Research methods

Guidance notes for your assignment

Part 1 – Critical evaluation of research methods in THE (worth 70%, 1250 words)

a) Review (600 words)

This is an important part of any project as it forms the foundation for your research. No study starts from
scratch but rests on earlier works, and a thorough review of the relevant literature on the topic, and the
trends that have developed is vital to enable you to gain a good understanding and insight into the topic and
the issues surrounding it. You will need to establish the current state of knowledge pertinent to the topic
under investigation (the theories, concepts, ideas, issues, debates and so on) with emphasis on seminal (i.e.
important) and recently published texts (particularly journal articles and conference papers). Don’t just
quote the words of others ad verbatim (this is the sign of a poor literature review and very likely a poor
project).
A literature review IS NOT simply a description of relevant books/journals that you have read or that you
think will be helpful to your research. You should paraphrase and critique (i.e. restate, in your own words,
the main points made by the writer(s) in question, in addition to evaluating their contribution, often with
reference to the works of other writers.
When reviewing the literature, remember to highlight:
● ‘gaps’ in the current body of knowledge that could be filled by your proposed research project
● out-of-date work in need of revision
● opportunities to expand on research conducted by someone else.
It is important to state clearly how your work will improve the reader’s existing knowledge of the subject.
Also, make sure that you cite the works according to the Harvard System of Referencing throughout.

b) Outline of one method (650 words)

You should mention the options open to you (e.g. a quantitative or qualitative approach, or secondary
research for Independent Study), state and justify the reasons for the option you have chosen (e.g. a
qualitative approach using a combination of participant observation and in-depth interviews) as opposed to
the other options. Thought should be given to the sample (who, how many, where and so on) and for
example, in the case of a questionnaire, reflect on issues such as the likely response rate, the type and
wording of questions, and the statistical tests to be used in analysis of the data. For qualitative methods such
as focus groups, and interviews, thought should be given to the potential participants, the methods of
recording and transcription, and the analytical techniques to be used. For observation, consider the
researcher-subject relationship and the setting in which the data is to be captured. For documents, comment
on the availability of archive material, and the method(s) of textual analysis to be employed