The Postgraduate Research Handbook by
This lively and rigorous book provides guidance on planning and conducting postgraduate research. Divided into four parts, each of which looks at a different stage of the process, it covers everything from choosing a research area and selecting appropriate methodologies to analysing data and learning from feedback. Chapters contain both active and reflective tasks to help readers develop the skills needed to produce a high-quality dissertation or thesis and offer supportive advice on establishing successful working relationships with supervisors and peers. Clear and accessible in its approach, this book is an indispensable introduction to successful research for postgraduates of all disciplines.
Novice Writers and Scholarly Publication by
This book draws on the perspectives of authors, supervisors, reviewers and editors to present a rich, nuanced picture of the practices and challenges involved in writing for scholarly publication. Organized into four sections, it brings together international experts and junior scholars from a variety of disciplines to examine both publishing experiences and current research in the field. In doing so, it challenges the view that Native English speakers have a relatively easy ride in this process and that it is only English as an Additional Language (EAL) scholars who experience difficulties. The volume highlights central themes of writing for publication, including mentoring and collaborative writing, the writing experience, text mediation, the review process, journal practices and editorial decision-making, and makes a strong case for taking a more inclusive approach to research in this domain. This edited collection will appeal to students and scholars of applied linguistics, English for academic purposes, academic writing, and second language writing.
A Guide to Argumentative Research Writing and Thinking by
Research is difficult. Even though students are trained in the basic research methodology skills, when confronted with research writing, it feels to them as if they enter a bizarre world, with its own language and conventions, where it is hard to get things right. This book translates the apparent complexities of research writing into everyday ideas, language and skills, and will enable novice researchers to start overcoming the major stumbling blocks immediately. This book focuses only on the greatest challenges in research writing, specifically those that supervisors find most difficult to explain to novice researchers. These challenges include both basic and more complex skills, such as: finding original research contributions; establishing one¿s voice while drawing on other authors; turning a vague idea into a feasible research question; generating literature reviews that are original in themselves; and avoiding list-like writing when discussing the research methodology. Wentzel shows that it is easier to overcome these challenges, not with lists of prescriptions that are difficult to remember while writing, but rather by cultivating an argumentative mindset. Not only is such a mindset much easier to maintain, but it offers a central point around which one can organise any difficult writing task. The book shows how to use the argumentative mindset to approach every important writing challenge. It translates all the necessary skills into jargon-free language using a variety of visuals and simple step-by-step procedures that will enable any person to read the book quickly and start writing immediately. The book is accompanied by a website containing an instructor¿s manual with guidance on the teaching and assessment of research writing, as well as lecture slides.
Writing the Literature Review by
This accessible text provides a roadmap for producing a high-quality literature review--an integral part of a successful thesis, dissertation, term paper, or grant proposal. Each step of searching for, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing prior studies is clearly explained and accompanied by user-friendly suggestions, organizational tips, vignettes, and examples of student work. Also featured are excerpts from peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods articles. This is the first book to focus on crafting different types of reviews (systematic, traditional-narrative, or hermeneutic-phenomenological) that reflect the writer's research question, methodological choices, and approaches to knowledge. It describes what all reviews have in common and highlights distinct characteristics of each type. The book includes dos and don'ts for evaluating studies and constructing an argument, and software suggestions for locating, organizing, and arranging sources. Pedagogical Features *Checklists and "To Do" activities that break down key steps to take. *Boxed examples, graphics that organize and visually illustrate key concepts, and summary tables. *Group activities that invite students to further explore and apply the methods discussed in each chapter. *Detailed directions for using four different organizing strategies: synthesis matrix, summary table, mapping, and topic outline. *End-of-chapter summaries and "What's Next" sections. *Assessment matrices for reviewing and refining the completed literature review.
Write More, Publish More, Stress Less! by
In this book Dr. Dannelle D. Stevens offers five key principles that will bolster your knowledge of academic writing, enable you to develop a manageable, sustainable, and even enjoyable writing practice, and, in the process, effectively increase your publication output and promote your academic career. A successful and productive book and journal article author, writing coach, creator of a nationally-recognized, cross-disciplinary faculty writing program, and with a long career as a faculty member and experience as a department chair, Dr. Stevens offers a unique combination of motivation, reflective practices, analytical tools, templates, and advice to set you on the path to being a productive and creative writer. Drawing on her experience as a writer and on her extensive research into the psychology of writing and the craft of scholarly writing, Dr. Stevens starts from the premise that most faculty have never been taught to write and that writers, both experienced and novice, frequently experience anxiety and self-doubt that erode confidence. She begins by guiding readers to understand themselves as writers and discover what has impeded or stimulated them in the past to establish positive new attitudes and sustainable habits. Dr. Stevens provides strategies for setting doable goals, organizing a more productive writing life, and demonstrates the benefits of writing groups, including offering a variety of ways in which you can experiment with collaborative practice. In addition, she offers a series of reflections, exercises, and activities to spark your writing fluency and creativity. Whether developing journal articles, book chapters, book proposals, book reviews, or conference proposals, this book will help you demystify the hidden structures and common patterns in academic writing and help you match your manuscript to the language, structures, and conventions of your discipline--be it in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities. Most importantly, believing that connecting your passions with your work is essential to stimulating your ideas and enthusiasm, this essential guide offers you the knowledge and skills to write more.
How to Do Your Research Project by
How to Do Your Research Project continues to lead the way as an essential guide for anyone undertaking a research project in the applied social sciences. The new Third Edition of this best-selling title now includes further advice on concluding, writing, and presenting research, using social media and digital methods, and understanding how to effectively work with supervisors. Setting out a clear and detailed road map, author Gary Thomas guides the reader through the different stages of a research project, explaining key steps, and processes at each level in refreshingly jargon-free terms. Readers will learn: How to choose your research question Project management and study skills Effective literature reviews Methodology, theory, and research design frames Ethics and access Data collection tools Effective data analysis Discussing findings, concluding, and writing up Available with Perusall--an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. Learn more.
Practical Research by
An engaging, cross-disciplinary guide to research methodology Practical Research: Planning and Design is a do-it-yourself, how-to manual for planning and conducting research. Suitable for a wide variety of courses in basic research methodology, the book uses a conversational tone, step-by-step instructions, and practical suggestions to guide the reader from the selection of a problem to the preparation of a completed report. The 12th Edition has been updated to include the latest technology-based strategies and online tools. Other key changes include a better balance between quantitative and qualitative methods and the addition of a new chapter on action research. Also available with MyLab Education MyLab(tm) is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student. MyLab Education helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice--better preparing them for success in their future endeavors. Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab Education does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab Education, ask your instructor to confirm the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information. If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab Education, search for: 0134802764 / 9780134802763 Practical Research: Planning and Design plus MyLab Education with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package Package consists of: 0134775651 / 9780134775654 Practical Research: Planning and Design 0134776186 / 9780134776187 MyLab Education with Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Practical Research: Planning and Design