Doing research (6th edition)

Contents

Preface 

Instructions for using the book and website 

Part 1 Design 15

1 Why do you do research? 19

1.1 Research approaches 22

1.2 Rules for the quality of research 28

1.3 Research phases 33

1.4 Research report and/or professional product? 35

2 Choosing the subject 37

2.1 Finding a subject 38

2.2 Graduate internships and clients: you can’t always get

what you want 40

2.3 Informed expectations 44

2.4 Group assignment: the division of tasks 45

3 The background to your research 47

3.1 Recognizing the reason 48

3.2 Writing the background using the 6W method 49

3.3 Data collection (during the preliminary research) 50

3.4 The research logbook 57

4 Main question and objective 61

4.1 Main question 62

4.2 Sub-questions: useful or necessary? 66

4.3 Formulating the objective 70

5 Concept,demarcation and theoretical framework 73

5.1 Concept demarcation 74

5.2 Building models 77

5.3 Formulating assumptions based on your model 79

5.4 The place of theory in applied research 81

6 Research proposal 83

6.1 Looking back on the design process 83

6.2 Starting points for the research proposal 85

6.3 From main question to data collection 87

6.4 Compiling a research proposal 92

6.5 Time schedule 94

6.6 Preparing the report 96

6.7 Assessing research proposals 98

Part 2 Data collection 101

7 Quantitative data collection methods 105

7.1 Surveys 105

7.2 Secondary analysis 109

7.3 Experimental research 111

7.4 Monitor 120

7.5 Combination of methods 121

8 Qualitative methods of data collection 125

8.1 Observational research 126

8.2 Interviews 131

8.3 Qualitative desk research 135

8.4 Case studies 140

8.5 Action research 143

8.6 Design-oriented research 147

8.7 Decisions, decisions: choosing the right method 149

9 Research quality 153

9.1 Reliability 155

9.2 Validity 157

9.3 Reliability as a condition for validity 163

9.4 Usability 164

10 Sampling 167

10.1 Population and sample 167

10.2 Random samples 171

10.3 Non-probability samples 175

11 Operationalization 179

11.1 Operationalization of quantitative research 179

11.2 Designing questionnaires 182

11.3 Operationalization in qualitative research 191

12 Going into the field: conducting surveys and interviews 195

12.1 Fieldwork for surveys and interviews: practical decisions 195

12.2 Digital data collection 199

12.3 Respondents and surveys 204

12.4 Interviews: working on rapport 210

Part 3 Analysis 221

13 Processing quantitative data: preparation 225

13.1 Preparing the analysis 225

13.2 Measurement levels of variables 231

13.3 The next step in the preparation: formulating hypotheses 236

14 Quantitative analysis 239

14.1 Systematic approach to descriptive analysis 239

14.2 Frequency tables and percentages 242

14.3 Graphs of one variable 244

14.4 Summary measures 249

14.5 Cross tabulations 260

14.6 Graphs of two variables 263

15 Qualitative analysis 269

15.1 Software as a tool for qualitative analysis 269

15.2 Assumptions for qualitative analysis 272

15.3 Grounded theory approach 273

15.4 Thematic analysis 275

15.5 Tools for qualitative analysis 280

16 The quality of research results 283

16.1 Quality of quantitative analyses 283

16.2 Quality of qualitative analyses 288

Part 4 Evaluation and recommendations 295

17 Conclusions, discussion and recommendations 299

17.1 Drawing conclusions 299

17.2 Discussion 302

17.3 Research quality revisited 304

17.4 Recommendations and advice 308

17.5 Professional products and applied research 310

18 Compiling a report 313

18.1 Compiling a research report 313

18.2 Writing an executive summary 325

18.3 Writing tips 326

19 Source references and list of references 331

19.1 Rules for citing literature 331

19.2 Source references in the main body of text 334

19.3 Guidelines for the reference list 337

19.4 Tools for managing changes and references 342

20 Presentation and evaluation 345

20.1 Presenting your findings 345

20.2 Assessment criteria for your research report 351

20.3 Communicating and publishing about research 355

References 359

Index 369

About the author 381