1st Edition
Doing Academic Research A Practical Guide to Research Methods and Analysis
Online student resource material cab be accessed under the 'Support Materials' tab at https://www.routledge.com/9780367207939
Doing Academic Research is a concise, accessible, and tightly organized overview of the research process in the humanities, social sciences, and business. Conducting effective scholarly research can seem like a frustrating, confusing, and unpleasant experience. Early researchers often have inconsistent knowledge and experience, and can become overwhelmed – reducing their ability to produce high quality work.
Rather than a book about research, this is a practical guide to doing research. It guides budding researchers along the process of developing an effective workflow, where to go for help, and how to actually complete the project. The book addresses diversity in abilities, interest, discipline, and ways of knowing by focusing not just on the process of conducting any one method in detail, but also on the ways in which someone might choose a research method and conduct it successfully. Finally, it emphasizes accessibility and approachability through real-world examples, key insights, tips, and tricks from active researchers.
This book is a highly useful addition to both content area courses and research methods courses, as well as a practical guide for graduate students and independent scholars interested in publishing their research.
List of Figures
Preface: Two Professors and a Librarian Walk into a Bar….
Part 1: Get the Party Started Right
Chapter 1. Learn to Love, Not Dread, Research
Chapter 2. Where Do I Start?
Chapter 3. Now What Do I Do? What’s a Lit Review?
Chapter 4. Choosing a Method
Part 2: Methodology Overviews
Chapter 5. Close Textual and Thematic Analysis
Chapter 6. Content and Discourse Analysis
Chapter 7. Ethnography, Interviews, and Focus Groups
Chapter 8. Surveys
Chapter 9. Observational Methods in Practice (Participatory-action Research, Experimental Research, Theory, and Meta-synthesis)
Part 3: Data Analysis and The Final Push
Chapter 10. Analyzing Qualitative Methods and Making Sense of Detail
Chapter 11. Analyzing Quantitative Data and Making Sense of Numbers
Chapter 12. Persuasion, Presentation, and Publication
Glossary
Index
Biography
Ted Gournelos is Associate Professor at Old Dominion University, USA, specializing in cultural studies, digital media, and strategic communication. As CEO of the consulting firm Story | Strategy, he works with organizations to fuse success and social progress. His broad background in media, culture, and business helps him bridge the gaps between education and application.
Joshua R. Hammonds is Assistant Professor at Rollins College, USA, specializing in interpersonal and professional communication. His teaching and consulting work focus on the management of relationships through both qualitative and quantitative methods. He currently develops research interventions to improve communication competency in the medical industry and increase employee engagement in the corporate world.
Maridath A. Wilson is Assistant Professor and E-Resources and Serials Librarian at Rollins College, USA. She specializes in electronic resources management and information literacy instruction to students of the humanities and social sciences. She is interested in issues of constructed authority, as well as the work of demystifying the research process.
