Writing a good

Roger Watson

Background

• Relevant literature

• Statement– What is known about the problem– What is not known about the problem (gaps)– What gap you hope to fill with the project

Aims

• ‘To’ do something

• Example:– To find out how many people live in the world

Objectives

• The steps along the way

• Examples:– To develop an instrument to measure the number

of people in the world– To pilot test the instrument– To apply the instrument to the population of the

world

Research question

• How many people live in the world?

• What is the relationship between…?

• Is there a relationship between…?

• How do people perceive…?

• What determines when/how often…?

• Is X better than Y at…?

Methods - design• Specify a design:– Survey

• Cross-sectional• Longitudinal

– Experiment• Randomised controlled trial

– Single-blind– Double-blind

• Quasi-experiment– Qualitative

• Ethnography• Grounded theory

Methods – data collection• Specify methods:– Survey

• Questionnaires• Telephone• Internet

– Experiment• Specify primary outcome measure• How the outcome will be measured

– Qualitative• Interviews• Focus groups• Stuctured/unstructured

Analysis• Specify a procedure:– Survey

• Descriptive• Inferential

– Experiment• Compare means

– T-test of ANOVA– Qualitative

• Recording/transcription• Coding• Constant comparison etc

Task distribution

• Who will do what?

• What will be done when?

Timetable

r.watson@hull.ac.uk

0000-0001-8040-7625

@rwatson1955