How to Research Guides – serie

This book provides a toolkit for tackling the fundamental questions and challenges in planning and conducting migration research. It illustrates not only how to develop rigorous methodological procedures, but also how to effectively disseminate research findings to both academics and practitioners.Analyzing diverse disciplinary perspectives from across the field of migration studies, this book identifies valuable practical approaches to studying human mobility. Chapters cover key features of migration research including contested concepts, mixed-methods approaches, archival data collection and intersectional, ethical research design. Contributing authors show that migration issues are intertwined with complex power dynamics and increasing inequalities that define contemporary societies. They critically examine cutting-edge issues in the field, from the use of social media and public opinion data to the design of indices and indicators.How to Do Migration Research is a vital resource for human mobility researchers seeking to refine their analytical skills and learn impactful publishing strategies. Highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of the field, it is also an excellent guide for students and scholars of sociology, anthropology, geography and political science seeking a gateway into migration research.

This stimulating and challenging book provides a guide to reflexivity and reflexive practice, explaining its relevance to research in management, organisation studies and the social sciences. Rooted in the latest research, case studies and the author’s personal experience, the book builds a new perspective on reflexive practice involving bodily, emotional, rational and relational insights. Paul Hibbert draws on personal experience, using the examples of his doctoral research and an advanced collaborative research project as case studies, to demonstrate how reflexive practice plays out in a range of research contexts. Each chapter includes dialogue points to encourage the reader to form their own opinions in response to the author’s point of view. Offering prospects for research that incorporates personal learning, growth and development, How to be a Reflexive Researcher also explores avenues of future research on reflexivity and reflexive practice. The book concludes that reflexive practice is not simply a research skill but is instead integral to the scholarly way of life. Providing a comprehensive treatment of reflexive practice, this book will be a useful guide for scholars and students of business and management and the social sciences more broadly, especially those with an interest in qualitative and interpretive research approaches.

This innovative book provides valuable insights into the processes and methodologies of interpretive research. Colette Einfeld and Helen Sullivan bring together contributors at different stages of their careers to share their experiences of writing, supervising, and examining both interpretive and critical PhDs.Chapters analyse how to approach an interpretive research path, demonstrating how this can differ from conventional dissertations and projects. Academics discuss the experiences and challenges of fieldwork, including detailed case studies such as indigenous land claims in Cambodia, and research ‘by proxy’ in Myanmar. Einfeld and Sullivan emphasise the importance of flexibility in interpretive approaches and challenge the traditional narrative that emotions are separate from research, advocating for a thoughtful and rigorous approach to produce stronger results. The book also assesses the expectations of supervisors and examiners and explores what a career as an interpretive researcher can look like.How to Conduct Interpretive Research is a vital resource for academic researchers and students, particularly new PhD students who are considering different research paths. Its focus on political science, international relations, and social sciences also make this prime readership for scholars of these disciplines.

Drawing on examples of sequential and concurrent mixed method studies, this innovative book demonstrates how to use mixed methods approaches in tourism research successfully. Peter Mason, Marcjanna Augustyn and Arthur Seakhoa-King bring together insights from expert authors to demonstrate how to conduct mixed methods research and to outline best practice for teaching mixed methods to tourism students.This How to guide examines how quantitative and qualitative research can be combined, evaluating the various mixed method research designs that have recently come to prominence in tourism studies. Using case study examples, chapters cover research on tourism destination quality, heritage attractions, festivals and events, food tourism and hospitality, alongside the use of participatory geographical information systems. They also explore how to teach mixed methods research to tourism students, emphasising that mixed methods research is an expanding and increasingly important approach to tourism research.How to use Mixed Methods in Tourism Research is an invaluable resource for students and academics in tourism and hospitality, as well as those specialising in research methods within the field. Practitioners within the tourism industry will also find this a useful reference.

Discourse-based approaches to studying organizations have grown in significance over the last 25 years. This accessible and insightful book exemplifies how to use a discursive approach to study organizations. By drawing on her own empirical research, Cynthia Hardy aligns key theoretical assumptions with a range of case studies to demonstrate the value and adaptability of a discursive approach.The book presents the key theoretical assumptions associated with a discursive approach and shows how to align them with the design of specific empirical studies. Cynthia Hardy also illustrates how data collection and analysis can be customized to suit the issues under investigation. By reviewing empirical settings that range from older workers to refugees, from businesses to voluntary organizations, from strategy making to inter-organizational collaboration, and from environmental regulation to chemical risk, the author shows the value and adaptability of this approach. Forward-thinking, the book concludes with a look towards the future challenges of the discursive approach, covering specific issues of resistance to and reflexivity in research on discourse.Demonstrating the importance of empirical work, data collection, and analysis, this book will be a useful guide on discursive approach for students of organization and management studies. It will also prove useful for researchers studying HIV/AIDS organizations, refugees, and environmental regulation, which are particularly focused on in the book.

Capturing years of innovation within contemporary action research, Hilary Bradbury highlights where action research for transformations (ART) is directed: towards responding to climate change and achieving global sustainability goals. Paying particular attention to social justice, the book brings together the human and social sciences, exploring the impact action research can make.Chapters introduce a metamodel and quality choicepoints around which pioneering techniques are displayed. Illustrated with rich personal cases throughout, the book examines agents of change who are also subjects of change. With a strong relational focus, the book also utilizes these cases to show how a broad uptake of ART for policy, health and social care, education, and management looks in practice. This book will be a vital tool for social science researchers looking to better understand social science as a participatory practice, as well as the methods and importance of action research. Community organizers, policy makers and activists seeking to become more active in realizing a more sustainable world will also find this to be an invigorating read.

How to Think Like a Realist is Ray Pawson’s seminal book on realist social inquiry, boldly linking social research to clinical and physical science and challenging many methodological shibboleths.This unique book pairs outstanding clarity of detail with an accessible approach, exploring the three great methodological challenges in social research: how to think about causality, objectivity, and generality. Presented in accessible bite-sized episodes, it offers a rich diet of practical illustrations, enabling the reader to absorb the variety and breadth of realist inquiry. How to Think Like a Realist is written in Ray Pawson’s customary style; informed, bravely non-conformist and with a splash of mischief. Pawson offers a dextrous rebuttal to the threats that social inquiry faces in an era of post-truth. The text provides crucial guidance for those looking to better understand the central tenets of social science research methodology in the twenty-first century.This innovative book will be an essential resource for students and early career researchers as well as experienced academics and practitioners from across all social science disciplines. Its breadth of coverage and accessibility makes it an ideal text for teaching social research methodology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

This book offers insights into key research-based strategies that can help to alleviate global challenges faced by both individuals and groups in society. Focusing on conducting qualitative research, the chapters highlight an approach for understanding human thoughts and actions, and examining how things actually function in society.Explaining both the theoretical and practical aspects of doing qualitative research, the book uses examples from real-world research projects to emphasise how to conduct qualitative research in the social sciences. Pranee Liamputtong draws together contributions covering qualitative research in cultural and medical anthropology, sociology, gender studies, political science, criminology, demography, economic sciences, social work, and education. Each chapter discusses the essence of a discipline before examining the contribution of qualitative enquiry and then interrogating traditional qualitative research methods as well as emerging or innovative methods.This will be an invigorating read for students and scholars of the social sciences. Its combination of theoretical and practical insights will also be essential for qualitative researchers.

Offering a practical guide on How to be an Ethnographer, this book will be a valuable resource for advanced students and early career researchers of organization studies, anthropology and sociology. It will also be a useful introduction to scholars exploring ethnography as a new research method. This book explores the aims, main methods, and ethical and methodological standards of ethnography. Placing human beings at the centre, it showcases why ethnography is a valuable method of research. Highlighting the importance of ethnographic engagement as a means to learn about different ways of being human, the book employs a range of case studies from researchers at all career stages to provide examples of different methods used in research projects. Going beyond tools and techniques, the authors discuss moral and methodological principles as well as community related modes that are important in conducting ethnography.

This insightful book examines all aspects of the design process and implementation of questionnaire surveys on the activities of business, public sector, and non-profit organizations. Anthony Arundel discusses how different aspects of the survey method and planned statistical analysis can constrain question design, and how these issues can be effectively resolved. Throughout this engaging yet practical book, Arundel promotes good practices for questionnaire design, sample construction, and survey delivery systems including online, postal, and verbal methods, with a focus on obtaining high-quality data in line with ethics and confidentiality requirements. Chapters include constructive advice on questionnaire design and testing, survey implementation, and data processing, analysis, and reporting, with examples of time and financial cost budgets. Considering the recent developments in survey methods, the book explores how to use web probing as a substitute for cognitive testing and examines the use of tablets and smartphones in answering questionnaires. Combining theoretical and practical insights into survey design, implementation, and data processing and analysis, this book will be essential reading for business and management scholars and students, with a particular interest in research methods and organization studies. It will also be useful for practitioners and business managers seeking to understand how to create and use surveys.

How to Think Like a Realist is Ray Pawson’s seminal book on realist social inquiry, boldly linking social research to clinical and physical science and challenging many methodological shibboleths.This unique book pairs outstanding clarity of detail with an accessible approach, exploring the three great methodological challenges in social research: how to think about causality, objectivity, and generality. Presented in accessible bite-sized episodes, it offers a rich diet of practical illustrations, enabling the reader to absorb the variety and breadth of realist inquiry. How to Think Like a Realist is written in Ray Pawson’s customary style; informed, bravely non-conformist and with a splash of mischief. Pawson offers a dextrous rebuttal to the threats that social inquiry faces in an era of post-truth. The text provides crucial guidance for those looking to better understand the central tenets of social science research methodology in the twenty-first century.This innovative book will be an essential resource for students and early career researchers as well as experienced academics and practitioners from across all social science disciplines. Its breadth of coverage and accessibility makes it an ideal text for teaching social research methodology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

This thoroughly revised second edition provides an updated guide to reflexivity and reflexive practice, explaining its relevance to research in management, organisation studies and the social sciences. This new edition incorporates crucial analysis, case studies and Paul Hibbert’s personal experience to explain how reflexive practice encompasses bodily, emotional, thoughtful and relational insights.Drawing on a range of doctoral and collaborative case studies, Hibbert demonstrates how reflexive practice is central to authentic and resonant research. Each updated chapter presents opportunities for personal learning, growth and development in research processes, including dialogue points to encourage the reader to form their own opinions. Its all-new chapter connects insights on diversity with reflexive practice, outlining how a wide range of perspectives can help inform, shape and situate research. The book also explores avenues for future study and concludes that reflexive practice is more than a research skill: it is central to a scholarly way of life.This book is a crucial resource for scholars and students of social sciences and business and management, particularly those interested in the latest developments in qualitative and interpretive research.

In this book, Monika Kostera discusses management education, examining its underpinning ideas and practical implications in context. She explores how current key educational objectives can be redirected towards robust ecosystemic and humanistic agendas rather than serving as ideology supporting managerial systems.Adopting an innovative approach to the goals of business education, Kostera draws on existing knowledge to work towards much needed change in the face of global issues such as climate change, inequality, and discrimination. Presenting concrete ideas and signposts on how to teach management to extend learning outcomes into actionable values, this How to guide also includes thought experiments and case studies to demonstrate how these principles may work in practice. Kostera recognizes that a change of perspective is required in management education, moving from a purely business standpoint against the background of rapidly deteriorating global institutions to a more sustainable solution.How to Teach Management Differently is an enlightening read for scholars and students of management education. It is also a beneficial resource for higher education policymakers and readers interested in business and management education.

This book provides a toolkit for tackling the fundamental questions and challenges in planning and conducting migration research. It illustrates not only how to develop rigorous methodological procedures, but also how to effectively disseminate research findings to both academics and practitioners.Analyzing diverse disciplinary perspectives from across the field of migration studies, this book identifies valuable practical approaches to studying human mobility. Chapters cover key features of migration research including contested concepts, mixed-methods approaches, archival data collection and intersectional, ethical research design. Contributing authors show that migration issues are intertwined with complex power dynamics and increasing inequalities that define contemporary societies. They critically examine cutting-edge issues in the field, from the use of social media and public opinion data to the design of indices and indicators.How to Do Migration Research is a vital resource for human mobility researchers seeking to refine their analytical skills and learn impactful publishing strategies. Highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of the field, it is also an excellent guide for students and scholars of sociology, anthropology, geography and political science seeking a gateway into migration research.

Capturing years of innovation within contemporary action research, Hilary Bradbury highlights where action research for transformations (ART) is directed: towards responding to climate change and achieving global sustainability goals. Paying particular attention to social justice, the book brings together the human and social sciences, exploring the impact action research can make.Chapters introduce a metamodel and quality choicepoints around which pioneering techniques are displayed. Illustrated with rich personal cases throughout, the book examines agents of change who are also subjects of change. With a strong relational focus, the book also utilizes these cases to show how a broad uptake of ART for policy, health and social care, education, and management looks in practice. This book will be a vital tool for social science researchers looking to better understand social science as a participatory practice, as well as the methods and importance of action research. Community organizers, policy makers and activists seeking to become more active in realizing a more sustainable world will also find this to be an invigorating read.

This insightful book examines all aspects of the design process and implementation of questionnaire surveys on the activities of business, public sector, and non-profit organizations. Anthony Arundel discusses how different aspects of the survey method and planned statistical analysis can constrain question design, and how these issues can be effectively resolved. Throughout this engaging yet practical book, Arundel promotes good practices for questionnaire design, sample construction, and survey delivery systems including online, postal, and verbal methods, with a focus on obtaining high-quality data in line with ethics and confidentiality requirements. Chapters include constructive advice on questionnaire design and testing, survey implementation, and data processing, analysis, and reporting, with examples of time and financial cost budgets. Considering the recent developments in survey methods, the book explores how to use web probing as a substitute for cognitive testing and examines the use of tablets and smartphones in answering questionnaires. Combining theoretical and practical insights into survey design, implementation, and data processing and analysis, this book will be essential reading for business and management scholars and students, with a particular interest in research methods and organization studies. It will also be useful for practitioners and business managers seeking to understand how to create and use surveys.

This book offers insights into key research-based strategies that can help to alleviate global challenges faced by both individuals and groups in society. Focusing on conducting qualitative research, the chapters highlight an approach for understanding human thoughts and actions, and examining how things actually function in society.Explaining both the theoretical and practical aspects of doing qualitative research, the book uses examples from real-world research projects to emphasise how to conduct qualitative research in the social sciences. Pranee Liamputtong draws together contributions covering qualitative research in cultural and medical anthropology, sociology, gender studies, political science, criminology, demography, economic sciences, social work, and education. Each chapter discusses the essence of a discipline before examining the contribution of qualitative enquiry and then interrogating traditional qualitative research methods as well as emerging or innovative methods.This will be an invigorating read for students and scholars of the social sciences. Its combination of theoretical and practical insights will also be essential for qualitative researchers.

Offering a practical guide on How to be an Ethnographer, this book will be a valuable resource for advanced students and early career researchers of organization studies, anthropology and sociology. It will also be a useful introduction to scholars exploring ethnography as a new research method. This book explores the aims, main methods, and ethical and methodological standards of ethnography. Placing human beings at the centre, it showcases why ethnography is a valuable method of research. Highlighting the importance of ethnographic engagement as a means to learn about different ways of being human, the book employs a range of case studies from researchers at all career stages to provide examples of different methods used in research projects. Going beyond tools and techniques, the authors discuss moral and methodological principles as well as community related modes that are important in conducting ethnography.

Asserting that the qualitative research paradigm is entrenched in the social sciences as a discipline in its own right, this book brings together finance and qualitative research to encourage researchers to expand their respective bodies of knowledge. In doing so, it promotes a synergy of insights through the mixing of perspectives.The book first covers the fundamentals of qualitative research including design, implementation and analysis. Chapters then address important questions regarding ethics and the publication process, while considering the underlying theme of reaching and respecting your audience and focusing on what editors are looking for. The final part presents real-world examples from a diverse and international range of authors, covering key topics including the use of digital tools, ethnographic research design, indigenous investment, and the human impact of financial loss.Providing a comprehensive guide for finance researchers on how to produce impactful qualitative research, this book is a vital resource for teaching as well as research advice for academics and students. It is also ideal for those in related fields including accounting, economics and actuarial studies.