Introduction to Research Methods in Education

Keith Punch is Emeritus Professor of Education in the University of Western Australia. He is the author of several books on research methods in education, covering quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, and he has supervised a very large number of graduate students working on dissertations and theses for higher degrees in education. Alis Oancea is Professor of Philosophy of Education and Research Policy at the University of Oxford. She specialises in research-on-research, including responsible research and impact, research assessment, research and research professional careers, systems, organisations, research education, philosophy of research, tertiary research and innovation, and meta-science. She co-authored textbooks, journal articles and online resources on research methods, and is lead editor of the Handbook of Meta-Research. She has supervised numerous doctoral projects and has extensive experience of chairing and contributing to grant review and funding panels in different countries.

• IntroductionTheory and Method in Education ResearchThe Contexts for Education ResearchEthics in Educational ResearchResearch QuestionsFrom Research Questions to DataLiterature Searching and ReviewingQualitative Research DesignCollecting Qualitative DataThe Analysis of Qualitative DataQuantitative Research DesignCollecting Quantitative DataThe Analysis of Quantitative DataMixed Methods ResearchResearch Writing

While this is for research within education, there are many ways of applying this within other areas- such as ecclesiological research. The church is not just an educational agency of course but my students are researching it in many ways from leadership organisation to how the values are applied in disparate nations. Other books in the list I am growing deal with Q &Q methods but this also addresses the ethical question of work with children and the church has such and other vulnerable groups. Collection, analysis and application of data is provided in an applied way and therefore relevant to my students in a parallel manner for their own research.