Sometimes the hardest part of conducting original research is knowing where to start. You've got to start with the burning question in your head. Finish this sentence: "I've always wondered why..."
Now, think about this question. Do you think you know what the answer is? If so, write it down as a complete sentence. Congratulations! You have just developed your first hypothesis!
It really is that easy to get started. Often students in the social sciences (e.g. psych, soc, social work, criminal justice) are so intimidated by the thought of research that they make it seem much more complicated than it really is. I'll try not to sound like an old timer here, but honestly conducting student research now is SO much easier than it was when I was a student. Computer programs like SPSS make calculating stats so much easier (btw, SPSS did exist when I was a student - it was just on a mainframe and we had to write syntax - yuck). Online survey sites like Survey Monkey have made obtaining large samples quick, easy and cheap. By posting links to surveys on websites, social networking sites and in emails, it is possible to have hundreds of responses to a survey in just a few short weeks for around $20.00. No longer do you have to kill a forest's worth of trees and ingest tons of envelope glue mailing surveys that will never be returned. You've got it easy!
So, even if you aren't excited about conducting a research project, chances are you are here because you don't have a choice. If you want to finish your degree, you have to do it. I am hoping that this blog will help. I'm also working on developing some interactive apps that can be used to help in the process as well, so keep checking this blog for details. Who knows, you may end up enjoying research. I never thought I would, but look at me now...I've become a total research nerd!
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