Research Techniques
Notes

Alan Dix
Lancaster University

Context

This document was originally written to support a lecture on "Research Techniques" given to final year undergraduates while I was at the University of Huddersfield. Since then I have used the basic material with some variations to undergraduate, masters and PhD students. Although these notes were written with the original audience in mind, I hope that some of the ideas will also be of use students elsewhere including those undertaking MSc projects, PhD studies or doing research in general.

Contents

Introduction - what is research
test-tubes, librarys, surveys and newspapers; studying other peoples work and doing your own
Other people's work - what they write
CD-ROM, books, Internet, journals and manuals - finding, filtering and filing
Other people's work - what they say
people your biggest resource ... and asking a centipede how to walk
Other people's work - what they make
knowledge in things, what is good and why, and avoiding crocophants
Your own work
analysis, taxonomies, bright ideas and "spaghetti bolognese without the Parmesan"
And finally

see also Research Techniques home page

Alan Dix 12/8/97