In this inspiring and engaging book, readers are presented with the key principles and practices of small-scale research. In addition, the book provides a peerless introduction to the key features involved in the process of research design and practice. Written in a clear, accessible way and drawing on exciting up-to-date examples, this book makes for a crucial companion on the way to research excellence.

Undertaking small-scale applied workplace-based research presents a unique set of challenges including how to conduct good research in time pressured situations and how to thrive in unfamiliar work environments. This book will help you to meet these challenges by setting out a step-by-step guide to planning, conducting and delivering top quality small-scale work-based research projects. In addition this book will help you to adapt quickly to your new surroundings. It will provide a strong strategic skill set that will enable you to navigate the workplace and ensure that your research findings inform organizational decision making. It tackles the challenge of conducting rigorous credible research FOR and WITHIN organizations and provides tangible advice for those looking to complete their research in very short time frames and with limited resources. Written by established academics, with significant experience coordinating industry/government placements and internships, the book will help you to bridge the gap between academic expectations and the requirements of the organisation, including the need to Develop a ‘pitch’ as well as a proposal; Produce powerful visualizations as well as logical narrative; Present practicable recommendations as well as findings/conclusions; Develop persuasive deliverables as well as traditional research reports; Create presentations that persuade as well as inform. Packed full of real-life examples, actionable advice and sensitive pedagogy this book will get you through your placement with confidence and style.

"This excellent book fills a significant gap in the literature supporting planning education by providing clear, succinct advice on the design and implementation of small-scale student research projects." - Chris Couch, Professor of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool "A perfect text for supervisors to give students so that they plan their research projects carefully rather than leap headlong into data collection." - Jean Hillier, Emeritus Professor of Sustainability and Urban Planning, RMIT University, Melbourne "Highly recommended... Ranging across topics such as planning a research programme and data management and the handling of ethical issues, the book will be very helpful to those embarking on a thesis or dissertation in the field." - Peter Fidler, President of the University of Sunderland Research Design in Urban Planning: A Student’s Guide is a brilliantly accessible guide to designing research for that all-important dissertation. Aimed at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this text will: · discuss research design, outlining the stages of the research process in clear detail and the key decisions which need to be taken at each stage · explain to students how to re-interpret policy issues as researchable questions, appropriate for investigation · look in detail at how researchers make their choice of methods, helping students to justify their own decisions · reveal the ethical dimension to such decisions in the context of a growing requirement for the ethical approval of student projects · review the issues for comparative studies – important not least because of student involvement in Erasmus programs and AESOP workshops Packed with case studies, exercises, illustrations and summaries, Research Design in Urban Planning is an invaluable resource for students undertaking their first substantial, individual investigations.

Clinical trials are used to elucidate the most appropriate preventive, diagnostic, or treatment options for individuals with a given medical condition. Perhaps the most essential feature of a clinical trial is that it aims to use results based on a limited sample of research participants to see if the intervention is safe and effective or if it is comparable to a comparison treatment. Sample size is a crucial component of any clinical trial. A trial with a small number of research participants is more prone to variability and carries a considerable risk of failing to demonstrate the effectiveness of a given intervention when one really is present. This may occur in phase I (safety and pharmacologic profiles), II (pilot efficacy evaluation), and III (extensive assessment of safety and efficacy) trials. Although phase I and II studies may have smaller sample sizes, they usually have adequate statistical power, which is the committee's definition of a "large" trial. Sometimes a trial with eight participants may have adequate statistical power, statistical power being the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when the hypothesis is false. Small Clinical Trials assesses the current methodologies and the appropriate situations for the conduct of clinical trials with small sample sizes. This report assesses the published literature on various strategies such as (1) meta-analysis to combine disparate information from several studies including Bayesian techniques as in the confidence profile method and (2) other alternatives such as assessing therapeutic results in a single treated population (e.g., astronauts) by sequentially measuring whether the intervention is falling above or below a preestablished probability outcome range and meeting predesigned specifications as opposed to incremental improvement.

Written with the needs of students uppermost, Small-Scale Research is a direct, comprehensive guide for students doing theses, dissertations, papers and projects. It systematically works through the central methods of inquiry and demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.

Small-scale Research in Primary Schools provides guidance and inspiration for students and practitioners undertaking practical investigations and workplace enquiry in the primary school. The 30 chapters are carefully selected to illustrate a range of approaches to educational enquiry, and are particularly relevant to the range of practitioners who may carry out school-based research as part of a course of study: teachers, trainee- and newly-qualified teachers, teaching assistants, learning mentors and staff who support children with individual needs. Research topics addressed in chapters include children’s learning in the core curriculum subjects as well as themes central to teaching and learning. Important concepts and terminology are highlighted throughout. More specifically, areas of research explored include: Play Special Educational Needs Working with parents and families English as an Additional Language Creativity Language development Learning environments Small-scale Research in Primary Schools provides a straightforward, highly accessible introduction to enquiry approaches and research methodologies, and the questions and challenges adults in schools encounter about children’s learning. It shows how small-scale research in primary education can impact on professional thinking and learning. It aims to provide constructive support for students and practitioners in extending their knowledge and understanding through workplace enquiry.

This is a complete guide to the concept mapping methodology and strategies behind using it for a broad range of social scientists - including students, researchers and practitioners.