The Facet LIS Textbook Collection: Research Methods in Information

Description

The long-awaited 2nd edition of this best-selling research methods handbook is fully updated and includes brand new coverage of online research methods and techniques, mixed methodology and qualitative analysis.  This edition includes two new contributed chapters: Professor Julie McLeod, Sue Childs and Elizabeth Lomas focus on research data management, applying evidence from the recent JISC funded ‘DATUM’ project; Dr Andrew Shenton examines strategies for analysing existing documents.  The first to focus entirely on the needs of the information and communications community, this handbook guides the would-be researcher through the variety of possibilities open to them under the heading ‘research’ and provides students with the confidence to embark on their dissertations. The focus here is on the ‘doing’ and although the philosophy and theory of research is explored to provide context, this is essentially a practical exploration of the whole research process with each chapter fully supported by examples and exercises tried and tested over a whole teaching career. Readership: Students of information and communications studies and archives and records management, and practitioners beginning a piece of research. Title page Contents Preface to the second edition Acknowledgements Introduction Setting the context The research hierarchy Overview of contents Part 1 Starting the research process Chapter 1 Major research paradigms Introduction Positivist research Postpositivism and mixed methods research (MMR) Interpretivist research Qualitative or quantitative methodology? Qualitative research design Quantitative research design Mixed methods research Criteria for judging research Establishing trustworthiness in qualitative research Establishing rigour in quantitative research Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 2 Reviewing literature Introduction Information searching and retrieval Evaluation Critical analysis Synthesizing the research: developing a theoretical framework Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 3 Defining the research Introduction Designing a conceptual framework The research hypothesis Research aims and objectives Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 4 The research proposal Why write a proposal? Structure of a research proposal The proposal as a research framework Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 5 Sampling Why sample? Population and sample Probability sampling Purposive sampling Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 6 Research data management Introduction – research data and its management challenges Why is research data management important? The research process, data lifecycles and research data management How do I manage my research data? Summary Websites referred to in this chapter Suggested further reading Chapter 7 Ethics in research Introduction Gaining access to the field Informed consent Anonymity or confidentiality? Protecting participants Ethics online Summary Suggested further reading Part 2 Research methods Chapter 8 Case studies Introduction Phases in case study research (see Example 8.1, page 109) Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 9 Surveys Introduction Descriptive surveys Explanatory surveys The survey process Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 10 Experimental research Introduction The nature of causality The true experiment Quasi-experimental design: the ‘effects study’ Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 11 Usability testing Introduction Quasi-experimental usability studies Cognitive walkthroughs Heuristic evaluation Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 12 Ethnography Introduction Components of ethnographic study Virtual ethnography – ‘netnography’ Ethics in ethnography Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 13 Delphi study Introduction The Delphi process Rules of a Delphi study Modifying a Delphi study Delphi studies and new technologies Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 14 Action research Introduction The action research cycle Trustworthiness in action research Action research as reflective practice Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 15 Historical research Introduction The research process Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 16 Grounded theory: method or analysis? Introduction Defining grounded theory Summary Suggested further reading Part 3 Data collection techniques Chapter 17 Interviews Introduction What is the purpose of an interview? The seven stages of the interview process Online interviewing Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 18 Questionnaires Introduction Designing questionnaires Developing questions Scale items Forms of questionnaire Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 19 Observation Introduction The role of the observer Recording what you see; going in with signposts Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 20 Diaries Introduction The purpose of diaries in research Participant diaries The researcher’s log Structure and recording Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 21 Focus groups Introduction Purpose of a focus group Organizing a focus group Online focus groups Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 22 Analysis of existing, externally created material Introduction The different supporting roles of documents LIS research principally based on documents Citation analysis Logs associated with computer software and the use of ICT Summary Suggested further reading Part 4 Data analysis and research presentation Chapter 23 Qualitative analysis Introduction Phenomenological strategies Ethnographic methods Narrative and discourse analysis Constant comparative analysis Memo writing Presenting qualitative findings Software for qualitative analysis Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 24 Quantitative analysis Introduction Levels of measurement Frequency distribution Cross-tabulation Measures of central tendency Measures of dispersion Correlation Displaying data Testing for statistical significance Software for quantitative analysis Summary Suggested further reading Chapter 25 Presenting the research Introduction Planning the final report Form and structure Summary Suggested further reading Part 5 Glossary and references Glossary of research terms References and furtherreading Index