Product Description

An accessible, rigorous guide through research for all postgraduate students including international students, largely involved in MA, MPhil, EdD and PhD study. Advice, support and both active and reflective tasks take readers through the stages of research. These range from choosing a university and a topic, writing proposals, developing appropriate methodology and methods, carrying out the research, to dealing with the findings and writing up. It also considers such social and cultural issues as working with your supervisor and with other researchers, giving presentations and writing for publication, and being prepared for a successful viva.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #323399 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
GINA WISKER is Director of Learning and Teaching Development, and MA Women's Studies course leader at Anglia Polytechnic University. She is author of a number of books and articles, and is co-editor and committee chair of the SEDA journal Innovations in Education and Teaching International.

Customer Reviews

For Master's students only
I bought this book because it is one of the few of its kind that outlines the key elements of a PhD proposal. Despite the fact that most UK universities require a proposal with applications for a doctorate, virtually no PhD guides give you any perspectives on how to write it. I was pretty happy to see "writing your proposal" on the table of contents. But I was pretty sorry to see the author doesn't tell you much more than a good few university prospectuses I have seen.

This book is great for those without postgraduate experience, who are embarking on their Master's degree, particularly if it is an MPhil or another research degree. It outlines the key issues you need to consider as you think about how to conceptualise and structure your research, and what direction to give it. It also provides helpful thinking on the 'intangibles' of research: getting on with your supervisor, overcoming cultural barriers, etc.

However, if you have completed a Master's degree and, like me, are embarking on a PhD, you are better off looking elsewhere for guidance about your methods. This book poses far more questions than it provides answers or guidance. Most of these questions are ones which any doctoral candidate who looks for this type of book has already asked themselves. The chapters on choosing your methodology are hopeless - very, very basic. I was surprised to see this was published by Palgrave.