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An invaluable resource for anyone carrying out a research
project.
We all learn to do research by actually doing it, but a great deal
of time and effort can be wasted and goodwill lost by
inadequate preparation. This book provides first-time
researchers with the tools they need to establish good research
habits and avoid some ofthe pitfalls and time-wasting false
trails. It takes researchers from the stage of choosing a topic
through to the production of a well-planned, methodologically
sound, and well-written final report or thesis. It is written in plain
English and makes no assumptions about previous knowledge.
This new edition of Doing your Research Project includes:

m

m

• New chapters on Ethics andIntegrity in Research; Reading,
Referencing and the Management of Information; and
Literature Searching
• Coverage of additional techniques such as grounded theory
and electronic referencing
• Completely updated coverage of documentary evidence
• More examples from health studies and other disciplines

Judith Bell has worked as a university lecturer, head of
department and vice principal incolleges of further education;
senior counsellor and course team writer for the Open
University; and as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools
specializing in continuing education. In 1997 she was awarded
the MBE for services to educational research and in the same
year was awarded the degree of D.Univ by the Open University.
She now holds the honorary post of Special Professor in theSchool of Continuing Education at the University of Nottingham.
Cover illustration: Chris Maddon
Cover design: Kate Prentice

ISBN 0-335-21504-1

9 780335 215041

Doing your
Research Project
A guide for first-time researchers in
education, health and social science
4TH EDITION

Judith Bell

This book is a guide to good practice for beginner researchers
in any discipline embarking onundergraduate or postgraduate
study, and for professionals in fields such as social science,
education and health.

Doing your Research Project

DOING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT

O VER 200,000 COPIES SOLD

Judith Bell

DOING YOUR
RESEARCH PROJECT
Fourth edition

DOING YOUR
RESEARCH PROJECT
A guide for first-time researchers
in education, health and social science
Fourth editionJUDITH BELL

Open University Press

Open University Press
McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill House
Shoppenhangers Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
England
SL6 2QL
email: enquiries@openup.co.uk
world wide web: www.openup.co.uk
and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121-2289, USA
First published 2005
Copyright © Judith Bell 2005
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passagesfor the
purposes of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or a
licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Details of such
licences (for reprographic reproduction) may beobtained from the
Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd of 90 Tottenham Court Road, London,
W1T 4LP.
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-13:
ISBN-10:

978 0335 21504 1 (pb) 978 0335 21505 8 (hb)
0335 21504 1 (pb) 0335 21505 X (hb)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP data applied for
Typeset by RefineCatch Ltd, Bungay, Suffolk
Printedin the UK by The Bath Press

CONTENTS

Preface to the fourth edition
Acknowledgements

xi
xiii

Introduction

1

PART I

5

1

Preparing the ground

Approaches to research
Action research and the role of practitioner
researchers
Case study
Survey
The experimental style
Ethnography and the ethnographic style of research
The grounded theory approach
Narrative...