Journal Articles

Getting Started in Research: Research Questions, Supervisors and Literature Reviews. Matthew D. Macfarlane, Steve Kisely, Samantha Loi, Jeffrey C.Looi, Sally Merry, Stephen Parker, Brian Power, Dan Siskind, Geoff Smith and Stephen Macfarlan. Australasian Psychiatry. 23(1), 8–11. Published October-13-2014.
Starting a research project can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. This article offers a guide to using systematic planning to get through the first few steps of your research project.

The Classification of Research Questions. J.T. Dillon. Review of Educational Research. Fall, 1984, 54 (3), 327‒361.
Research questions come in many forms. This article gives some additional perspective on the types and classifications of research questions you may ask.

Time Management Strategies for Research Productivity. Jo-Ana D. Chase, Robert Topp, Carol E. Smith, Marlene Z. Cohen, Nancy Fahrenwald, Julie J. Zerwic, Lazelle E. Benefield, Cindy M. Anderson and Vicki S. Conn. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 35(2), 155– 176. Published August-6-2012.
The heading says it all ‒ this piece gives advice on how to balance multiple responsibilities and stay on track.

So Much to Read, So Little Time. Keith Rayner, Elizabeth R. Schotter, Michael E. J. Masson, Mary C. Potter and Rebecca Treiman. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 17(1), 4– 34. Published January-14-2016.
Does your research topic appear to require a lot of background reading? Look here for more information about speed reading and how it might help you get through tasks like your literature review at a quicker pace.

Interpretivism and Generalisation. Malcolm Williams. Sociology, 34 (2), 209‒224. First Published May 1, 2000.
This article discusses the place of and complications surrounding interpretivism in a sociological research context.

The Quest for Evidence-Based Practice? We Are All Positivists! Bruce A. Thyer. Research on Social Work Practice, 18(4), 339‒345. First Published June 12, 2007.
This article discusses the place of and complications surrounding positivism in a social work context.

Doing Sensitive Research Sensitively: Ethical and Methodological Issues in Researching Workplace Bullying. Declan Fahie, PhD. Published February 1, 2014.
Research Design Issue Example #1: Considering doing research into a sensitive topic or about a potentially vulnerable group? Look to this article for important ethical requirements to take into account before you solidify your approach.

Ethics in Psychiatric Research: Study Design Issues. Gordon DuVal. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49(1), 55‒59. First Published January 1, 2004.
Research Design Issue Example #2: This article discusses a slew of possible issues surrounding psychological study designs and the risks certain methodology choices may pose.

Critical Thinking, Transformative Learning, Sustainable Education, and Problem-Based Learning in Universities, Ian Thomas. Journal of Transformative Education, 7(3), 245–264. Published July 2009.
An academic perspective on why thinking critically ‒ learning how to think rather than what to think ‒ is an essential skill for all researchers (and students in general!).

Innovations in Survey Research: An Application of Web-Based Surveys. Stephen J. Sills and Chunyan Song. Social Science Computer Review, 20(1), 22‒30. Published February 1, 2002.
Method in Action #1: This article demonstrates how web-based surveys ‒ one of the most common types of surveys for university projects ‒ add new potential to survey research.

The Art(fulness) of Open-ended Interviewing: Some Considerations on Analysing Interviews. Timothy John Rapley. Qualitative Research, 1(3), 303‒323. First Published December 1, 2001.
Method in Action #2: Thinking about conducting interviews as part of your project? This article offers a closer look at the dynamic between interviewers and interviewees and how they may shape the outcome of your research.

Educating and Training Undergraduate Applied Statisticians. Clovis A. Peres, Pedro A. Morettin and Subhash C. Narula. Journal of Educational Statistics, 10(3), 283‒292. First Published September 1, 1985.
Statistics get a bad reputation for being complicated, scary monsters. This article that shows how undergraduates have been taught stats from scratch may provide some helpful encouragement for your own data analysis.

Writing a Dissertation. Robin Queen and Lauren Squires. Journal of English Linguistics, 39(3), 300‒305. Published July 10, 2011.
Need extra support on the writing up phase? This piece offers additional tips that will be useful not just for dissertations, but all types of written reports.

How I Write: An Inquiry Into the Writing Practices of Academics. Charlotte Cloutier. Journal of Management Inquiry, 25(1), 69‒84. Published May 14, 2015.
Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration from others to boost your own productivity. Experienced academics share their writing secrets and tips in this article.