Writing a good

Roger Watson

Aims

• ‘To’ do something

• Example:– To find out how many people live in the world

Objectives

• The steps along the way

• Examples:– To develop an instrument to measure the number

of people in the world– To pilot test the instrument– To apply the instrument to the population of the

world

Research question

• How many people live in the world?

• What is the relationship between…?

• Is there a relationship between…?

• How do people perceive…?

• What determines when/how often…?

• Is X better than Y at…?

Methods• Specify a design:

– Survey• Cross-sectional• Longitudinal

– Experiment• Randomised controlled trial

– Single-blind– Double-blind

• Quasi-experiment– Qualitative

• Ethnography• Grounded theory

Task distribution

• Who will do what?

Timetable

email: r.watson@hull.ac.uk

@rwatson1955