Graduate level research requires an advanced level of skills in identifying, gathering, organizing, analyzing and synthesizing information, and creating and communicating new knowledge.
At the graduate level of research, discipline specific research knowledge is often required, as well as general work productivity skills, for example, time management, team building, and stress management.
Find resources to help you through this process:
Understand your responsibilities
Conduct your literature search & gather sources
Academic writing conventions
Manage your data
Graduate thesis publishing
Publish your work
Present your work
General resources to get you started with the research process include:
Understanding Quantitative Data in Educational Research by
This book is designed to help you gain confidence in analysing and interpreting quantitative data and using appropriate statistical tests, by exploring, in plain language, a variety of data analysis methods. Highly practical, each chapter includes step-by-step instructions on how to run specific statistical tests using R, practical tips on how to interpret results correctly and exercises to put into practice what you have learned. It also includes guidance on how to use R and RStudio, how to visualise quantitative data, and the fundamentals of inferential statistics, estimations and hypothesis testing.
A Beginner's Guide to Scientific Method by
This concise yet comprehensive guide provides an introduction to the scientific method of inquiry. You will not only learn about the proper conduct of science but also how to recognize and question factors such as pseudoscience, untestable explanations and fallacies. Compact enough to be used as a supplementary book, yet comprehensive enough in its coverage to be used as a core book, this book assists users in using the scientific method to design and assess experiments.
The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project by
The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project gives students the knowledge and skills they need to get from ′clueless′ to ′completed′. This highly readable text guides the reader through each stage of their research project, from getting started to writing up, with each chapter clearly explaining a step along the way. Based on the author′s hugely popular The Essential Guide to Doing Research, this new book retains the warmth, wit and grounded nature of the first, while providing tools to help students through the ins and outs of their own projects, and addressing the key questions students need to tackle, such as: - What is this thing called research and why do it? - How can I assure that my research project has integrity? - How to I develop a researchable question? - How do I construct a winning proposal? - What exactly is expected in a literature review? - What options are there in qualitative, quantitative, mixed and more purposive methodological designs? - Is it best to work with a sample, key informants, or a case? - What data collection options are there and how do I choose? - How should I work with my quantitative data? - What should I do with my qualitative data? - How in the world will I capture this on paper? This is an inspiring book full of down-to-earth advice, illuminating figures and diagrams and engaging real life examples. With this book as your personal mentor, a successfully completed research project is well within reach. Zina O′Leary is an applied social scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Western Sydney. She is the author of Researching Real-World Problems and The Social Science Jargon Buster.
They Say / I Say by
Used and loved by millions of students for its lively and practical advice, this is the book that shows the key rhetorical moves in academic writing and explains how to engage with the views of others. With a new chapter on researching conversations, new exercises, expanded support for reading, and a substantially revised chapter on how to revise, this edition of "They Say / I Say" is an even more practical companion for students than ever before.
The Craft of Research by
With more than 400,000 copies now in print, The Craft of Research is the unrivaled resource for researchers at every level, from first-year undergraduates to research reporters at corporations and government offices. Seasoned researchers and educators Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams present an updated third edition of their classic handbook, whose first and second editions were written in collaboration with the late Wayne C. Booth. The Craft of Research explains how to build an argument that motivates readers to accept a claim; how to anticipate the reservations of readers and to respond to them appropriately; and how to create introductions and conclusions that answer that most demanding question, “So what?” The third edition includes an expanded discussion of the essential early stages of a research task: planning and drafting a paper. The authors have revised and fully updated their section on electronic research, emphasizing the need to distinguish between trustworthy sources (such as those found in libraries) and less reliable sources found with a quick Web search. A chapter on warrants has also been thoroughly reviewed to make this difficult subject easier for researchers Throughout, the authors have preserved the amiable tone, the reliable voice, and the sense of directness that have made this book indispensable for anyone undertaking a research project.