Related Web Links

Part I Before You Start

Websites on topics covered in Part I of the book (Chapters 1 to 3)

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General - of general use when starting to think about doing your project

The Guide to the Best of the Web for Social Science
www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/
INTUTE: Social Sciences (is an absolutely invaluable resource for anyone carrying out a research project using social science methods.

The Web Center for Social Research Methods
www.socialresearchmethods.net/
A very useful and wide-ranging compendium of resources developed by Bill Trochim from Cornell. Aimed at people involved in applied social research and evaluation. Lots of resources and links to other locations on the Web that deal in applied social research methods.

Final Year Projects
http://final-year-projects.com/
Down to earth advice on completing a final year project for business students, but generally applicable. Mainly focused on ‘desk' or library-based projects. Written by Mike Hart, University of Winchester.

The Social Science Undergraduate Dissertation Companion
www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/
Covers all aspects of completing projects in sociology, anthropology, politics, social policy, social work and criminology. Well worth studying. Edited by Malcolm Todd from Sheffield Hallam University.

Research methods and methodology
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/methods.html#ms
Wide-ranging, engagingly quirky with extensive set of links. written for sociologists but of general interest. The home page (‘A Sociological Tour Through CyberSpace' http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/index.html includes sections on data resources and useful Web tools. In addition to extensive sociological material, there are links to sites covering mass media and communication studies, political science, health statistics and the medical establishment, anthropology and history). Edited by Michael C. Kearl, Trinity University, Texas.

The Research Gateway
www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk/gateway/gateway.html
An online resource to support student research project work in Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism by Tess Kay and Leigh Robinson, Loughborough University.

Web resources helpful for librarians doing research
www.researchinglibrarian.com/
A site created for librarians who find themselves needing to perform research for purposes of publication, promotion, tenure, or other reasons. Useful generally. From Beth Ashmore of ‘The Researching Librarian'.

Social Research Updates
www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/
Wide range of articles on different research methods and techniques. From the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey.

Useful notes on keeping a research diary by Ian Hughes. Discussed in the context of an action research project but generally applicable. An Action Research E-Report from the University of Sydney.

Presenting Your Topic to Others
www.apa.org/apags/members/expbasicres.html
Tips on how to present the topic of your project to others. By David Gallo, Washington University St. Louis

Group Projects – Team Building
www.wpi.edu/Academics/GPP/Students/ch7a.html
Invaluable for anyone working on a group project. Written by James Groccia, John T. O'Connor, and Susan Vernon Gerstenfeld from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.

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Sources and Searches

Literature searches
www.ccsr.ac.uk/methods/festival2004/programme/Sat/pm/D/Documents/Booth_000.ppt
Entertaining and enlightening PowerPoint presentation from a workshop presentation by Andrew Booth of Sheffield University and Mary Dixon-Woods of Leicester University.

Library Research
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/tutorial.html
Seven Steps to Effective Library Research by Michael Engle, Olin and Uris Libraries, Cornell University.

http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s6.html
How to get help with finding literature and research. Part of ‘The Social Science Undergraduate Dissertation Companion' edited by Malcolm Todd from Sheffield Hallam University

Databases (free, health-related areas)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~scharr/ir/trawling.html
Introduction to free databases of interest to NHS staff on the internet. The sources listed contain material of interest to staff working in health-related areas, have some form of search facility, and do not require individual passwords or payments of any kind. From the School of Health and Related Research, Sheffield University.

Internet Information – Evaluation of
http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/social-research-methods
A free, ‘teach yourself' tutorial that lets you practise your Internet Information Skills. Highly recommended for anyone using the internet for research purposes. Written by Louise Corti, University of Essex as part of the Virtual TrainingSuite.

http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/index.html
A useful and authoritative guide developed by Elizabeth Kirk, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University.

Citing sources
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/contents.html
Covers virtually all aspects of how to cite source material. From Dartmouth College.

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Referencing

Reference styles (in different disciplines)

Psychology
http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/apa/apa01.html
Detailed guide to the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing system, commonly used in both social and natural sciences. By David Baker and Lynn Henrichsen, Brigham Young University.

Sociology
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_docsocio.html
Formatting in Sociology.

Humanities
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
Using the Modern Language Association (MLA) format common in the humanities.

Referencing electronic sources
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_docelectric.html
Resources for Documenting Electronic Sources. All from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.

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Ethical Issues

General on Ethics
http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s8.html
Discussion of research ethics for projects in Sociology, Anthropology, Politics, Social Policy, Social Work and Criminology. There are links to various useful documents: Research Ethics Proposal, Participant Information Sheet, Sample Consent Form, Risk Assessment Proforma. A resource developed in partnership by the Higher Education Academy's Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics, the Centre for Social Work and Policy and Sheffield Hallam University

Ethics in participant observation
http://www.research.utoronto.ca/ethics/pdf/human/nonspecific/Participant%20Observation%20Guidelines.pdf.
Guidelines from the University of Toronto. (PDF file – needs Adobe Reader).

Ethical Issues for Teacher Researchers
http://www.scre.ac.uk/spotlight/spotlight49.html
Discussion paper from the Scottish Teacher-Researcher Support Network by Joyce Watt.

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Ethical codes

The following is a selection. If your discipline or field of study isn't included you should be able to locate the appropriate one via the website of the relevant disciplinary or professional organization.

Social Research (general)
http://www.the-sra.org.uk/ethical.htm
Social Research Association

Business and Management
http://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/fieldwork.htm
Market Research Society

Education
http://www.aera.net/aboutaera/?id=222
American Educational Research Association

http://www.bera.ac.uk/guidelines.html
British Educational Research Association (note: Unfortunately BERA site not currently responding. However the guidelines can be downloaded as a PDF file from http://www.scutrea.ac.uk/library/beraethguide.pdf.)

Nursing and health-related areas
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/PolicyGuidance/EthicsAndGovernance/MRC002578
Medical Research Council (MRC) ‘Ethics & ResearchGovernance’ provides a list of websites for guidance in specific medical research areas.
http://www.corec.org.uk
NHS Research Ethics Committee.

http://www2.rcn.org.uk/researchanddevelopment/policy/research_governanceethics
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Research governance and Ethics

Psychology
http://www.apa.org/ethics/
American Psychological Association

http://www.psychology.org.au/about/ethics/
Australian Psychological society

http://www.bps.org.uk/the-society/ethics-rules-charter-code-of-conduct/code-of-conduct/ethical-principles-for-conducting-research-with-human-participants.cfm
British Psychological Society

http://www.cpa.ca/cpasite/home.asp
Canadian Psychological Association (select ‘Publications' — the ‘code of ethics' is available as a PDF file)

http://www.psychology.org.nz/about/Code_of_Ethics_2002.html
New Zealand Psychological Society

Social anthropology
http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethcode.htm
American Anthropological Association

http://www.theasa.org/ethics.htm
Association of Social Anthropologists of the Commonwealth

Social work
http://www.basw.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=64
British Association of Social Workers — see section 4.4.4 on research

http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
National Association of Social Workers (USA) — see section 5.02 on research and evaluation

Sociology
http://www.asanet.org/page.ww?section=Ethics&name=Code+of+Ethics+Table+of+Contents
American Sociological Association

http://www.socresonline.org.uk/info/ethguide.html
British Sociological Association

Applied linguistics
http://www.baal.org.uk/about_goodpractice.htm
British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL)

Criminology
http://www.britsoccrim.org/ethical.htm
British Society of Criminology

Information systems
http://www.is.cityu.edu.hk/research/resources/isworld/ethics/index.htm
Association for Information Systems

International studies
http://www.bisa.ac.uk/code.htm
British International Studies Association (BISA)

Oral History
http://www.ohs.org.uk/ethics/index.php
Oral History Society

Socio-Legal Studies
http://www.ukc.ac.uk/slsa/download/ethics_drft2.pdf
Socio-Legal Studies Association

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Part II Designing the Enquiry

Websites on topics covered in Part II of the book (Chapters 4 to 7)

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General on Design Issues

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/trad_research/intro/index.cfm
Covers Choosing Your Topic, Conducting a Preliminary Search, Narrowing Your Topic, Defining a Research Question, Developing a Working Bibliography, Finding Sources in a Library, on the Internet, and in the Field. From Colorado State University.

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Topic selection

Getting started
http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s5.html
Discusses how to find a topic and suggests some sources that may prove helpful. Part of ‘The Social Science Undergraduate Dissertation Companion' edited by Malcolm Todd from Sheffield Hallam University

Ideas for topics
http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/IGSD/Interactions/
A searchable database containing information on a very wide-ranging set of projects completed by students on the Global Perspective Program from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The topic areas include: Technology and Environment, Energy and Resources, Health Care and Technology, Urban and Environmental Planning, Science and Technology: Policy and Management, Social Studies of Science and Technology, Safety Analysis and Liability (including Fire Safety), Humanistic Studies of Technology, Economic Growth, Stability, and Development, Social and Human Services, Education in a Technological Society, Law and Technology, and Historic and Artistic Preservation Technology. There are, for example, 76 Projects in Social and Human Services, including Access to Special Needs Housing, Analysis of Dog Training in Switzerland, Disadvantaged Youth Recreation, and Web Use in Small Churches.

http://www.bps.org.uk/publications/rd/rd_home.cfm
A fortnightly digest of interesting new psychological research from the British Psychological Society, aimed primarily at students, and which could provide ideas for topics.

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Experimental design

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/desexper.htm
Includes sections on two-group experimental designs, classifying experimental designs, factorial designs, randomized block designs, covariance designs and hybrid experimental designs. From Bill Trochim's ‘ Research Methods Knowledge Base'. See also http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/quasiexp.htm for quasi-experimental designs.

Introductory text
Robson, C. (1994) Experiment, Design and Statistics in Psychology, 3rd edition. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Out of print but available at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/researchproject/experiments.asp

Internal validity
http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/Validity/index.shtml
Excellent tutorial on threats to internal validity. By David Polson for Athabasca University.

Reliability
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/reliable.htm
Bill Trochim's chapter on reliability in the Research Methods Knowledge Base.

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Flexible Design (Qualitative Research) – General

How to do qualitative research
http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
Wide-ranging introduction to what is involved in doing a project based on collecting qualitative data. Written for students of information systems but generally applicable. By Michael Myers, University of Auckland.

An introduction to qualitative research
http://www.enquirylearning.net/ELU/Issues/Research/Res1Cont.html
A guide which has been used as an introductory text on courses aimed at teachers, health professionals and business consultants. Written by John Schostak, Manchester Metropolitan University.

ESDS Qualidata
http://www.esds.ac.uk/qualidata/
A service providing access to a range of social science qualitative datasets. The focus is on digital data collections from purely qualitative and mixed methods contemporary research and from UK-based ‘classic studies'.

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Case Studies

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html
Provides a general discussion of case study methodology in the context of a specific example on the introduction of information technology at a university. By Winston Tellis in the e-journal Qualitative Report.

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR6-2/zucker.html
Another useful paper, from the e-journal Qualitative Report, on case study. Focus is on nursing research, but generally applicable. By Donna Zucker, University of Massachusetts.

http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/case.htm
Extensive set of references on case study research, including several abstracts. Main focus is on information and management sciences. but includes general citations. Maintained by Michael Myers at the University of Auckland for the Association for Information Systems.

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Ethnographic Studies

http://www.sas.upenn.edu/anthro/CPIA/METHODS/Ethnography.html
Excellent detailed review of all aspects of carrying out ethnographic research (including guiding questions, ethics, fieldnotes, interviews, documents, data analysis, etc.). From the Public Interest Anthropology Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/PA765/ethno.htm
Brief, clear review by David Gerson, North Carolina State University.

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Grounded Theory Studies

http://www.analytictech.com/mb870/introtoGT.htm
A straightforward account of what grounded theory is and how to use it by Steve Borgatti. The paper outlines the key principles of grounded theorizing and then goes on to discuss open, axial and selective coding in turn, using worked examples of qualitative data.

http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/groundedition.html
A very useful ‘thumbnail sketch'. Addressed to psychologists but generally applicable. By Bob Dick, Southern Cross University.

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Other Qualitative Approaches

Narrative-based research
http://www.enquirylearning.net/ELU/Issues/Research/Res3.html
An introduction to the basic ideas behind using narrative as a vehicle for research by John Schostak, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Hermeneutics
http://www.enquirylearning.net/ELU/Issues/Research/hermeneutics.html
A short introduction to using a hermeneutic approach. Also by John Schostak, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Discourse analysis
http://extra.shu.ac.uk/daol/
This is the homepage of a relatively new online journal dedicated to the theory and practice of discourse analysis (DA). Edited by a team at Sheffield Hallam University, it contains a range of interesting articles that you can browse from the current and previous editions of the journal; these include ‘themed issues' on topics such as feminist DA. Useful section on DA resources.

Conversation analysis
http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~ssca1/sitemenu.htm
Tutorial covering the basic principles of conversation analysis written by Charles Antaki at Loughborough University. See also http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~ssca1/home.htm. A course designed for a group of Danish students studying for an English degree by Charles Antaki. The basic idea of thelectures is to give a reasonable grounding in Conversation Analysis, or CA and http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/%7Essca1/antaki1.htm which includes several papers on the topic.

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Evaluation Research

http://www.policy-evaluation.org/
Includes a wide range of articles, papers and reports. Links to methods, also to data, e-mail lists, other resources. Very comprehensive. Part of the the ‘Virtual Library'. Project.

http://www.eval.org/Resources/onlinehbtxt.asp
List of handbooks and texts which are available in their entirety online. Most are multi-chapter documents focusing on how to do evaluation-related subjects. From the American Evaluation Association.

http://gsociology.icaap.org/methods/
A list of free resources for methods in evaluation and social research. The focus is on how to do evaluation research and the methods used: surveys, focus groups, sampling, interviews and other methods. Most of the extensive links are to resources that can be read over the Web. By Gene Shackman, applied sociologist.

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Action Research

http://www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow/arer/index.html
Varied set of over 20 reports on various aspects of doing action research from the University of Sydney. Includes ‘Action inquiry and organizational change in an educational setting', ‘Using participatory action research in a local government setting', and ‘Improving wound care in paediatric surgery'. Introduction to action research

http://www.enquirylearning.net/ELU/Issues/Research/Res1Ch4.html
A useful chapter on what is meant by action research and how to do it. By Rob McBride and John Schostak, Manchester Metropolitan University. Soft systems methodology

http://www.bola.biz/research/ssm.html
An introduction to Checkland's soft systems methodology, popular in business and management research. Developed by Chris Jarvis for the Business Open Learning Archive Project.

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Feminist research

http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/3/3.html
Covers a range of issues raised when doing feminist research. A paper from Sociological Research Online by D. Millen.

http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-01/1-01westmarland-e.htm
Discusses the appropriateness of qualitative and quantitative methods for feminist research. A paper by Nicole Westmarland in Forum: Qualitative Social Research.

http://culturecat.net/node/460
A blog entry from Nancy Ratliff of the Department of English at East Carolina University discussing the problems posed by institutional gatekeeping mechanisms.

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Part III Tactics - the Methods of Data Collection

Websites on topics covered in Part III of the book (Chapters 8 to 12)

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Surveys

http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/pa765/survey.htm
Detailed coverage of most aspects of survey design. Online material linked to the course ‘Quantitative Research in Public Administration' by G. David Garson, North Carolina State University.

http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/GPP/Students/ch10.html
Introduction to survey methodology and design. Includes material on sampling, response rates, Choosing the right survey method, Question wording, questionnaire design, pretesting, survey implementation, ethical considerations, and reporting on survey methodology. Prepared by James K. Doyle, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk
Gives online access to a wide range of surveys (e.g. Families and Children Study, General Household Survey, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, National Travel Survey, Health Survey for England, British Social Attitudes Survey 2002 Questionnaire, National Survey of NHS Patients. The ‘Question Bank' is very useful when devising your own survey questionnaires (special reference is made to the wording of questions and the construction of questionnaires). Can also be used for secondary analysis of survey data. Note that the organization of this site is changing but you should still be able to access the Question Bank either from the above or http://www.socstats.soton.ac.uk/CASS/QBMartinBulmer.html

http://www.mori.com/

Lot of material about recent real-life surveys. See also the US Gallop website at http://www.gallup.com/

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Questionnaires and Diaries

http://www.statpac.com/surveys
A very useful tutorial teaching how to design a questionnaire and conduct a survey. Very practical, covering aspects such as planning the structure of the questionnaire, working out its layout, writing a cover letter, following up non-responders, and managing the data. By David Walonick at the University of St Thomas, Minnesota.

Postal Surveys and Self-Completion Questionnaires
http://www.resolutions.co.nz/mail_surveys.htm
Useful short discussion of the use of questionnaires in different contexts including telephone interviewing, postal or self completion, computerised interviewing and online interviewing. From Research Solutions.

Diaries (as a research method)
http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/2/7.html
The use of diaries as a qualitative research method, particularly in relation to medical sociology by H. Elliot (from Sociological Research Online).

http://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/4/hislop.html
Using audio diaries to research sleep. By Jenny Hislop and colleagues (also in Sociological Research Online).

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Interviews

http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/GPP/Students/ch11.html
Includes material on when interviews are appropriate, choosing the right interview method, getting the interview, ethical considerations, in-depth qualitative interviews, selecting participants, deciding how many interviews to conduct, preparing to interview, the interview process, and reducing and analyzing the data. Also covers similar issues on the running of focus groups. Prepared by James K. Doyle, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Interview guide for semi-structured interviews

http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/4/question.html
An example of an interview guide for semi-structured interviews. The guide is copyright Sociological Research Online, 1997.

Focus groups
http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/pa765/focusgroups.htm
Short, clear review of the issues involved in running focus groups by G. David Garson, North Carolina State University.

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Test and Scales

http://www.apa.org/science/faq-findtests.html
Wide-ranging coverage of both published and unpublished tests. From the American Psychological Association.

http://www.psychtesting.org.uk/ Complete guide to tests and testing from the British Psychological Society.

Scaling
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/scaling.htm
Bill Trochim's chapter on scaling in the Research Methods Knowledge Base. Covers Thurstone or Equal-Appearing Interval Scaling, Likert or ‘Summative' Scaling and Guttman or ‘Cumulative' Scaling.

http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/pa765/standard.htm
Thorough coverage of the use of standardized tests, concentrating on the different types of scale and appropriate statistics to use with them. By David Garson, North Carolina State University.

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Observational Methods

http://www.who.int/docstore/hiv/Core/Chapter_9.6.html
Covers the use of different types of observation in real world projects. Part of the Rapid Assessment and Response Technical Guide, by Gerry Stimson and colleagues from the World Health Organization.

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Brown/lauratp.htm
Short review of the issues involved in observational field research, from Lara Brown at Cornell.

Participant Observation
http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/2-05/05-2-43-e.htm
Very useful, thorough discussion of the issues involved in using participant observation as a data collection method. includes exercises for developing observation techniques. A paper by Barbara Kawulich in Forum: Qualitative Social Research.

http://uk.geocities.com/balihar_sanghera/qrmparticipantobservation.html
Reviews the historical roots of participant observation, its practice, and analysis. From Balihar Sanghera at Kent University.

Structured observation
http://informationr.net/tdw/publ/INISS/Chap1.html
Example of a project using structured observation, with details of procedures and methodology. From Tom Wilson and David Streatfield, Project INISS.

http://www.isec2000.org.uk/abstracts/papers_p/pratchett_2.htm
Use of a movement observation schedule with children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. A paper by Glynis Pratchett presented at ISEC 2000.

Examples of observation schedules
http://www.engsc.ac.uk/resources/easeit/
From a manual used to conduct a software evaluation (select ‘Observation Scheiule') – the EASEIT-Eng: Evaluation Manual.

http://www.see-educoop.net/education_in/pdf/lang-asisst-scheme-041-slo-enl-t03.pdf.
A simple classroom observation schedule by Vidijka Harej and colleagues. From the South East Europe Education Cooperation Network (SEE-ECN). (PDF file – needs Adobe Reader)

http://www.umich.edu/~umacc/diagnostic_instruments/ados.htm
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) by Catherine Lord and colleagues (details of the availability of this instrument are at http://portal.wps.publish.com/porta).

List of observation schedules
http://libraries.uta.edu/helen/test&meas/Table%20of%20contents/SimonBoyer1974.htm
From Simon and Boyer's ‘Mirrors for Behavior III' by Helen Hough, Health Sciences Librarian at theUniversity of Texas at Arlington.

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Other Methods

Documentary Analysis
http://www.ruralnursing.unbc.ca/analysis.php
A study of rural and remote nursing practice in Canada based on an analysis of policy documents. Open access to useful detailed report as a PDF file. Produced by a team from several Canadian universities.

http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmdocuments.html
Discusses strategies for analyzing primary sources including newspapers, official documents and personal accounts – also material culture (images and objects), maps, music and travel narratives. Part of a project on ‘World History Sources' from George Mason University.

http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA/
A brief guide designed to provide students and researchers with information to help them evaluate the quality of primary materials that can be found online. Produced by the American Library Association.

Unobtrusive measures
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/unobtrus.htm
Bill Trochim's chapter on unobtrusive measures in the Research Methods Knowledge Base.

Simulation
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~axe/research/AdvancingArtSim2003.pdf.
Wide-ranging review of simulation methods and methodology by Robert Axelrod, University of Michigan. (PDF file)

Discourse analysis
http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/discourse.htm
Short description with bibliography and links.

http://bank.rug.ac.be/da/da.htm
Useful review of the background to the topic, By Stef Slembrouck, Ghent University.

http://extra.shu.ac.uk/daol/
This is the homepage of a relatively new online journal dedicated to the theory and practice of discourse analysis (DA). Edited by a team at Sheffield Hallam University, it contains a range of interesting articles that you can browse from the current and previous editions of the journal; these include ‘themed issues' on topics such as feminist DA. Useful section on DA resources.

Conversation analysis
http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~ssca1/sitemenu.htm
Tutorial covering the basic principles of conversation analysis written by Charles Antaki at Loughborough University. See also http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~ssca1/home.htm. A course designed for a group of Danish students studying for an English degree by Charles Antaki. The basic idea of thelectures is to give a reasonable grounding in Conversation Analysis, or CA and http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/%7Essca1/antaki1.htm which includes several papers on the topic

Narrative-based research
http://www.enquirylearning.net/ELU/Issues/Research/Res3.html
An introduction to the basic ideas behind using narrative as a vehicle for research by John Schostak, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Hermeneutics
http://www.enquirylearning.net/ELU/Issues/Research/hermeneutics.html
A short introduction to using a hermeneutic approach. Also by John Schostak, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Repertory grid techniques
http://www.brint.com/PCT.htm
Overview from the Brint Institute. Extensive Web links.

http://www.terapiacognitiva.net/record/pag/man2.htm
Detailed manual covering design, administration and analysis. From the Spanish Association for Cognitive Psychology.

Verbal protocols
http://www.ul.ie/~infopolis/methods/verbal.html
Short discussion, from a review of Ergonomics methods and tools (part of Infopolis 2).

http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper155.html
Example of the use of verbal protocols in observing documentary reading. A paper by Mariângela Fujita and colleagues in ‘Information Research'.

Critical incident technique
http://www.ul.ie/~infopolis/methods/incident.html
Short discussion, from a review of Ergonomics methods and tools (part of Infopolis 2).

http://wvvw.tiu.edu/psychology/Twelker/critical_incident_technique.htm
Detailed manual by Paul Twelker, Trinity International University.

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Multiple methods

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-4/jones.html
Discusses the use of multiple methods in sports fan research. Paper by Ian Jones in ‘ The Qualitative Report'.

http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cfe/Multiple_Methods_Workshop_Agenda.html
Report (including transcripts) of a workshop on applying multiple social science research methods to educational problems. From the Center for Education, National Research Council of the National Academies, Washington, DC.

http://www.social-marketing.com/research.html
Discusses how two different research approaches can be integrated in the context of a health promotion program. From a text on ‘Social Marketing' by Nedra Weinreich.

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Online research

Psychological Research on the Net
http://psych.hanover.edu/research/exponnet.html
Links to a wide range of experiments on the internet that are psychologically related. Maintained by John Krantz for Hanover College.

Sociology and the internet
http://www.camden.rutgers.edu/~wood/445res.html
Suggestions for research projects exploring how people concerned with some social issue are using the internet to bring about social change. From Robert Wood at Rutgers University.

Doing corporate research online
http://www.corp-research.org/howto.htm
Wide-ranging review which, while of special interest in business, could be more generally useful. By Philip Mattera of the Corporate Research Project.

Example of online research
http://www.notschool.net/inclusiontrust.org/NS-overview-notschoolhome.html
An online research project looking at ways of re-engaging young people of school age back into learning.

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Arranging the practicalities

Websites on topics covered in the section on ‘Arranging the practicalities’ (pages 376-384)

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Planning and Problems

Gantt charts for project planning
http://www.ganttchart.com/
Clear diagrams showing the Gantt chart approach to project planning.

http://www.me.umn.edu/courses/me4054/assignments/gantt.html
Tutorial explaining how to produce a Gantt chart and to keep it up to date for use in planning your project. From W. Durfee and T. Chase, University of Minnesota.

Problems in Dealing with clients
http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU27.html How to anticipate possible difficulties. The focus is on contract research but useful suggestions for anyone working in organizations; e.g. What happens if the client does not like the research findings? What ethical issues are raised by the client becoming the subject of the research? If the client objects to the findings, what are the implications for publication? Another Social Research Update paper by Anne Grinyer.

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Safety issues

http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU29.html
Very useful discussion of the risks involved in social research – for researchers, and for those people who agree to take part. A Social Research Update paper by Gary Craig, Anne Corden and Patricia Thornton.

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Informed Consent and the Data Protection Act

http://sophia.smith.edu/~jdrisko/consent.htm
Comprehensive review with wide range of links. from James Drisko, Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, MA.

http://www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow//arer/013.htm
‘My Journey from Informed Consent to Mutual Inquiry and Collaborative Decision Making Between Client and Therapist'. Action Research E-Report by C. Ingham.

http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU36.html
Discusses assumptions, ethics and practicalities (and the legal requirements of the Data Protection Act). A Social Research Update paper by Anne Grinyer.

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Sampling

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampling.htm
Bill Trochim's chapter on sampling in the Research Methods Knowledge Base. Sections on Sampling Terminology, Statistical Sampling Terms, Probability and Nonprobability Sampling.

http://www.mis.coventry.ac.uk/%7Enhunt/meths/listof.htm
Clear and easy to follow discussion of various types of sample. By Neville Hunt and Sidney Tyrrell, Coventry University

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/fact_sample.html
A brief introduction to sampling, developed by the Psychology department, UC Davis.

http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/pa765/sampling.htm
Excellent detailed coverage of many aspects of sampling by David Garson, North Carolina State University.

Sample Sizes
http://www.resolutions.co.nz/sample_sizes.htm
Discusses the factors to be considered when deciding on sample size, and shows the sample sizes needed for a given margin of error at different confidence levels from Research Solutions, an Auckland market research company. An alternative site covering the same issues (and explaining the meaning of confidence levels and other technical terms) is http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm. from Creative Research Systems, Petaluma.

Snowball sampling
http://www.respondentdrivensampling.org/
Paper on ‘respondent-driven sampling' (a combination of snowball sampling with a mathematical model that weights the sample to compensate for the fact that the sample was collected in a non-random way). By Salganik, M. J. and D. D. Heckathorn.

Probability sampling
http://www.fantaproject.org/publications/sampling.shtml
Guide showing how to choose probability samples (e.g. of communities, households, and/or individuals). Material developed by The Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Project, Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC.

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Part IV Dealing with the Data

Websites on topics covered in Part IV of the book (Chapters 13 to 15)

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Quantitative analysis

Online introductory statistics texts
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/researchproject/experiments.asp
My out of print Penguin text ‘Experiment, Design and Statistics in Psychology'

http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/
HyperStat Online Textbook by David Lane, Rice University

Descriptive statistics
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/statdesc.htm
From Bill Trochim's Web Center for Social Research Methods.

Inferential statistics
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/statinf.htm
Sections on the t-test, dummy variables, posttest-only analysis, factorial design analysis, randomized block analysis, analysis of covariance, nonequivalent groups analysis and regression-discontinuity analysis. From Bill Trochim's Web Center for Social Research Methods.

Selecting Statistics
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/selstat/ssstart.htm
An online statistical advisor. Answer the questions and it will lead you to an appropriate statistical test for your data. From Bill Trochim's Web Center for Social Research Methods.

Methodology of quantitative analysis
http://www.jameslindlibrary.org/
Links to a fascinating set of essays on fair tests of treatments in health care. Part of the James Lind Library, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Time-series analysis
http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/pa765/time.htm
Comprehensive coverage of the issues involved in various types of time-series. By David Garson, North Carolina State University.

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Qualitative analysis

Grounded theory analysis
www.analytictech.com/mb870/introtoGT.htm
A straightforward account of what grounded theory is and how to use it by Steve Borgatti. The paper outlines they key principles of grounded theorizing and then goes on to discuss open, axial and selective coding in turn, using worked examples of qualitative data.

Qualitative content analysis
www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/2-00/2-00mayring-e.htm
Discussion of the issues involved in doing content analysis in qualitative rather than quantitative terms. Outlines the basic principles of this form of content analysis, including the idea of ‘inductive category development', and then goes on to summarize a number of interesting studies that have used this method to analyse documents, from mass media texts to interview transcripts, diaries and biographies. Paper by Philipp Mayring in Forum: Qualitative Research e-journal.

NUD • IST and NVivo
http://www.qsrinternational.com/
Website giving details of latest versions.

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Report Writing

Guides
http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s11.html
Short review of all aspects of writing a report or dissertation. Part of The Social Science Undergraduate Dissertation Companion edited by Malcolm Todd from Sheffield Hallam University. See also sections on ‘ Developing Your Academic Style of Writing' and ‘Preparing the Dissertation for Submission'.

http://staff.psy.gla.ac.uk/%7Epaul/tutorials/report/info.htm
Brief, clear guide for psychology students to writing reports. From the Psychology Department, University of Glamorgan.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/reportW/
Takes you through some ways to get started writing your report, explains all of the sections of a report, and offers some general technical writing guidelines. Useful sections on pre-writing activities and considering your audience. By Angela Laflen and Erin Karper, Purdue University.

APA style
http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/apa4b.htm
‘Psychology with Style: A Hypertext Writing Guide' (for the 5th edition of the APA Manual) by Mark Plonsky, University of Wisconsin

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/apa/introduction.html
Guide to writing a report in APA (American Psychological Associaton) style. APA style is not only used in psychology but also in many other disciplines including sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and criminology. From Purdue University.

BPS style
http://www.bps.org.uk/document-download-area/document-download$.cfm?file_uuid=1B29ADB1-7E96-C67F-D51D3ADFC581A906&ext=pdf
Style guide from the British Psychological Society.

‘Participant’ or ‘subject’?
http://www.bps.org.uk/the-society/ethics-rules-charter-code-of-conduct/code-of-conduct/ethical-principles-for-conducting-research-with-human-participants.cfm
Brief explanation of why ‘participant' is preferable.

Plagiarism
http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s14.html
Defines plagiarism, explains its seriousness, and help you to avoid it. From The Social Science Undergraduate Dissertation Companion edited by Malcolm Todd from Sheffield Hallam University.

Avoiding bias
http://www.apastyle.org/disabilities.html
APA guidelines for avoiding bias in reports in respect of Disability.

http://www.apastyle.org/race.html
APA guidelines for avoiding racial/ethnic bias in language.

http://www.apastyle.org/sexuality.html
APA Guidelines for avoiding Heterosexual Bias in Language.

Presentation of statistical information
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/ssc/publications/guides/toptgs.html
Short but authoritative guide from the Statistical Services Centre, University of Reading.

Presenting graphs
http://www.bettycjung.net/Graphing.htm
Covers just about everything you are likely to need to know about using graphs (includes section on Gantt charts). By Betty Jung.

http://www.scs.gmu.edu/~wss/methods/zawitzg.html
An excellent PowerPoint presentation on how to produce good graphs. From the Washington Statistical Society Methodology Seminars by Marianne W. Zawitz, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Presenting tables
http://www.scs.gmu.edu/~wss/methods/zawitzt.html
Another excellent PowerPoint presentation this time on how to produce good tables. From the Washington Statistical Society Methodology Seminars by Marianne W. Zawitz, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Bibliographies and referencing
http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/libdocs/ml-rs11.pdf.
Writing a bibliography. From the Library, University of Sheffield. (PDF file).

http://www.beadsland.com/weapas/
Web Extension to American Psychological Association Style (WEAPAS). Proposed standard for referencing online documents in scientific publications.

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