Doing Research in the Real World, 3rd Edition

Available with free access to the interactive eBook* for 12 months when you buy the paperback version (ISBN 9781446295311 only), this is the companion for any student undertaking a research project.

Click on the icons in the margins of the eBook to access a wealth of resources including:

Video Content
Chapter introductions and top tips from the author along with tried and tested open access videos on YouTube introduce you to key chapter contents

Datasets
Play around with real data in SPSS and put your statistics knowledge into practice

Weblinks
Direct you to real world examples to broaden your knowledge

Checklists
Guide you through a specific research process such as running a focus group or conducting an interview

Further Reading
Link you to a range of resources to deepen your understanding of a topic

However you access the content the Third Edition guides you smoothly through the research process from start to finish setting out the skills needed to design and conduct effective research and introduces the reader to the reality of conducting research in the real world. It gives practical advice on how best to select appropriate projects, design strategies, sources and methods and provides the tools needed to collect, analyze and present data.

Applicable to any discipline and firmly rooted in the practicalities of research there are new and exciting chapters on:

• Using SPSS for quantitative data analysis
• Sampling strategies in quantitative and qualitative research
• Approaches to secondary analysis
• Using focus groups
• Ethnography and participant observation (*interactivity only available through Vitalsource eBook)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

PART A: PRINCIPLES AND PLANNING FOR RESEARCH
Chapter 2 Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methodologies
Chapter 3 Selecting and Planning Research Proposals and Projects
Chapter 4 Research Ethics
Chapter 5 Searching, Critically Reviewing and Using the Literature

PART B: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Chapter 6 Research Design: Quantitative Methods
Chapter 7 Research Design: Qualitative Methods
Chapter 8 Research Design: Mixed Methods
Chapter 9 Sampling Strategies
Chapter 10 Designing Descriptive and Analytical Surveys
Chapter 11 Designing Case Studies
Chapter 12 Designing Evaluations
Chapter 13 Action Research and Change

PART C: DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Chapter 14 Questionnaires
Chapter 15 Interviewing
Chapter 16 Non-participant Observation
Chapter 17 Ethnography and Participant Observation
Chapter 18 Focus Groups
Chapter 19 Unobtrusive Measures
Chapter 20 Secondary Analysis

PART D: ANALYSIS AND REPORT WRITING
Chapter 21 Getting Started Using SPSS
Chapter 22 Analysing and Presenting Quantitative Data
Chapter 23 Analysing and Presenting Qualitative Data
Chapter 24 Writing up the Research
Chapter 25 Preparing for Presentations and Vivas