The Undergraduate Research Handbook by Wisker, Gina;

Short description:

For many students, independent research is both the most challenging and yet the most rewarding part of a degree. This practical text provides ideas, guidance and information on each stage of the process, from drafting research questions through to communicating your findings, and helps you to keep momentum going throughout your projects.

This fully updated second edition includes new content on critical and analytical thinking and the role of theory in research design. It also:

• Contains hands-on activities and top tips throughout, enabling you to try out new techniques and approaches to research as you go
  
• Gives supportive guidance on overcoming common problems such as writer’s block and managing deadlines
  
• Shows you what examiners are looking for and how to ensure your work meets their expectations
  

The Undergraduate Research Handbook seeks to enthuse and equip you in the art and craft of research. Based on the author’s first-hand experience of working with undergraduate students and teaching staff, it will ensure you achieve optimum results on your degree course.

Gina Wisker is Head of the Centre for Learning and Teaching at the University of Brighton. She has worked in educational development for over 25 years, and in 2005 was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for her work in learning support. She is the author of The Postgraduate Research Handbook, The Good Supervisor and Getting Published.

Long description:

This is a comprehensive guide to planning and producing high-quality dissertations, written assignments and project reports at undergraduate level. It supports students of all disciplines through each stage of the research process, from drafting questions and reviewing the literature through to collecting data and presenting their work. It provides practical guidance on common problems, including writer's block and managing deadlines, and contextualises this with examples of real students' experience of research.

This text will be invaluable to undergraduate students undertaking academic research in all subject areas.

New to this Edition:
- Features new and updated content on the internet and critical thinking, and analytical skills in relation to developing and following through with a research agenda

Table of Contents:

Glossary
Acknowledgements
Introduction
PART I: GETTING STARTED
The Enquiring Mind in Action
Starting Research
Good Research: The Essentials
International Students and Those New to Research Learning in Higher Education
Carrying Out Research for a Project or Dissertation
Putting Ethics into Practice
Research Paradigms, Theorising and Conceptual Frameworks
Writing a Research Proposal
Carrying Out a Literature Review: Engaging with the Literature
Research Methodology and Methods
Finding and Using Sources
Using the Internet for Research and Some Introductory Digital Technology
Quantitative Methods in Action: Questionnaires, Observation
Qualitative Methods in Action
Varieties of Research: Practitioner-Based and Action Research, Phenomenography and Ethnography, and Other Real-World Research
PART II: MANAGING PEOPLE AND PROCESSES
Collecting, Selecting, Organising and Analysing Data, Interpretation
Managing Your Lecturer or Supervisor/Advisor
Managing Your Time, Life, Paid Work and Research
PART III: WRITING AND MOVING ON
Researching and Writing in Different Disciplines
Developing Good Writing Habits
Writing Well, in the Right Shapes and Forms: the Authority of Your Research and Your Writing
Maintaining Momentum and Overcoming Difficulties with Time, Writing, Theorising the Project and the Research Process
What Do Examiners Look For? What Do Employers Look For? And How to Ensure Your Work Matches Their Expectations
Bibliography
Index.