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Managing Information for Research
A book for first-time researchers which addresses the problems and anxieties they themselves define as most important:
* Transforming the knowledge gained during research into written form
* Managing time
* Organizing the information they collect and create
* Transforming information from written sources into usable knowledge
* Coping with feelings of isolation and loss of confidence
Strangely enough, these problems have not so far been the main focus of any text designed to help researchers.
This book makes up for the omission: it is based on experience - the experience of the author in working with students who are tackling research for the first time, and that of students themselves - and it presents the experience by way of examples from real projects. Readers have the opportunity of answering questions about their own research, and on the basis of their answers they are helped in making decisions that will help them to cope successfully with the key problems, and to deliver an end product that does justice to their efforts.
* Transforming the knowledge gained during research into written form
* Managing time
* Organizing the information they collect and create
* Transforming information from written sources into usable knowledge
* Coping with feelings of isolation and loss of confidence
Strangely enough, these problems have not so far been the main focus of any text designed to help researchers.
This book makes up for the omission: it is based on experience - the experience of the author in working with students who are tackling research for the first time, and that of students themselves - and it presents the experience by way of examples from real projects. Readers have the opportunity of answering questions about their own research, and on the basis of their answers they are helped in making decisions that will help them to cope successfully with the key problems, and to deliver an end product that does justice to their efforts.
191 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 18, 2020
A very interesting and thoughtful view on the completion of a dissertation using a design perspective.
June 22, 2013
I read this book as I am beginning to think about and write my dissertation proposal. My experience in completing the PhD coursework has been that you get enough information to understand the research process and at least the concepts of methodology, but there is very little, if no, solid tips or advice on how to manage this new and overwhelming process. All the books and articles I've read about the dissertation process has included, at best, one or two sentences about how to manage the vast amounts of information for both the literature review and your own research. And usually it just refers to using technology to help you accomplish it. No one seems to include tips, best practices, or advice on how to actually manage it.
This is where Orna's book comes in very handy. It is about the information itself, not the content or the methodology of your study. It walks you through the process of the dissertation focusing on not the process itself, but how to manage each component of it. Through quotes from interviews with other researchers along with her own experience and insight, Orna gives some very useful advice, along with templates for creating a visually appealing piece of work that keeps the reader in mind. No one in my program has ever mentioned the readers, beyond the committee who will eventually approve it (hopefully, of course). But more than that, she also gives an alternative way to think about the process, integrating both the practical elements with the process pieces. My only "complaint" (and it is more of an observation) is that she is a UK researcher and her experience and interviews are European. While the processes appear to be somewhat similar, there are some notable differences between the UK dissertation process and the US one, to the US' detriment it seems.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone (not just dissertation researchers) who needs to track large amounts of information, analyze and synthesize it, and then write an article or book.
This is where Orna's book comes in very handy. It is about the information itself, not the content or the methodology of your study. It walks you through the process of the dissertation focusing on not the process itself, but how to manage each component of it. Through quotes from interviews with other researchers along with her own experience and insight, Orna gives some very useful advice, along with templates for creating a visually appealing piece of work that keeps the reader in mind. No one in my program has ever mentioned the readers, beyond the committee who will eventually approve it (hopefully, of course). But more than that, she also gives an alternative way to think about the process, integrating both the practical elements with the process pieces. My only "complaint" (and it is more of an observation) is that she is a UK researcher and her experience and interviews are European. While the processes appear to be somewhat similar, there are some notable differences between the UK dissertation process and the US one, to the US' detriment it seems.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone (not just dissertation researchers) who needs to track large amounts of information, analyze and synthesize it, and then write an article or book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews