A Quick Guide to Research Methods for Dissertations in Education

Are you about to start your dissertation in education? Not sure what methods to use? Providing you with an invaluable starting point, this book gives practical information about a variety of research methods, including their pros and cons, things you need to consider before using each method and crucially, what they are not suitable for. It looks at the most commonly used methods as well as some you might not have come across before.
Each chapter features examples and activities, and will help you answer these questions:
- What can this method tell me?
- When might I use it?
- What ethical issues do I need to consider?
- What is the key terminology I need to know?
- How can I design a dissertation project with this method?
- How do I analyse my data?
- What is this method not suitable for?
Written in uncomplicated language, it is a student-friendly resource to dip into, with links to further reading for more in-depth exploration of any particular method.

Abigail Parrish is Senior Lecturer in Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University, UK.
Ghazal Shaikh is Assistant Professor at the Institute of English Language and Literature at the University of Sindh, Pakistan.

Introduction: How to Use this Book, Abigail Parrish (University of Sheffield, UK) and Ghazal Shaikh (University of Sindh, Pakistan)
Part I: Commonly Used Methods
1. Interviews, Ghazal Shaikh (University of Sindh, Pakistan)
2. Focus groups, Elizabeth Bailey (University of Lincoln, UK)
3. Questionnaires, Abigail Parrish (University of Sheffield, UK)
4. Observations, Géraldine Bengsch (King's College London, UK)
Part II: Further Qualitative Methods
5. Document Analysis, Sheikha Al Sheyadi (Oman Tourism College, Oman)
6. Discourse Analysis, Asadullah Lashari (University of Sindh, Pakistan)
7. Ethnography, Ambreen Shahriar and Asadullah Lashari (University of Sindh, Pakistan)
8. Netnography, Kevin McLaughlin (Bishop Grosseteste University, UK)
9. Visual Data, Jayme Scally (University of Hawai'i at Manoa, USA)
10. Think-aloud Protocols Hassan Syed (Sukkur IBA University, Pakistan)
Part III: Further Quantitative Methods
11. Reaction time Methods, Jelena O'Reilly (University of York, UK)
12. Experimental Designs, Verónica García Castro (University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica)
References
Index