Doing Research in the Real World

David Gray was Professor of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour at the University of Greenwich. His research interests, and publication record, included research methods, management learning (particularly coaching and mentoring), professional identity, action learning, reflective learning, management learning in SMEs and the factors that contribute to SME success. He published books and articles on research methods, organizational learning, and coaching and mentoring. David led a number of EU-funded research programmes including one examining the impact of coaching on the resilience of unemployed managers in their job-searching behaviours and another on how action learning can sustain unemployed managers in starting their own business. He also completed a global survey into the professional identity of coaches.

• 1 IntroductionPart A Principles and Planning for Research2 Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methodologies3 Selecting and Planning Research Proposals and Projects4 Research Ethics5 Searching, Critically Reviewing and Using the LiteraturePart B Research Methodology6 Quantitative Research Design7 Qualitative Research Design8 Mixed Methods Research Design9 Sampling Strategies10 Designing Descriptive and Analytical Surveys11 Designing Case Studies12 Designing Evaluations13 Action Research and ChangePart C Data Collection Methods14 Questionnaires and Surveys15 Interviewing16 Non-Participant Observation17 Ethnography and Participant Observation18 Focus Groups19 Unobtrusive Measures20 Visual Research Methods21 Digital Research Methods22 Secondary Data and ResearchPart D Analysis and Report Writing23 Data management by Eric A. Jensen24 Getting Started Using SPSS25 Analysing and Presenting Quantitative Data26 Getting Started Using NVivo27 Analysing and Presenting Qualitative Data28 Writing Up the Research29 Preparing for Presentations and Vivas