Encouraging critical consideration of research design, the book guides readers step-by-step through the process of planning and undertaking a research project based on documentary analysis. It covers selecting a research topic and sample through to analysing and writing up the data.

In today’s society we increasingly create and consume written content and images. This includes a range of sources, from social media posts to records held within organisations, and everything in between, including news articles, blogs, shopping lists and official government documents. Critically reading these ‘documents’ can help us to understand a huge amount about society. Doing Excellent Social Research with Documents includes guidance on how to ‘read between the lines’, and provides an overview of six research projects which use documents as data. The substantive chapters are organised in two sections, with each chapter focused on a specific type of data. Section one focuses on documents that are found in isolation from their authors, including official and historical documents, traditional media, diaries and online content. Section two focuses on using documents in addition to existing data from primary research, including the role of documents in ethnography and visual research methods. In each chapter, you will be guided through the process of: Developing research questions, and how this impacts on which documents are selected; Considering aspects of bias and quality within the documentary sources; Undertaking analysis using six different strategies including thematic analysis, framework analysis, content analysis, discourse analysis and narrative analysis. Drawing on research projects which reflect real world situations, you will be methodically guided through the research process in detail, enabling you to examine and understand the practices and value of a range of documentary analysis approaches. Doing Excellent Social Research with Documents is a practical how-to guide for students (final year undergraduates onwards) and researchers using documents as data.

The ultimate companion to successfully completing your research project, the author guides you through a step-by-step approach to research and provides all of the skills and momentum you need to excel. Each stage of a project is clearly set out with best practice highlighted alongside pragmatic advice for tackling research in the real world. The Third Edition uses multidisciplinary case studies, and examples from the author’s own experience, to answer your questions and support your progress as you move smoothly through each stage. With a new chapter on mixed methods approaches, more on disseminating research, more on the practical and legal implications of ethics and more international examples, the book is packed full of learning features and tools to support your journey, including: A fully-developed website with podcasts, videos, journal articles and examples of real projects Activities and worksheets to help you organize your time Learning objectives to sustain your momentum Top tips relating to key research skills Full glossary to test understanding and provide definitions Annotated further reading to help you move through the literature ‘Excuse me, I have a question!’ feature to answer common questions. Warm, innovative and clever, this book is packed full of must-have information for anyone doing a research project.

This book provides information about the key areas needed for a successful project. It includes software skills, developing research objectives, writing proposals, literature reviews, getting ethics approval, seeking funding, managing a project, communicating research findings, and writing reports. There is also a chapter on working as an independent researcher. The book includes numerous examples, checklists, and practical exercises designed to assist the learning of research skills and the completion of crucial project tasks. It covers procedures needed for conducting projects electronically and accessing information from the Internet.

Doing your Research Project is the market leading book for students across the social sciences conducting small scale research projects.

"This new edition retains the excellent structure and tone of previous editions whilst bringing the text and examples up to date, reflecting the changing and dynamic social world we live and research in." Dr Steven Gascoigne, Assistant Professor, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Warwick, UK "This book combines theoretical knowledge and practical skills with case studies, examples, and reflections in one easy-to-read book... A must for novice researchers." Dr Christina Cooper, Assistant Professor in Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, UK Now on its eighth edition, Doing Your Research Project remains the authoritative guide to conducting an outstanding research project. Guiding readers through each stage of the research journey, this book gives students the confidence to successfully conceptualise and complete their research. Written in its trademark, student-friendly style, each chapter includes reflective questions to help students apply the advice to their own work. The authors cover a range of disciplines and methodologies, empowering students to make an informed choice about what best suits their research. While retaining its most-loved features from previous editions, the latest edition: Provides updated coverage of digital research techniques Examines the nature of research and the roles that researchers occupy Expands the discussion of research methods This bestselling resource is the ultimate companion to any research project, whether you are a first-time or experienced researcher. Practical, clear and concise, Doing Your Research Project is vital reading for anyone embarking on a research project.

An invaluable tool for anyone carrying out a research project We all learn to do research by actually doing it, but a great deal of time and effort can be wasted and goodwill dissipated by inadequate preparation. This book provides beginner researchers with the tools to do the job, to help them avoid some of the pitfalls and time-wasting false trails, and to establish good research habits. It takes researchers from the stage of choosing a topic through to the production of a well-planned, methodologically sound, and well-written final report or thesis on time. It is written in plain English and makes no assumptions about previous knowledge. This new edition of Doing Your Research Project includes: Coverage of latest techniques such as grounded theory A new chapter on ethics Increased examples from health studies New referencing, library searching, and literature review chapters Completely updated references throughout This book serves as a guide to good practice for beginner researchers in any discipline embarking on undergraduate or postgraduate study, and for professionals in such fields as social science, education, and health.