There are many textbooks on research methods, plenty of books on popular science, and specialist texts on a whole range of academic fields. However, few bring these together as a framework for a career involving research, and few attempt a practical appraisal of the challenges and opportunities involved in being 'a researcher'. Here, the principles underlying humanity's past and continuing acquisition of knowledge are illustrated across a variety of academic fields, from history to quantum physics - telling stories of clever and inventive people with good ideas, but also of personalities, politics, and power. This book draws together these strands to provide an informal and concise account of knowledge acquisition in all its guises. Having set out what research hopes to achieve, and why we are all researchers at heart, early chapters describe the basic principles underlying this - ways of thinking which may date back to the philosophers of the Athenian marketplace but are still powerful influences on the way research is carried out today. Drawing on a broad range of disciplines, Stewart takes the reader well beyond the pure 'scientific method', which might work well enough in physics or chemistry but falls apart in life sciences, let alone humanities. Later chapters consider the realities of carrying out research and the ways in which these continue to shape its progress - researchers and their personalities, their employers, funding, publication, political forces, and power structures. Written in an accessible and engaging style, this book is for anyone embarking on a research project or beginning to think about a career involving research, and for those in need of refocusing on why they started research in the first place.

This work offers readers a glimpse into the job of being a research scientist. Starting with thoughts about how to decide whether you'd want to pursue such a career, the book works through some of the obvious topics relevant to a research profession.

How to be a Researcher provides a strategic guide to the conduct of a successful research career within a university environment. Based on the author’s extensive personal experience, it offers down-to-earth advice, philosophical guidance, and discussions of the political context of academic research. This is not a research methods book, and the topics it covers are rarely discussed elsewhere. The bulk of the book provides practical advice on the development of essential skills and strategic approaches, covering questions such as: how to decide which topics to work on how to read and review literature how to develop theory how to integrate research and teaching activity how to approach research design how to obtain and manage research funding how to collaborate and supervise effectively how to write up your research, and how to secure the best sources of publication. The final part of the book considers the philosophy and psychology of research work and includes an exploration of the cognitive biases which may affect researchers. How to be a Researcher will be particularly useful for masters and doctoral students in the behavioral and social sciences, and also for early career academics developing research within a university career.

This book explores research from the researchers’ perspective: why to engage in research, what methods to follow, how to operate in daily life, what the responsibilities are, how to engage with society, and the ethical issues confronting professionals in their day-to-day research. The book systematically discusses what every student should be told when entering academic or industrial research so that they can avoid going through the painful process of learning by personal experience and lots of errors. Rather than being technical, it is philosophical and sometimes even anecdotal, combining factual information and commonly accepted knowledge on research and its methods, while at the same time clearly distinguishing between objective and factual concepts and data, and subjective considerations. The book is about scientific research in general and as such holds true for any scientific field. However, it is fair to say that the different fields differ in their research cultures and in their eco-systems. The book reflects the author’s experience accumulated over almost 50 years of teaching graduate courses and lecturing in doctoral symposia at Politecnico di Milano, University of Zurich, TU Wien, Peking University, and at various conferences, and of academic research in informatics (also known as computer science). This book is mainly intended for students who are considering research as a possible career option; for in-progress researchers who have entered doctoral programs; and for junior postdoctoral researchers. It will also appeal to senior researchers involved in mentoring students and junior researchers.

This Handbook brings together foundational and leading-edge research exploring dimensions of improving quality of life in communities of place. Social indicators and other assessment techniques will be explored, including from the framework of community perspectives which is concerned with enhancing quality of life for community members. As part of this trans-disciplinary work, participation, engagement, and empowerment will be key concepts presented. Along with capacity building and service provision, these elements influence community well-being and will be considered along with subjective and objective assessment approaches. Researchers from around the globe share their work on this important topic of community well-being, bringing together a diverse array of disciplinary perspectives. Those working in the areas of public policy, community development, community and social psychology, urban and regional planning, and sustainable development will find this volume particularly useful for the array of approaches presented.

Helping readers understand their perspectives and use that understanding to inform their research approach, this Little Quick Fix will enable first time researchers to reflect upon and identify their view of truth and knowledge, as well as what those mean and how they are established. After reading they will be better placed to choose and critically evaluate appropriate research questions and make informed methodological decisions. With activities that get readers to identify their stance and question their own and others’ assumptions about research practice, this Little Quick Fix covers questions like: • How can you become a researcher known for integrity? • What stand will you take towards your inquiry? • How will you study problems as an outsider? • How will you study problems as an insider? • How will my research design choices communicate the kind of researcher I am? • How can mindful self-awareness help me stay true to my intentions? Little Quick Fix books provide quick but authoritative answers to the problems, hurdles, and assessment points students face in the research course, project proposal, or design - whatever their methods learning is. Lively, ultra-modern design; full-colour, each page a tailored design. An hour′s read. Easy to dip in and out of with clear navigation enables readers to find what they need - quick. Direct written style gets to the point with clear language. Nothing needs to be read twice. No fluff. Learning is reinforced through a 2-minute overview summary; 3-second summaries with super-quick Q&A DIY tasks create a work plan to accomplish a task, do a self-check quiz, solve a problem, get students to what they need to show their supervisor. Checkpoints in each section make sure students are nailing it as they go and support self-directed learning. How do I know I’m done? Each Little Quick Fix wraps up with a final checklist that allows the reader to self-assess they’ve got what they need to progress, submit, or ace the test or task.

The scientific research enterprise is built on a foundation of trust. Scientists trust that the results reported by others are valid. Society trusts that the results of research reflect an honest attempt by scientists to describe the world accurately and without bias. But this trust will endure only if the scientific community devotes itself to exemplifying and transmitting the values associated with ethical scientific conduct. On Being a Scientist was designed to supplement the informal lessons in ethics provided by research supervisors and mentors. The book describes the ethical foundations of scientific practices and some of the personal and professional issues that researchers encounter in their work. It applies to all forms of research-whether in academic, industrial, or governmental settings-and to all scientific disciplines. This third edition of On Being a Scientist reflects developments since the publication of the original edition in 1989 and a second edition in 1995. A continuing feature of this edition is the inclusion of a number of hypothetical scenarios offering guidance in thinking about and discussing these scenarios. On Being a Scientist is aimed primarily at graduate students and beginning researchers, but its lessons apply to all scientists at all stages of their scientific careers.