The Researcher's Toolkit. The Complete Guide to Practitioner Research

Citation

Smith, V. (2001), "The Researcher's Toolkit. The Complete Guide to Practitioner Research", Education + Training, Vol. 43 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2001.00443bad.001

The Researcher's Toolkit. The Complete Guide to Practitioner Research

Books

The Researcher's Toolkit. The Complete Guide to Practitioner Research

D. Wilkinson (Ed.)Routledge FalmerISBN 0 415 21566 8

Keywords: Research, Professional research, Methodology

The Researcher's Toolkit provides the start-up information needed for those new to research. The basic tools are discussed as opposed to the more extensive, complex and experimental ones drawn upon by a more seasoned researcher. It is well written in that the prose is straightforward and logical, gently leading the reader through some of the machinations involved in researching. In that respect it achieves its aim of providing a user-friendly and jargon-free source of information, so essential to newcomers into any field.

The research process from start to finish is covered in this book and in that sense it does provide a Complete Guide to Practitioner Research. The opening chapter provides a rationale and justification for and in support of research, without being cumbersome. Brief and to the point it sets the precedent that subsequent chapters follow. The essential and necessary ingredient to ensuring successful completion of a research project; that is, the centrality of planning and its procedural nature, are succinctly presented in Chapter Two. And so it moves on to the consideration of possible sources of information: literature reviews, research instruments (possibly the one chapter that is all too brief, by very nature of the myriad possibilities in researching), and libraries as founts of knowledge and data sources. Analysis of the data collected features in Chapter Seven and this is perhaps the most realistic of the chapters as it presents for discussion the most commonly used statistics: for example, mean, median and mode, and standard deviation. In summation, the process of writing up the research and considerations therein are given worthy space and practical tips for completion are provided. The closing chapter provides a useful insight in to a number of case studies actually undertaken and provides interesting material for those new to such an approach.

In broader terms this Complete Guide is, in reality, more of a useful starting point for the new researcher. It provides a gentle and very easy to follow introduction to the basics of research in practice and covers a range of research possibilities. It also cites some seminal texts as references. Providing the new researcher is prepared to follow these references up then a more complete guide to research will be attained. One point of concern is that many of the references already appear dated. This is not entirely the fault of the often lengthy publication system as many references are from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. Overall, though, the book is a useful introduction to the practice of research. It provides a sound building block from which researchers will be able to move more confidently forward and hone their research skills be they an undergraduate or postgraduate, or needing to address a research project approach whilst in employment.

Vikki SmithLeeds Business School