Practical Research: Planning and Design, CourseSmart eTextbook, 10th Edition

Written in uncommonly engaging and elegant prose, this text is a "do-it-yourself, understand-it-yourself” manual designed to help students in any discipline understand the fundamental structure of quality research and the methodical process that leads to valid and reliable results. It guides the reader, step-by-step, from the selection of a problem, through the process of conducting authentic research, to the preparation of a completed report, with practical suggestions based on a solid theoretical framework and sound pedagogy. Suitable as the core text in any introductory research course or even for self-instruction, this text will show students two things: 1) that quality research demands planning and design; and, 2) how their own research projects can be executed effectively and professionally.

PART I: THE FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1. The Nature and Tools of Research

PART II: FOCUSING YOUR RESEARCH EFFORTS
Chapter 2. The problem: the Heart of the Research Process
Chapter 3. Review of the Related Literature
Chapter 4. Planning Your Research Project
Chapter 5. Writing the Research Proposal

PART III: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
Chapter 6. Qualitative Research
Chapter 7. Historical Research

PART IV: QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
Chapter 8. Descriptive Research
Chapter 9. Experimental, Quasi-Experimental, and Ex Post Facto Designs
Chapter 10. Mixed-Methods Research
Chapter 11. Strategies for Analyzing Quantitative Data

PART V: PREPARING THE RESEARCH REPORT
Chapter 12. Technical Details: Style, Format, and Organization of the Research Report

APPENDICES
Appendix A. Using a Spreadsheet: Microsoft Excel
Appendix B. Using SPSS

REFERENCES