Research Methods in InformationThe 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. |
Contents
Part 1 Starting the research process | 3 |
Chapter 1 Major research paradigms | 5 |
Chapter 2 Reviewing literature | 25 |
Chapter 3 Defining the research | 39 |
Chapter 4 The research proposal | 49 |
Chapter 5 Sampling | 59 |
Chapter 6 Research data management | 71 |
Chapter 7 Ethics in research | 87 |
Chapter 15 Historical research | 167 |
method or analysis? | 179 |
Part 3 Data collection techniques | 191 |
Chapter 17 Interviews | 195 |
Chapter 18 Questionnaires | 207 |
Chapter 19 Observation | 225 |
Chapter 20 Diaries | 235 |
Chapter 21 Focus groups | 243 |
Part 2 Research methods | 99 |
Chapter 8 Case studies | 101 |
Chapter 9 Surveys | 111 |
Chapter 10 Experimental research | 119 |
Chapter 11 Usability testing | 127 |
Chapter 12 Ethnography | 135 |
Chapter 13 Delphi study | 149 |
Chapter 14 Action research | 157 |