Developing Research Questions: A Guide For Social Scientists - Softcover

White, Patrick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1403998159 ISBN 13: 9781403998156

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008

Synopsis

Undertaking a research project is a crucial, but often overwhelming aspect of any social sciences degree, and selecting a research question can be one of the toughest parts of the process. What makes an appropriate topic for research? How do you transform an idea into a 'researchable' question? And, once you've got a question, where do you go from there?

Developing Research Questions steers readers through the complex process of starting a research project. The book explains how to break down initial ideas from broad topics into appropriate research questions, and gives detailed guidance on how to refine questions as the research project develops. Each chapter is packed with handy hints, tips and examples that show how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls in the research process. Linking hypotheses and questions with research design and methods at every step, this text takes readers from the start through to the final stage of answering their questions and drawing conclusions.

This is a no-fuss, practical guide to forming your own research question. It is an indispensable resource for social scientists carrying out research projects at all levels.

About this title

About the Author

PATRICK WHITE is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Leicester. He has written a number of chapters and articles on teaching and research in education.

Review

'White's book is truly in another league: its depth and usefulness make it one of the most useful books about research I have ever seen.' - Olivier Ratle, Lecturer in Organization Studies, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, UK

This book offers a concise and practical engagement of how one develops research questions, and more importantly, how those questions are related to ideas, theories, hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions. It deconstructs the research process to highlight how questions influence the steps involved in planning and carrying out social science research projects.' - Howard Ramos, Dalhousie University in the Canadian Journal of Sociology.

 

'Presents a very practical, 'can-do' approach to social science research' - Geoffrey Walford, University of Oxford in the British Educational Research Journal. 

Edition details

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1403998159
• ISBN 13: 9781403998156
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160