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ITI690: Inspired Teaching Inquiry: Learn About Research Methods

Start Your Research Project with SAGE Research Methods

SAGE Research Methods can help you with every stage of your research project. 

Nearly every research project has 9 main steps:

  1. Defining a Topic
  2. Developing a Researchable Research Question
  3. Designing Your Research and Choosing Your Method
  4. Researching Ethically and Safely
  5. Reviewing the Literature
  6. Doing Fieldwork/Gathering Data
  7. Analyzing Your Data/Findings
  8. Writing Up
  9. Dissemination

1. Defining a Topic

You may already have a topic in mind, or your topic was assigned to you.  If not, search Topic on SRM, and this book chapter entry, “Choosing a Topic” will help you choose a sound area to study.

 

2. Developing a Researchable Research Question

A research question is more refined than a topic.  For help writing your research question, do a search. An encyclopedia entry is a good place to start for an introductory overview.

3. Designing Your Research and Choosing Your Method

The Methods Map can help you choose a method if you’re not sure which to use.  If you already have your method, you can search directly for it.  The search results will provide both brief explanations of the method via dictionary and encyclopedia entries as well as in-depth how-tos in book-length entries.

 

4. Researching Ethically and Safely

If ethics is a concern for your project, SRM contains a number of resources to help.

 

5. Reviewing the Literature

A literature review is a crucial step to monitor what has already been written about your topic and identify what is unknown. SRM has many resources on how to conduct a literature review.

6. Doing Fieldwork/Gathering Data

7. Analyzing Your Data/Findings

8. Writing Up

Books with step-by-step information on hundreds of data collection methods are included.  In this instance, our researcher has chosen a survey, and Designing Surveys includes steps on writing and organizing the questions, designing and selecting the sample, and tips on reducing sources of error in the collection.  Resources specific to data analysis and writing up your findings are also included.

                                             

9. Dissemination

Dissemination might be as simple as turning in your paper at the end of term. If you are completing a dissertation and/or looking to publish, SRM has information on that as well.

Suggested Methods Books in Education

Qualitative Research in Education

The author explains the complexities of educational research and demonstrates the importance of situating the resulting knowledge within cultural, linguistic and sociological contexts.

The SAGE Handbook of Educational Action Research

This handbook contains theoretical and practical based chapters by highly respected scholars whose work has been seminal in building knowledge and expertise in the field.

Research Methods in Special Education

This book explores ways to adapt research methods from other disciplines to the special education context and provides the reader with a framework for critically analyzing and conducting research in areas where people with disabilities live, learn and work.

The SAGE International Handbook of Educational Evaluation

This handbook brings together the experience of top evaluation leaders around the world to present and discuss the core methods and applications of educational evaluation, particularly as they relate to subsequent policy- and decision-making in all educational contexts.

The SAGE Handbook for Research in Education

This handbook encourages readers who conduct applied and policy-oriented educational research, to place the pursuit of ideas at the center of their research -- from framing meaningful problems to identifying and addressing key challenges to the reporting and dissemination of their findings.

The SAGE Handbook of Action Research, 3rd ed.

This handbook maps the current state of the discipline, as well as looking to the future of the field and exploring the issues at the cutting edge of the action research paradigm today.

Action Research in Education

Action Research in Education

This book is divided into three sections:

Section 1: Getting to Know Action Research

Section 2: Doing Action Research

Section 3: Sharing Action Research

This book provides the theory of action research followed by practical examples.