COP3 _ Organising Your Research Lecture

"Doing your research project" - Useful Book to organising your research.



Approaches to research


Take a step back - what are  you doing? what do you want to achieve?
what research methods are appropriate?


Quantitative or Qualitative?


Quantitative - statistical data , numerical results, graphs. markets and trends, a body of people on mass, what they think and how they react. surveys, questionnaires.

Qualitative - content, ideas, theory and philosophy.

Which is more important to your project? Most efficient and most valid.
You only need what is relevant to what your doing.

Practice based methods, Library based Methods, Data Gathering.



Action Research 

A circle process of coming up with ideas, research themes and testing them out in real world situations and reflecting on those situations (reflective diaries, research logs) finding results and applying them to do it again, but better.




Planning the Project 

An organised and clear, detailed project plan. A Plan for the module that covers all basis until submission.

- Write down all questions your investigating. Everything you think is interesting.
- Consider each on their merits and focus on two (primary and secondary)
- Find a focus - One central driving question or theme and a related secondary question that might come into play.
- Write an A4 first thoughts sheet for each question.
- What is the purpose of the study? Is your question researchable? Purpose :  How powerful branding can be? Branding has no morals attached to it. It can be used for good and bad.
- Decide on a 'working title'. a thesis thats answerable.



Project Outline

- Consider timing
- DEADLINE - 12 weeks today
- Consider holidays / work / life
- Think about the aspects of your title that need addressing

- Research into Theories  - Freud, Marxist
- Allocate timings for everything
- Allow generous time for reading and writing up core elements.



Literature Search

- Key Themes
- Key Material on Topic
- What are the Key arguments
- All material that is already out there on what your investigating.
- Pick the essential books that link to the topic.
- From these essential texts, look t secondary sources, critisims of these texts.
- Focussed triagulation. Use sources to cross-reference and cross-crtique.

jsotr.org - JOURNALS





Organise Research 


- Record the books your looking at and reference properly from the start.
- put them into categories, what is the point of the books, main themes.
- How can you use them? How is it relevant to your research?

- You need to understand the key arguments, opinions on the subject. Are you going to support or challenge these views?



Re-cap

- Working Title
- Literature Search
- Organised Document



Ethics

- Consider the ethical side of your project.
- Don't offend or harm anyone.

- does your research involve human participants? If so have you taken care to ensure no harm can be done to them.
- are you involving people who are vulnerable. example children. do you need consent?
- discussion into sensitive topics?


REFERENCE EVERYTHING PROPERLY AND DIGITALLY STRAIGHT AWAY. COMPILE BIBLIOGRAPHY.





Questionnaires

- is it relevant? is there a rationale for it? theres lots of other ways. you need to think about questions and discuss with a supervisor.
- they need to be precise questions.
- they can't have assumptions behind them. or leading in any way.
- dont as questions that lead to other questions.

- Question type? Yes, No, Maybe. A Scale. Etc.
- Think about the format and appearance. It needs to look good and easy to fill out. Also think about sample size.
- Set a deadline for getting it back
- Record and collate responses.


Interviews

- is it the best way?

Observation





Critical / Reflective Log, Diary, or Research File. 


- treat this seriously.
- what is the purpose?
- be disciplined. update it regularly.
-  target it to the purpose of your study.





Checklist

- Don't Procrastinate
- Plan Research Methods Carefully
- Appropriate Methods of Research
- Self Assess Ethically
- Document all processes your doing. (BLOG)

- Detailed project outline and stick to it!
- Maximise opportunities to speak to supervisor.