How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students in Education and Applied Social Sciences

by Gary Thomas

Direct, informative and accessible the new edition of Gary Thomas′s bestselling title is essential reading for anyone doing a research project. Packed full of relevant advice and real world examples the book guides you through the complete research process. Using refreshingly jargon-free language and anecdotal evidence it is a witty, easy to follow introduction that will answer your questions, set out best practice and walk you through every stage of your project step-by-step. It - How to choose your research question - Project management and study skills - Doing an effective literature review - Methodology, theory and research design - Design frames - Ethics and access - Tools for data collection - Effective data analysis - Discussing findings, concluding and writing up The expanded, insightfully redesigned second edition has a fully integrated  including student worksheets, annotated examples and links to SAGE Journals.

Gary Thomas also has an exciting new  in which he explains what’s new to this Second Edition. This popular book is ideal for anyone undertaking a research project in the applied social sciences. Available with   Perusall ―an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class
 is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective.  . 

Genres: Reference, Research, Textbooks, Academic

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Mick Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty clear and useful textbook, does what it says. Has a very good bibliography and recommendations for further reading

[Beverley Macmillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings research alive. Written in an accessible style that makes what can be rather challenging concepts, easier to understand. It certainly helped me to understand how to approach my research and I have since recommended it to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well organised, taking the reader methodically through embarking on a dissertation. Highly recommended for MA students.

[Mat Davies]

The author of this book sets a positive tone from the beginning. There is no pretension and an earthiness to the book which ought to make it quite inclusive. It covers the research process from introduction, project management all the way through tools and writing up you conclusion. There are many good aspects to this book and one critique that stayed with me whilst mind mapping it.

One positive is a considerable one and it is its accessibility. It explained the basics of (for example) quantitative or qualitative research methods or ways of seeing the world (ontology) and getting information about it (epistemology) in a way that made sense and could be expanded on with good references to positivist and interpretative writers.

However, the author does make references to 'great' sociologists and clearly tends towards interpretative ways of thinking and research. This is a popular way of researching in the social sciences, I think. That was the only negative. I thought that if a little more respect as given to positivism and some of the thinkers of the tradition then it would be something more valuable.

Of course, that is an opinion and ironically an interpretation. However, a simple check of the references and arguments would show that my analysis is accurate. Nevertheless, this really is a very good book and it does something which is very important. It offers a framework for learning by doing. Allow me to explain.

There is a very large section of the book that breaks methodology into two parts, namely 'approach' and 'research design' which allows one to absorb the points in bite-size chunks before moving onto the how to do it section. The examples with technology can be easily followed using a laptop and like with many sections of the book, it offers practical advice and technological solutions.

I really appreciate how the author managed to write a clear, practical and thoughtful book that encourages good values. He also slipped in a part of my favorite essay from George Orwell in the final section which explores how to write well. Therefore, in summary, I recommend this book which serves as an excellent platform on which to begin research.

[Stevedutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone about to embark on a research project in education or the social sciences will find this book invaluable. Thomas writes with a wealth of experience of supervising both masters and doctorate students so this comes, almost literally, from ‘the horse’s mouth’! Moreover, it is all carried off with a self-deprecating humour and lightness of touch that some of his more, self-importantly ostentatious peers could learn more than a thing or two from. That said it covers everything the graduate student will ever need about planning and conducting a research project and analyzing the resultant data from either a qualitative or quantitative perspective. Along the way you learn all you will ever need to about different research paradigms, such as positivism, socio-culturalism and interpretivism and how much you need to consider ontology and epistemology.

Thoroughly recommended!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have learned a lot from reading and making notes on this book which details different areas of your research project or dissertation. The areas are simple to understand and Thomas has made an effort to use uncomplicated language to explain concepts and ideas. I found the sections on methodology and interpretive methods appealing and they gave me a lot of ideas for my small project which I am in the process of planning. The chapter I found difficult concerned statistics which do not come naturally to me but he did explain them well, to a point when I would consider using them. What I did take from the project is that you shouldn't decide on the methods to use before doing the project as it should be done the other way around so that it fits together better. It may sound obvious but it helped me. I will recommend this book to others attempting a thesis or dissertation.

[Aza Zhag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I would rate this book as the most useful one for starting from.. It should be the initial point of any young researcher in social science. Thomas describes each step of research project in such a simplest way, that it is felt sometimes as you are having really useful tutorial with a supervisor. The author provides useful tricks of writing the whole dissertation work starting form research proposal, ending with conclusion and appendices section. The best one to start with, but other books are necessary, as this book provides only overviews of research aspects.

[mellyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got one with notes from a researcher I know. It's different when you are reading a book (I used to read the kindle version), in paper, with notes.

I am at the last stage of a research and still, I found it useful to read the guide again and again.

[Bew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent book to talk you through doing your research project.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

For uni work

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

it might be an old book but it is still very relevant and very easy to follow and understand.

[Aamir Durrani]

Right i have stared reading this book .