The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project

1 The Essential Guide to Doing Your ResearchProjectThe Essential Guide to Doing YourResearch Project3RD EditionZina O LearySAGE Publications Ltd1 Oliver s Yard55 City RoadLondon EC1Y 1 SPSAGE Publications Teller RoadThousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt LtdB 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial AreaMathura RoadNew Delhi 110 044 SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd3 Church Street#10-04 Samsung HubSingapore 049483 Zina O Leary 2017 Chapter 13 Zina O Leary and Jennifer HuntFirst edition published 2009 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of Research or private study, orcriticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act,1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, orby any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or inthe case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licencesissued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

2 Enquiries concerning reproductionoutside those terms should be sent to the of Congress Control Number: 2016948288 British Library Cataloguing in Publication dataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British LibraryISBN 978-1-4739-5207-2 ISBN 978-1-4739-5208-9 (pbk)Editor: Jai SeamanAssistant editor: Alysha OwenProduction editor: Ian AntcliffCopyeditor: Andy BaxterProofreader: Neil DowdenIndexer: Silvia BenvenutoMarketing manager: Susheel GokarakondaCover design: Shaun MercierTypeset by: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd, Chennai, IndiaPrinted in the UKContentsAbout the AuthorAcknowledgementsThe companion website1 Taking the Leap into the Research WorldThe challenge of tackling a Research projectSo what is this thing called Research and why do it?Delving into the construct of researchGetting help along the wayChapter summaryFurther reading2 Setting Up and Getting StartedGetting startedNavigating the processStaying on courseChapter summaryFurther reading3 Developing Your Research QuestionThe importance of good questionsThe preliminaries: defining your topicFrom interesting topics to researchable questionsCharacteristics of good questionsChapter summaryFurther reading4 Undertaking Credible and Ethical ResearchPower, politics, ethics and Research integrityCredibility: integrity in the production of knowledgeEthics.

3 Integrity and the researched Chapter summaryFurther reading5 Crafting a Research ProposalRole of the proposalElements of the proposalWriting a winning proposalObstacles and challengesChapter summaryFurther reading6 Reviewing LiteratureThe importance of literatureSourcing relevant literatureManaging the literatureWriting the formal literature review Chapter summaryFurther reading7 Designing a Research PlanMoving from questions to answersGetting it right for the researcherPragmatics: making it doableIt s all in the detailsChapter summaryFurther reading8 Understanding Methodologies: Quantitative and Qualitative ApproachesThe quantitative traditionThe qualitative traditionChapter summaryFurther reading9 Understanding Methodologies: Mixed ApproachesArguments for mixed methodologyChallenges and possibilitiesPerspectives and strategiesChapter summaryFurther reading10 Understanding Methodologies: Evaluative, Action-Oriented andEmancipatory StrategiesResearch that attempts to drive changeEvaluative researchAction researchEmancipatory researchChapter summaryFurther reading11 Identifying and Selecting Samples, Informants and CasesWhere does the answer lie?

4 Samples: selecting elements of a populationKey informants: working with experts and insidersCases: delving into detailChapter summaryFurther reading12 Primary Data: Surveys, Interviews and ObservationThe opportunities and challenges of collecting primary dataSurveyingInterviewingObservationChap ter summaryFurther reading13 Secondary Data: Existing Data, Online Generated Data and PreviousStudiesWhat is secondary data?Working with existing dataWorking with online generated dataAnalysing previous studiesChapter summaryFurther reading14 Analysing Quantitative DataMoving from raw data to significant findingsManaging data and defining variablesDescriptive statisticsInferential statisticsPresenting quantitative dataChapter summaryFurther reading15 Analysing Qualitative DataThe promise of qualitative dataThe logic of QDAThe methods of QDAS pecific QDA strategiesPresenting qualitative dataA thoughtChapter summaryFurther reading16 The Challenge of Writing UpThe writing challengeThe writing processCreating powerful presentationsDisseminating your workThe final wordChapter summaryFurther readingGlossaryBibliographyIndexAbout the AuthorZina O Learyis an internationally recognized leader in Research methodologies.

5 And has akeen interest in the application of Research to evidence-based decision-making. Zina is a Senior Fellow at the Australia and New Zealand Schoolof Government where she coordinates Research and Project units for theirExecutive Masters and Executive Education Programs. Zina also has anextensive history as a consultant to both government and the private sectorand was the Research coordinator for the Centre for Environmental HealthDevelopment at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. She isthe author of Researching Real World Problems, The Social Science JargonBuster and Workplace first note of thanks needs to go to all the Project students, bothundergraduate and postgraduate , I ve worked with at the Australia and NewZealand School of Government, the University of Sydney, Western SydneyUniversity, the International Medical University of Malaysia and the PolytechnicUniversity of Hong Kong.

6 I hope I ve taught you as much as you ve taught d also like to thank the Research partners I ve collaborated with in NewZealand, China, Fiji, Palau, Malaysia and Vietnam over the past ten or so broaden my perspective and help me bring currency and innovation to myteaching. The team at SAGE Publishing, particularly Jai Seaman, Katie Metzler,Alysha Owen and Ian Antcliff, also need to be acknowledged. Their acuteinsights and their support make this a better work. And thanks also to my eversupportive, always there for me husband Bill Franklin. I did not marry you foryour copy-editing skills, but it wouldn t have been a bad reason. And finally, inmy last book, Workplace Research , I did not thank my adult daughters after all,they had moved away and weren t even in the same country when I was still didn t stop Dakota from texting me a grumpy face icon when she readit! So thank you Dak, and thank you Scout, and thank you Bosworth (the world smost amazing puppy, who by the way, never complains or texts grumpy faces).

7 Being surrounded (even virtually) by such beautiful energy is all anyone Companion WebsiteDesigned to support students through every step of the Research process, thethird edition of The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project is supportedby a variety of online resources that offer students additional support in:Preparing for the Research projectForming Research questionsMaintaining Research integritySeeking ethical approvalDeveloping Research projectsCrafting literature reviewsSelecting and practising appropriate methodsManaging respondentsCollecting and analysing dataWriting up and presenting researchFeaturing checklists that can be carried into the field, author videos that offerfurther insight into the Research process, further reading that reinforces keyconcepts, weblinks that showcase relevant software and online tools, and lots oftemplates, sample forms and student examples that Guide students step-by-step through their own work.

8 This website contains all the tools students need tostart and complete a successful Research website materials available at Taking the Leap into the Research WorldThe Challenge of Tackling a Research Project 2So What Is This Thing Called Research and Why Do It? 3 Delving into the Construct of Research 5 Getting Help along the Way 11 Further Reading 14If we knew what it was we were Doing , it would not be called Research ,would it?Albert EinsteinLearning objectivesThe challenge of tackling a Research projectTo understand Research as both a challenge and an opportunityTo understand the responsibility inherent in producing truth So what is this thing called Research and why do it?To understand the need for researchTo understand the power of Research as a tool for situation improvementDelving into the construct of researchTo understand the thorny worlds of epistemology and ontologyTo understand the paradigms that drive researchTo become comfortable with the concept of reflective practice and mixed methodologiesTo understand the difference between methodology and methodGetting help along the wayTo understand how to get the most from this bookThe Challenge of Tackling A Research ProjectIt s actually quite exciting.

9 Before you lies the opportunity to tackle your ownresearch Project ! You get to drive the process and make all the calls. But believeme, I get it it can also be a bit daunting. After all, you re not an expert onresearch and suddenly you are confronted with a need to manage the entireprocess: pick a topic, develop a researchable question, navigate your waythrough ethics, work with literature, develop a methodological approach, designmethods, construct a coherent proposal , find respondents, collect data, analysethat data and write it up all within a timeframe that can seem completelyunrealistic!Well, you re not alone if you find yourself asking: How in the world am I goingto manage all that? Believe it or not, the answer is pretty you are tackling a one-semester Project at the end of yourundergraduate degree or undertaking a PhD, the answer is the same. You do itone step at a time.

10 There is a logic and rhythm to Doing Research , a logic andrhythm that you need not only to become familiar with, but also to be able toapply with some level of confidence and , yes, it can be intimidating. Even if you do not consciously recognize it, Doing Research represents a huge shift in your learning journey. Up until thispoint, you ve probably been limited to being a knowledge consumer. Theinformation is already out there you just need to find it, memorize it, engagewith it, synthesize it and, as your skills build, form opinions about it and maybeeven critique it. But undertaking Research is a whole new world. You move frombeing a knowledge consumer to a knowledge producer, someone who is chargedwith capturing and reporting on truth . And this means taking on a whole newrealm of responsibility and gaining competence with a host of new skills. This isthe challenge of Doing , and not just knowing about, What Is This Thing Called Research AndWhy Do It?