Research skills assignment    

 Research skills assignment

This assignment asks you to consider a range of methods (qualitative and quantitative) that are often employed in research studies.

(i) The lessons to concentrate on for the 1st Assignment would be:
–  Lesson 1 – What is Research?
–  Lesson 4 – Ethics, Risk Assessment & COSHH (the ethics part)
–  Lesson 7 – Methods (Research Techniques) covering
– Principles of quantitative research
Principles of qualitative research
Experimental research and field visits
Thinking critically

– Research Design, covering
– The nature of data
– Data collection
– Sampling and representational issues
– Primary data evaluation
– Secondary data including literature review
– Presentation and media

(ii) You also might want to track down a Social Sciences Research Methods’ text book that deals with qualitative, quantitative techniques ethics. A local library should have something relevant. For example: Social research methods by Bryman, Alan (Oxford University Press) – this is available through the University’s library catalogue (there are others). This provides further details on the use of interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, observation etc. You should also be able to find relevant information from the Internet. Please use only reliable sources though.

(iii) You might also want to purchase the following text book: Kathleen McMillan and Jonathan Weyers, (2009), How to write dissertations & project reports, Harlow: Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 0273726935, ISBN-13: 978-0273726937 “How to write great dissertations and projects” provides all of the tips and techniques that a student is likely to need to choose, research, write and present dissertations and projects that will guarantee you top marks (304 pages).

Alternatively you may view it as an e-book. The e-book is available through the University’s library page. Search for: How to write dissertations & project reports. This will be a useful text for now and the future.
Your essay should be in UK English and in the following structure
1. What is Research
2. Ethics, Risk Assessment and COSHH in Research
3. Methods (Research Techniques)
4. Research Design
5. Conclusion
6. References
(1,200 words)

Plagiarism
The penalties for plagiarism are severe and could result in you being terminated from your programme of study at the University
Referencing
–  All texts should be referenced using the Harvard System.
–  Cite only UK academic journals, textbooks and government-reports in preference to web-pages.
–  Assignments which are poorly referenced and/or overuse web-based only sources of information will be penalised.