Research Made Simple

A Beginner's Guide
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-22500-3
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 268 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

This book sets out to reposition research from an intimidating academic ritual to a practical, intuitive process that anyone can engage with. Research, when taught as a human skill—not just a technical subject—becomes far more powerful, personal, and transformational. It has been shaped by countless interactions with learners over the years. The guiding idea behind this text is simple – research is not reserved for the select few. It is a way of thinking that everyone can learn.

Research is not just a means to academic publication or career advancement—it is a fundamental life skill. The ability to ask the right questions, gather evidence, interpret information, and make decisions lies at the heart of both everyday life and academic inquiry. This textbook does not assume prior expertise. The book explains key research concepts using everyday language without oversimplifying them. Technical terms are introduced gradually, explained through stories, examples, and analogies. Wherever possible, concepts are contrasted with similar-sounding but different ideas—hypothesis vs. assumption, abstract vs. summary, validity vs. reliability—to build clarity. Recognising the reduced attention span of today’s learners, the chapters are kept short and focused. Each chapter is self-contained but builds upon earlier ones, creating a gentle and logical progression. Boxed insights, illustrations, and real-life scenarios support the core narrative, making it easier to grasp and remember key ideas.

This book will be an invaluable textbook catering to UG and PG students studying Research Methodology across various disciplines like social sciences, management, education, engineering, and allied fields. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the research process, which remains universally applicable. Pedagogically rich, this book ensures relevance and practicality for students to equip them with research skills worldwide.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate, Undergraduate Advanced, and Undergraduate Core

Autoren/Hrsg.

Prakash, Monika

Chowdhary, Nimit

Sunayana

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Forschung und Information Forschungsmethodik, Wissenschaftliche Ausstattung
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein Empirische Sozialforschung, Statistik
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Marktforschung
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychologie / Allgemeines & Theorie Psychologische Forschungsmethoden

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface Acknowledgements 1. What Is Research? Understanding Everyday Inquiry 2. Different Roads to Knowledge: Types of Research 3. Your Research Journey: What Changes at Each Level? 4. How We Think: Deductive and Inductive Reasoning 5. What Do We Know and How? Ontology, Epistemology, Axiology 6. Thinking Smart: Indian and Global Styles of Reasoning 7. Philosophy in Action: Solving Real Problems Through Paradigms 8. From Beliefs to Methods: Connecting Philosophy with Research Practice 9. Sharpening the Focus: From Ideas to Hypotheses 10. Anatomy of a Research Study: From Title to Implications 11. From Curiosity to Clarity: Crafting a Research Idea 12. Standing on Giants' Shoulders: Doing a Literature Review 13. What’s Missing? Finding the Research Gap 14. Your Guiding Map: Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks 15. From What Happens to Why: Linking Phenomena and Theory 16. The Building Blocks: Understanding Variables 17. Measuring Meaning: Tools, Scales, and Precision 18. Making Assumptions Smartly: Hypotheses and Their Testing 19. Choosing Your Path: Methodology and Methods 20. Trust Matters: Reducing Error and Bias in Research 21. By the Numbers: Designs in Quantitative Research 22. The Stat Toolkit: Tests, Regression, and More 23. Beyond Numbers: Exploring Qualitative Research 24. Tasting the Whole Pot: Smart Sampling Techniques 25. Getting the Right Info: Tools for Collecting Data 26. What’s It About? Crafting Titles and Abstracts 27. From Research to Impact: Presenting Your Research 28. Chapters That Count: How to Organise Your Thesis 29. What’s Fair Is True: Understanding Research Ethics

Über Autor(innen)

Nimit Chowdhary, BE(Mech) MBA, PhD (Management), is a Professor and Head at the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has more than 31 years of postgraduate teaching and research experience. He has been a full professor for close to 18 years, serving in all the country's regions. He has also been a professor at ITESM- MEXICO, Shaoxing University, CHINA. He has also taught at the University of Girona, SPAIN, the University of Gotland, SWEDEN, and GEA Academy SLOVENIA. Recently, he was associated as adjunct faculty with Arizona State University, USA.

Sunayana, MBA, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Management Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia's Department of Management Studies. She has earned a PhD in Management Studies from Jiwaji University in Gwalior, MP, and an MBA from Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University in Ajmer. At the Government Engineering College in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, she previously held the position of lecturer. She has been a teacher for more than 16 years.

Monika Prakash, MBA, MCom, PhD, is a Professor at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Noida. Earlier, she headed the IITTM Noida and IITTM Gwalior. She has over 27 years of university-level teaching experience and has been a full professor since 2013. She leads the prestigious Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Programme (IITFP) of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. In addition, she is a researcher, trainer, and academic administrator.