How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students, 3rd Edition

‘Gary’s book, never more than a metre away, has been my indispensable research companion. With its easy layout, my well-worn copy, stripy with florescent marker and pencilled notes, has been my go-to, on-hand supervisor throughout my degree; taking the distance out of distance learning. Replace daunting and impossible with clarity and entertainment. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it; it has been my gateway to achievement’ – Ellie Davies Moore, distance learner in Multi-Sensory Impairment at the University of Birmingham 

With more advice on concluding, writing up and presenting research, using social media and digital methods, and understanding what supervisors want and how to work with them, the third edition of this bestselling title continues to lead the way as an essential guide for anyone undertaking a research project in the applied social sciences.

Setting out a clear and detailed road map, Gary Thomas guides the reader through the different stages of a research project, explaining key steps and processes at each level in refreshingly jargon-free terms.

It covers:

• How to choose your research question
• Project management and study skills
• Effective literature reviews
• Methodology, theory and research design frames
• Ethics and access
• Data collection tools
• Effective data analysis
• Discussing findings, concluding and writing up

Packed with engaging anecdotal evidence and practical advice and supported by an interactive website featuring worksheets, videos, SAGE Journal articles and more, this new edition is a user-friendly, one-stop-shop for guidance on research principles.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Starting Points: Your Introduction
Chapter 2 Preparing: Project Management, Ethics And Getting Clearance
Chapter 3 The Literature Review
Chapter 4 Decide On Your Question – Again
Chapter 5 Methodology Part 1: Deciding On An Approach
Chapter 6 Methodology Part 2: The Design Frame
Chapter 7 The Right Tools For The Job: Data Gathering
Chapter 8 How To Analyse And Discuss The Information You Gather
Chapter 9 Concluding And Writing Up