do primary research dissertation

This guide covers the second stage of your dissertation. It examines how to go about planning and conducting your research, including advice on: Printable version of this guide (this is designed to be printed double-sided on A4 paper, then folded to make an A5 leaflet). Doing your research The kinds of research you will need to do will depend on your research question. You will usually need to survey existing literature to get an overview of the knowledge that has been gained so far on the topic; this will inform your own research and your interpretations. You may also decide to do: - primary research (conducting your own experiments, surveys etc to gain new knowledge) - secondary research (collating knowledge from other people's research to produce a new synthesis). You may need to do either or both. Primary research If you are doing qualitative or quantitative research, or experiments, start on these as soon as you can. Gathering data takes a lot of time. People are often too busy to participate in interviews or fill out questionnaires and you might need to find extra participants to make up your sample. Scientific experiments may take longer than you anticipate especially if they require special equipment and learning new methods. Design and plan your data collection methods – check them with your supervisor and see if they fit with your methodology. Identify and plan for any ethical issues with collecting your data. Do a test or pilot questionnaire as soon as possible so you can make changes if necessary. Identify your sample size and control groups. Have a contingency plan if not everyone is willing to participate. Keep good records – number and store any evidence – don't throw anything out until you graduate! See our advice on Managing your data for more suggestions. Secondary research The key to effective secondary research is to keep it under control, and to.
So, you are starting to think about your dissertation, and you’ve grasped the basics including the difference between primary and secondary research. However, understanding what the differences are won’t necessarily help you to decide whether you should go for a secondary-data based, literature-review style dissertation, or get to grips with primary research. This guide is designed to help you decide what’s best for you. Overview of the Differences Just to remind you, there are clear differences between primary and secondary research. Primary research means research which is carried out for the purposes of your study. Secondary research is information that already exists. Many people chose to do an extended literature review, and this is the main type of secondary study.  Secondary data can include journal articles, textbooks, online sources, company and industry data and other types of information. However, you might also decide to carry out new analysis on existing data, for example SPSS analysis on a large dataset collected by other researchers. This is another form of secondary research. Primary or Secondary Research: How to Decide Your tutor, professors or department might have a preference for the type of dissertation you do. In some subjects you might be strongly advised to do a primary study; in others it might not be practical (English language or Philosophy, for example). To some extent, whether you chose primary or secondary research will also depend on your research question. If the area is under-investigated, adding to the body of existing information by a small-scale study might make sense. Also listen to what your tutor suggests. He or she might feel that a  primary study would be worthwhile. You might feel negatively about primary research, imagining that it will involve more work, or be more difficult, but you can access a great deal of help along.
Research forms the core of academic writing and can make or break your paper. At the college level, writers must support their claims through tailored evidence that support their thesis. Research skills can take time and practice to develop, but don’t be intimidated. This guide will cover the basics of conducting primary research.What is Primary Research?The concept of primary research is quite simple. Primary research involves the collection of original data that addresses a specific research question. Distinguishing between primary and secondary research can be a point of confusion for beginning researchers. However, a few pointers highlight they key differences between these two forms of research. Secondary research reiterates information that has already been collected and published for others to reference. Examples of secondary research sources include peer-reviewed journals, trade publications and magazines, and books. In contrast, primary research requires the researcher to collect data that is not readily accessible. If you have ever conducted an interview, written down an observation, or distributed a questionnaire, you have conducted primary research. In some cases, primary research might involve the collection of data that is already published and made available for the public. For example, a criminal justice project might call for the collection of data from the Uniform Crime Report to describe crime trends. Performing original analysis on pre-existing data also qualifies as primary research.When to Conduct Primary ResearchThough primary research can strengthen any essay, it is not required in all cases. Successful writers know when it is and isn’t important to conduct their own research. Here are some quick and fast tips for deciding when to opt for primary research:When to Conduct Primary Research1. Your professor requires it2. You are writing for an.
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