Introduction to Social Research
Date:
10/05/2013
Organised by:
Social Research Association
Presenter:
Dr Helen Kara
Level:
Entry (no or almost no prior knowledge)
Contact:
Description:
This course will show you how to conduct research, whether as part of your job or for a professional development qualification such as a diploma, Master’s degree or PhD. It will also help you to manage research alongside work, family, and social life. Covering the whole of the research process from planning to dissemination, the focus is on practical information to save you time, effort and stress.
Some aspects of research run through the whole project: reading, writing, ethics, and time management. Others occur at specific points in the process: planning, data collection, data preparation, data analysis and dissemination. Our focus in the morning will be on good practice in planning and managing all these aspects of research. In the afternoon, you will use your new learning to plan your own research project – whether a project you are conducting, or are about to conduct, or one you would like to conduct. There will also be an opportunity for you to raise any unresolved issues you may have encountered, or are currently grappling with, in the course of conducting research. There will be plenty of practical advice and tips offered throughout the course, and by the end of the day you will be much more knowledgeable and confident about conducting research.
Everyone attending this course will receive a complimentary copy of the course book, Research and Evaluation for Busy Practitioners: A Time-Saving Guide, written by the course tutor and published in 2012 by The Policy Press.
Topics
Planning and managing your research project:
- Planning
- Reading and writing
- Research ethics
- Time management
- Data collection
- Data preparation
- Data analysis
- Dissemination
Who will benefit?
Anyone who is considering or doing a research project, and wants to know how to do research well. The research project may be work-based (service evaluation, training needs analysis, etc) or academic (dissertation, thesis etc). This course will be particularly useful for practitioners working in public services – health, criminal justice, social care, education, third sector, private sector, local or national government – and those who work in independent research organisations and academia.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, you will:
- Understand how to plan and manage a research project effectively
- Know how to prioritise research work
- Understand how to fit research work in with other work and non-work commitments
- Have a written project plan, with timescales, for your own research project
Course tutor
Dr Helen Kara has been an independent researcher for the last 13 years, working primarily in social care and health, with experience of criminal justice, education, and the third sector. Her clients have included local, regional and national government departments and bodies, and statutory and third sector organisations and partnerships. She has employment experience from the private, statutory and third sectors. Helen is the author of the course book, Research and Evaluation for Busy Practitioners: A Time-Saving Guide, published by The Policy Press in 2012. She teaches research methods to practitioners and students, and loves to demystify the processes of writing and research.
Cost:
£195 for SRA members/£260 for non-members
Website and registration:
Region:
Greater London
Keywords:
Data Collection (other), Data Quality and Data Management (other), Research Management and Impact (other), Writing Skills
Related publications and presentations from our eprints archive:
Data Collection (other)
Data Quality and Data Management (other)
Research Management and Impact (other)
Writing Skills