Synopses & Reviews
Praise for the first edition:
"an immensely useful resource."
- Nursing Times Research
"..As a graduate research student, I have come across a number of books claiming to inform the reader 'how to research', and have become sceptical...This book challenges that sceptism and is to be warmly welcomed."
- Research Policy and Planning
"..an excellent choice for any student about to start a research project for the first time."
- British Journal of Educational Technology
How to Research 2nd Edition is about the practice and experience of doing research in the social sciences as well as in related subjects such as education, business studies and health and social care. It is aimed at those, particularly the less experienced, who are involved in small-scale research projects at college or at work. The book is written in an original, accessible and jargon free style using a variety of different forms of presentation to support the researcher.
How to Research 2nd Edition offers:
* a series of useful exercises to help progress research thinking
* a wide range of examples taken from a variety of subject areas
* extensive annotated bibliographies for further reading
* practical hints for all stages of the research process
This new edition has been completely revised with up-to-date bibliographies and has new sections on choosing the appropriate method; internet research; and searching the internet.
An essential resource for undergraduate and postgraduate research methods courses in the social sciences and invaluable for anyone carrying out research as part of a workplace assignment.
Review
“…an excellent resource and reference tool for anybody undertaking social research. It provides practical advice on how to choose the most appropriate method for the research being undertaken and offers valuable advice and direction in negotiating various issues…It is written in an accessible format…to encourage the reader to consider the research process from a practical and personal viewpoint…This second edition of the book includes new and up-to-date material and touches on areas often neglected in mainstream research books. These include techniques such as action research; and key issues such as time management and choosing a research supervisor. The book addresses the ‘writing-up process in some detail and covers a number of fundamental issues often ignored by more experienced researchers, such as grammar, referencing, spelling and use of tables and graphs…Not only is it an excellent starting point for new researchers and students, but undoubtedly the more experienced researcher will also find it valuable. Furthermore, those involved in teaching research methods or supervising research students would find this is a useful source of information, exercises and ideas.” – Social Research News
Synopsis
Learn Techniques to Find the Information You Need This revised third edition delivers invaluable guidance on how to collect data, write proposals, and make presentations. Offering you step-by-step techniques for the most efficient and focused research in school or work projects, How to Research includes hands-on exercises that build up skills and strengthen research techniques useful for any project, in any field.
About the Author
Dr Loraine Blaxter is a Research Associate and Lecturer in Continuing Education at the University of Warwick. She has taught research methods at Oxford, Papua New Guinea and Warwick Universities. Her current research is on the place of education in adults' careers. She has published widely in academic and professional journals.
Dr Christina Hughes is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Warwick. Her research interests include the development of research methodologies and the relations between learning and work. She is co-editor of Gender and Education, and her publications include Stepparents: Wicked or Wonderful? (1991) and Stepparents, Stepchildren (1994).
Professor Malcolm Tight is Reader in Continuing Education at the University of Warwick. He researches post-compulsory education policy and practice, and the relations between adult and organizational learning. His publications include Higher Education: a part time perspective (Open University Press, 1990) Open Universities: a British tradition? (with Robert Bell, Open University Press, 1993) and Key Concepts in Adult Education and Training (1996).
The authors have also published The Academic Career Handbook (Open University Press, 1998).
Table of Contents
List of boxes All at sea but learning to swim
Getting started
Thinking about methods
Reading for research
Managing your project
Collecting data
Analysing data
Writing up
Finishing off
References
Index