Chapter Links

A core feature of The Research Companion (2nd Ed) is extensive links to toolkits, guidelines and other resources to assist your work. As links can break and guidance develop or update, this page contains up to date materials. If you spot any links in the text that seem to be broken or outdated please let me know so I can ensure they’re correctly listed on here.

Chapter One – First Steps

This opening chapter invites you to consider what research skills you already have, where you may need more training and support, and what ‘research’ means to you.

Resources linked in Table 1.1 Other resources to help with research

Successful Qualitative Research
Discovering Statistics
Wikipedia lists quantitative and qualitative packages

Blog post linked in Exercise: What does ‘research’ mean to you?
What does research mean and are you doing it?

Chapter Two – Planning Research

This chapter covers all aspects of planning your research, including different theoretical perspectives that may underpin research; the diverse needs of participants and researchers; finding literature and creating research questions; considering what methods (and analysis) would suit your study best; stakeholder analysis; budgeting; networking; and identifying what support you need to help get your research completed.

Different ways to plan your research

The Pedagogy of Methodological Learning
George Huba’s Mind Mapping Resources
Information Tamers
Dan Roam
Writing for Research guide to storyboarding
London School of Economics’ blog explains storyboarding for research

Thinking about your research questions – additional study skills
Sage Study Skills
How to read (and understand) a social science journal article

The ultimate guide to creating research questions

Table 2.2 Examples of search engines and research archives
Google Scholar
Web of Knowledge
Cochrane Library
Pubmed
PsychInfo
Wikipedia’s list of academic databases and search engines

List of quantitative data archives and repositories
List of repositories for teaching and learning qualitative analysis

Keeping on top of things – research management software
Endnote
Citeulike
ACSChemworx
Mendeley
ReadCube
RefMe
Zotero
Papers
Citethisforme
ComWriter
Wikipedia has a comparison of reference management software

Writing and other study skills
Raul Pacheco-Vega’s Online resources to help students summarize journal articles and write critical reviews
Raul Pacheco-Vega’s highlighting and note taking on journal articles as engagement
Gathering data for your PhD
Palgrave’s Study Skills – Learning strategies
Open University study skills
Cal Newport’s student guides

Table 2.3 Methods you may want to consider
Typology of research methods
Exploratory Methods
Equator network standards for reporting qualitative research (SRQR)
Equator network consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ)
Equator network enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ)
Descriptive Methods
STROBE Statement – strengthening reporting of observational studies in epidemiology
Equator network the strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE)
CARE Statement – Case reports
The CARE guidelines – Consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development
Explanatory Methods
Participatory Methods
The People’s Report
Consort Statement – Transparent reporting of trials
Equator network – updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised controlled trials
SPIRIT Statement – Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Intervention Trials
SPIRIT 2013 Statement – defining standard protocol items for clinical trials
All Trials
SQUIRE – Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence
SQUIRE 2.0 – Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence
CHEERS – Consolidated health economic evaluation reporting standards
Institute for Healthcare Improvement – Plan, do, study, act worksheet
NHS Scotland Quality Improvement Hub
Cochrane
PRISMA statement – Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta analysis
Equator network – preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta analysis

Making research plans and stakeholder analysis
Mind Tools on Stakeholder Analysis
UNDP Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating for Development
ASA Guide to stakeholder analysis

Table 2.4 Potential networking sources
Wikipedia’s comparison of research networking tools
Charity Choice
Wikipedia’s list of charitable foundations

Event guidelines, ground rules and codes of conduct
Geek Feminism Wiki’s code of conduct evaluations

Table 2.5 Examples of ground rules used at existing conferences and workshops
Conferences that work – how to improve your conference with explicit ground rules
Guidelines for academic/activist spaces
Respect differences? Challenging the common guidelines in social justice education by Ozlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo, Democracy in Education, 22 (2) 2014

Table 2.6 Resources for funding
Research funding toolkit
Vitae’s guide to finding sources of academic funding

Chapter Three – Starting Out

In this chapter the focus is on the steps you need to take to begin a study, including planning your time, finding jobs, organising staff, and applying for ethics approval (or managing your own ethical research if an ethics committee is not available).

Comparison of project management software wiki
Mind Tools Guide to Risk Impact
From PhD to Life

Community involvement – what it is, and why is it important?
Participatory Methods
Participation Compass
INVOLVE
Patients and Research
Why We Do Research
James Lind Alliance

Communication tools
Skype
Google Hangouts

Accountability, hierarchies, and who exactly does what
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publishing of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals
Full Fact
Retraction Watch

Research Ethics
What is Ethics in Research & Why is it Important? by David B. Resnik, J.D., Ph.D
Social Research Association
Association of Internet Researchers
New Zealand Ethics Committee
The Research Ethics Guidebook
World Health Organisation’s Ethical standards and procedures for research with human beings
Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees Ethical Guidelines for Research

Chapter Four: Completing Research, Or the importance of piloting, and how to stay focused

This chapter covers aspects of checking your research is fit for purpose before you proceed with a main piece of work. It also includes ways of looking after yourself as a researcher and points readers to the following websites to assist them:
Action for Happiness
Be Mindful

Chapter Five – Participants

This chapter focuses on the people who will be in your research and includes issues around making research feel inclusive, accessible, safe and inviting.

Naming participants
Changing the subject

Who should be in your study?
Simply Psychology’s Guide to Sampling

Resources to assist with making research accessible
NHS England Accessible Information Standard
UN Accessibility for the Disabled
Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Euro Blind’s guide on accessible resources
Participatory Methods resources on making research more accessible
Plain English Campaign
National Centre on Disability and Access to Education—Principles of Accessible 
Design
Easy Read Guidance for people with learning disabilities

Understanding consent
The Economic and Social Research Council’s Framework for Research Ethics
Association of Internet Researchers’ guidelines for ethical decision making

Support sources for participants and significant date planning
Helplines Partnership
Interfaith Calendar

Chapter Six – Researcher Safety and Well-being

While chapter five focused on the needs of participants, this chapter moves to look at ways to keep researchers safe while working in different study settings, including personal safety and understanding and dealing with bullying and harassment (on and offline).

At the start of research
Social Research Association’s Code of Practice for the Safety of Researchers
Relief Web
Hesperian’s Worker’s guide to health and safety

Going to visit participants
Google Maps
Open Streetmap
A to Z
Missing Maps Project
Ordnance Survey

Bullying and harassment
Imperial College London to ‘review procedures’ after death of academic
Imperial College professor Stefan Grimm ‘was given grant income target’

Further Help – safety and well-being for researchers
Suzy Lamplugh Trust
Victim Support
Bullying of Academics in Higher Education
BullyOnline
International Bullying Prevention Association
International Network for Hate Studies
How to write an equal opportunities policy
Stop Online Abuse
National Stalking Helpline
Wikipedia guide to ableism
Conditionally Accepted (for marginalised scholars)
PhDisabled
Chronically Academic
CASA (for casual, adjunct, sessional staff and their allies in Australian higher education)

Chapter Seven:Once a study’s underway

This chapter discusses ways of collating, monitoring, organising and cleaning the data you’re collecting in a study. It also includes a discussion about what to collect routinely and issues of data protection, also addressed in the following websites:
Global Health Trials (resources)
Law firm DLA Piper’s global map of data protection legislation
Wikipedia on the EU Data Protection Directive
European Data in Health Research Alliance
Wellcome Trust on data protection legislation
Information Commissioners Office guide to data protection
UK Data Service information on legal and ethical obligations and data management

In addition the chapter addresses recycling and research waste, linking to organisations including:
Computer Aid
Book Aid
Book Harvest
Recycle This
Green Impact Stamp Recycling
Energy Saving Trust
The Reward Alliance – Research Waste
Healthcare Without Harm

Chapter Eight – End Results and Reporting Findings

At the close of the book the focus shifts from caring for our participants, ourselves, and the quality of our work and moves to address ways in which your work can make a difference. This includes reflecting on impact, public engagement, peer review, avoiding plagiarism, plus giving and getting feedback. The chapter also looks at the many diverse ways there are for sharing findings (including standard approaches of writing papers and dissertations or dealing with the media, through to exploring visual, creative and collaborative practices).

Table 8.1 Five examples of different guidance (and priorities) for public engagement
Research Councils UK Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research (2010)
National Principles for Public Engagement in Wales (2011)
INVOLVE – Effective deliberative public engagement: nine principles (2008)
National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (UK) (2010)
Draft framework developed by National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (UK), Institute for Studies and Innovation in Community University Engagement (Uvic Canada) and Community Based Research Canada (2014)

Exercise: What does ‘engagement’ mean to you and others?
Alice Bell – What’s this public ‘engagement’ with science thing, then?
Urike Felt and Maximillian Fochler – Machineries for making publics: Inscribing and describing publics in research engagement

Table 8.2 – Presentation formats you might like to consider
Using English for academic writing purposes
Science Show Off
Festival of the Spoken Nerd
Clowns Without Borders
The Gesundheit! Institute
Research to Action’s reading list for organising and attending conferences
Open University Creative Writing Resources
Dance Your PhD Contest
Doctor Be Dancing
Dissertation Recipes
Online Writing Laboratory (OWL)
Patter – Pat Thomson’s blog
Palgrave study skills – writing
The University of British Columbia’s Science Writing Resources for Learning (ScWRL)
Open Culture
Medical Aid Films
British Film Institute
Health Talk
Wikipedia’s list of video hosting services
David Gauntlett
Research Presentations from Hell
Wikipedia’s list of photo sharing websites
Research to Action’s guide to Pinterest and Instagram
Theatre of the Oppressed
Colin Purrington Poster Design
Wikipedia’s lists of packages for creating slides and collaborative software
Andy Miah’s A to Z of social media
Suw Charman-Anderson’s online course ‘Write your own social media strategy’
Visual Anthropology
Research to Action’s guides on tools for making an impact
Natura 2000 Networking Programme checklist for planning a workshop or conference
Mind Tools guide to setting up workshops
Community Toolbox
ESRC’s Research Impact Toolkit

Avoiding Plagiarism
Wikipedia’s list of plagiarism detection tools
University of Colorado State’s guide to Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism
Western Washington University’s guide to Plagiarism

Open Access
Open Access Scholarly Information Sourcebook
Open DOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories)
Open Access Working Group
Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association
JISC Open Access
Open Access Button
Missing Maps Project

Networking and Presenting
Oliver Sacks on Stage Fright
Conference Alerts
All Conferences
Wikipedia’s list of social networking websites

If you spot any broken links please let me know. In addition to the resources listed above you can also find extensive lists of additional textbooks and reports in The Research Companion book along with numerous additional sources of information and support listed here.