GINA WISKER is Head of the Centre of Learning and Teaching at the University of Brighton, UK. In 2005, she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for her work in learning support. She is the author of The Good Supervisor.

• IntroductionPART ONE: FIRST STAGEStarting ResearchStarting Your Own Postgraduate ResearchChoosing the Right Research DegreeChoosing Your SupervisorWriting a Research ProposalPART TWO: SECOND STAGEGetting Going: Supervisors, Methods and TimeManaging Your SupervisorManaging the Balancing ActManaging Your Time and TasksYour Learning As a Research StudentResearch Questions and MethodsCarrying Out a Literature ReviewChoosing Appropriate Research Methodologies and MethodsPART THREE: THIRD STAGEMore Detailed Research Methods: Maintaining MomentumDesigning and Using QuestionnairesAction Research and PhenomenographyQualitative Research Methods: Interviews, Focus Groups and ObservationUsing Grounded Theory, Case Studies, Journals and SynecticsResearch Methods for the Arts and HumanitiesBeing Organised: Planning to Undertake Your ResearchPART FOUR: FOURTH STAGESupport, Progress and AnalysisDeveloping a Supportive Research Culture Locally and at a DistanceProblem-based Research and Problem SolvingAnalysing Data and Thinking About FindingsWriting Transfer Documents and Progress Reports for MPhil and PhD ThesisPART FIVE: FINAL FIFTH STAGEWriting Up: The Viva, Presentations and AfterwardsWriting Up: Definitions and Qualities of a Good MA, MPhil and PhD ThesisPreparing Your ThesisPreparing for and Undertaking Your VivaPresentations, Conferences and PublishingLife After the ResearchIndex.

'...I would highly recommend this book not only to anyone considering undertaking a research degree, but also to those who are already involved in one...I have personally found many of the sections to be very helpful and reassuring...' - Sue Pavey, International Journal of Research& Method in Education