How to Do Research : The Practical Guide to Designing and Managing Research Projects

• ”. Some begin with a clear concern about an issue. Many others start from a general interest in a topic and then need to refine and shape their interest into something researchable.” ⤴️
• “In-house researchers are usu- ally asked to conduct research into a specific topic or issue,” ⤴️
• “Other professional research- ers are given an extensive brief or specification which describes what the commissioning body expects to achieve from the research. Even here, though, it is necessary to think through exactly what the research issue is.” ⤴️
• “What are you trying to achieve? • What are the important issues? • Who will benefit from, or be affected by the project? • What things will change as a result of the project? • Why has the project been established?” ⤴️
• “Despite all the complexity, what is it that you are really interested in? • Are there any issues that can be left to another occasion? • Are there things that are simply not capable of measurement?” ⤴️
• “statement is clear, unambiguous and expressed in a single sentence.” ⤴️
• “it may well be that you have more than one piece of research in mind or that you are building in too much complexity from the outset.” ⤴️
• “Everyone associ- ated with the research should share an unambiguous understanding of what it is all about. And you need to start with something simple because things get much more complex later on.” ⤴️
• “Having articulated the overall aim of the project, the next step is to specify the objectives that will have to be achieved in order to reach or satisfy the ultimate aim of the research.” ⤴️
• “think through a chronological sequence: what has to be done first, what will come second, and so on.” ⤴️
• ”, developing and adapting research instruments that had been used by others” ⤴️
• “You could go on to add a final objective, stating that you will analyse the results and produce a report containing recommendations for action. But this can often be assumed.” ⤴️
• “Expressing specific objectives in this way forces you, from the outset, to think through how you will approach the research.” ⤴️
• “It provides a framework for the selection of the most appropriate methods and, critically, it enables you to begin the task of planning and costing the work.” ⤴️
• “Clear objectives also help funders, research workers and the subjects of research to understand what is going on and to appreciate how each component fits into the whole picture.” ⤴️
• “The starting point is the definition of the research issue. This can be clarified by asking a series of questions: • What are you trying to achieve? • What are the important issues? • Who will benefit from, or be affected by the project? • What things will change as a result of the project? It is usually necessary to refine things further by asking: • Despite all the complexity, what is it that you are really interested in? • Are there any issues that can be left to another occasion? • Are there things that are simply not capable of measurement? It should then be possible to articulate the research aim. This should describe the essence of the project in a single clear, unambiguous sentence. The next step is to specify the objectives.” ⤴️