Are you doing a research project? Do you need advice on how to carry out research? Does writer′s block get in the way of your dissertation?
Nearly all students need to do a research project at some point during their degree. How to do your Research Project guides them through the different phases of doing so. With practical examples, Thomas explains what should happen at each phase, detailing the main design frames and methods used in social science research, and providing down to earth and practical advice on weaving these elements together into a coherent whole.
The book is structured in two parts. The Part One tells you how to conduct research:
- deciding your topic and question
- choosing your approach
- thinking about practical matters
- looking at the different methods of research
- analyzing your research and drawing conclusions
Part Two looks at how to write it up:
- the structure of research reports, dissertations and theses
- putting together abstracts, introductions, literature reviews and your methodology
- presenting findings
- discussing results and concluding
This book will be useful for undergraduate, postgraduate, CPD and doctoral students.
Being of a nervous disposition as a child, Gary Thomas failed to write anything on his 11-plus examination paper, which inaction took him to secondary modern school.
He eventually became a teacher, then an educational psychologist, then a professor of education at the University of Birmingham, where his teaching, research and writing have focused on inclusive education and the methods used in social science research. He has led a wide range of research projects and has received research funding from the AHRC, the ESRC, the Nuffield Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, the Department for Education, charities such as Barnardo’s and the Cadmean Trust, local authorities and a range of other organisations. He has written or edited 30 books, lots of boring academic articles, and quite interesting essays on the state of education in the national press. He was the editor of journals such as the British Educational Research Journal and Educational Review.
He has two grown-up daughters, one daughter at school, and two grandchildren. He likes, in alphabetical order, birds, chess, cycling, dogs, his family, gardening, reading and writing.
Despite supporting Aston Villa football club, he maintains an optimistic outlook on life.