holocaust, and teaches philosophy at the University of Maryland. He is the author of How to Write Better Essays, Thinking Skills for Professionals and Philosophy.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
PART I: EXAMINERS AND SUPERVISORS
2. Examiners - What Are They Looking For?
3. Working With Your Supervisor
PART II: GENERATING AND DEVELOPING ORIGINAL IDEAS
4. What Activities Suit You Best?
5. Types of Research
6. What Interests You Most?
7. Generating Your Own Ideas 1: Using Trigger Questions
8. Generating Your Own Ideas 2: Perspectives and Levels
9. Developing Your Ideas 1: Causal Relations
10. Developing Your Ideas 2: Conceptual Relations
11. Original Questions and Hypotheses 1: Using Analogies
12. Original Questions and Hypotheses 2: Working With Your Structures
PART III: DECIDING ON YOUR PROJECT
13. Searching the Literature 1: Knowing What to Look For
14. Searching the Literature 2: How to Search
15. Choosing the Topic
PART IV: ORGANISING YOUR WORK
16. Planning Your Research
17. Managing Your Time
18. Your Retrieval System
19. Reading
20. Note-taking
PART V: DOING YOUR RESEARCH
21. Qualitative and Quantitative Research
22. Secondary Sources
23. Primary Sources 1: Quantitative Research
24. Primary Sources 2: Designing and Distributing Your Questionnaire
25. Primary Sources 3: Qualitative Research - Interviews and Focus Groups
26. Primary Sources 4: Qualitative Research - Case Studies and Observations
PART VI: PLANNING YOUR DISSERTATION
27. The Main Components and Introduction
28. The Literature Review
29. Research Methods, Findings, Conclusions and Appendices
PART VII: ORGANISING YOUR THINKING
30. Developing Consistent Arguments 1: The Components
31. Developing Consistent Arguments 2: The Connections
32. Using Evidence 1: Describing It
33. Using Evidence 2: Drawing Inferences
34. Using Evidence 3: Creating Causal Connections
35. Using Language 1: Clarity - Jargon
36. Using Language 2: Clarity - Manipulative Words
37. Using Language 3: Consistency
PART VIII: WRITING YOUR DISSERTATION
38. The First Draft
39. Style 1: Finding Your Own Voice
40. Style 2: Simplicity and Economy
PART IX: PLAGIARISM, REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES
41. Plagiarism
42. Referencing and Bibliographies
PART X: EDITING
Revision 1: The Structure
Revision 2: The Content
Conclusion