Machine generated contents note: pt. 1 PLANNING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT -- 1.So You're Going To Do A Research Project -- The dominance of research findings in our lives -- Becoming a researcher -- The basic rules -- Qualitative and quantitative research methods -- Are you ready to be a good project manager? -- Are you on message? -- The nature of research -- 2.Let's Make A Start -- Choosing a topic and turning it into a question -- Practicalities -- Selecting your methodology -- Fourteen ways of `doing research' -- Conclusion -- 3.Preparing For A Successful Research Project -- Clarify your own ideas -- Make time for an exploratory stage -- Find out how people will react to your method -- Do a literature review -- Consider issues of ethics and access -- Prepare a final draft of your research instrument -- Carry out a pilot study -- Put it all together in a timed road map -- pt. 2 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH -- 4.The Principles Of Sampling -- Types of sample -- Probability samples --

Contents note continued: Non-probability samples -- Representativeness and bias -- When you come to write your report... -- 5.Carrying Out Your Survey -- Twenty quality questions for carrying out a successful survey -- An exercise -- 6.Questionnaires -- Questionnaires are driven by the researcher's own agenda -- The researcher has a professional obligation to maintain high standards -- A note on surveying online -- 7.The Art And Science Of Survey Interviewing -- The initial encounter -- Interviews should give respondents freedom to use their own words -- The principles of good practice -- The design of interview schedules -- Examples drawn from six classes of interview data -- Preparing your interview schedule -- Some useful terms explained -- 8.Analysing Your Survey Data -- Step 1 Think design, think analysis -- Step 2 Living with your data -- Step 3 Data entry using SPSS -- Step 4 Don't despise your frequency distributions -- Step 5 Consider your options for further analysis --

Contents note continued: Step 6 Cross-tabulations -- Step 7 Third variable analysis -- Step 8 Comparing numerical values: measures of central tendency -- Step 9 Comparing numerical values: correlations and rank order -- Step 10 Probability -- Step 11 Dealing with open-ended questions -- Step 12 Drawing your analysis to a close -- 9.Testing For Statistical Significance: Into More Complex Territory -- Eight useful ways of testing for statistical significance -- Testing for significance in cross-tabs -- Comparing differences between means -- Comparing pairs of scores in matched samples -- Testing for significance in correlations -- 10.A Quantitative Researcher's Briefing Sheet -- A concise glossary for quantitative researchers -- pt. 3 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH -- 11.Studying A Small Sample -- Why study a small sample? -- Identifying your research question -- Qualitative research is dynamic and interactive -- Strategic sampling -- Gathering your core sample --

Contents note continued: Factors to take into account in gathering your sample -- The strategic approach to research planning -- 12.Qualitative Research Interviewing -- How will you present yourself? -- Having a base -- Unstructured or semi-structured interviewing with a small sample -- The impact of the research interviewer -- What kinds of questions are suitable for use with a small sample? -- Recording your interview -- Interviewing online -- Some of the ideas on offer -- 13.There Is More To Qualitative Research Than Interviewing -- Ethnography and the anthropological tradition -- Participant observation -- Insider research -- Non-participant observation -- Focus groups -- Content analysis -- Case studies -- N = 1 explorations -- 14.Analysing Qualitative Data -- Content analysis of the answers to open-ended questions -- Interpretive content analysis of complete interviews -- Observation -- Focus groups -- Case studies -- Triangulation and multiple (or mixed) methods --

Contents note continued: NUD*IST, NVivo and computer analyses -- 15.A Qualitative Researcher's Briefing Sheet -- The language of qualitative research -- A concise glossary for qualitative researchers -- A cautionary view -- pt. 4 THE LAST LAP -- 16.Writing Your Report -- How to produce a successful report -- Presenting your findings in a quantitative research study -- Presenting your findings in a qualitative research study -- Postscript: Over to you.