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Nick Barter, Jessica Cheung, Christopher Stevenson, Matthew Clarke, Michael Rose, and Georgie Lowe

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is aimed at anyone interested in research. It may be of particular interest to people who are undertaking a research project related to their profession or area of study.

Topics Covered

  • Undertaking a literature review
  • Specifying a researchable question
  • Crafting a research methodology
  • Assessing the potential impact of your research
  • Writing your research proposal

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Reviews summary

Foundational guide to research project planning

According to one learner, this course offers a really good overview for anyone new to formal research. Students looking for a solid foundation will find the course extremely helpful, particularly its breakdown of topics like literature reviews, methodology, and research proposal writing. It covers the essentials without excessive detail, which is perfect for a beginner. The clear and relevant examples provided contribute to a significant boost in confidence for starting a research project.
Tailored for those new to formal research practices.
"As someone new to formal research, I found the breakdown of topics... extremely helpful."
"It was perfect for a beginner like me looking for a solid foundation."
"The depth was appropriate for my beginner needs, focusing on essentials without overwhelming detail."
Delivers helpful insights with clear, relevant examples.
"I found the breakdown of topics like literature reviews, methodology, and writing a proposal extremely helpful."
"The examples provided were clear and relevant."
"I feel much more confident about starting my own research now."
Provides a strong starting point for new researchers.
"This course provided a really good overview of planning a research project."
"It covered the essentials without getting bogged down in excessive detail..."
"It was perfect for a beginner like me looking for a solid foundation."

Career center

Learners who complete Why Planning Your Research Matters will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.
The Craft of Research classic guide to the entire research process, from defining your question and doing the necessary background reading to writing and revising your draft. is written for students of all levels.
Research Methods in Psychology covers the general process of research in psychology, including not only the statistical aspects but also the conceptual and philosophical aspects.
How to Write a Literature Review practical guide to writing a literature review. It provides clear and concise instructions on how to find, read, and synthesize research literature to develop a well-written and informative literature review.
Writing Literature Reviews provides a step-by-step guide to writing a variety of literature reviews, including systematic reviews, scoping reviews, narrative reviews, and critical reviews.
How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine concise and practical guide to reading and understanding scientific papers in medical research. It covers the key elements of a scientific paper, such as the abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion, and provides tips on how to critically evaluate the paper's strengths and weaknesses.
Doing Meta-Analysis with R: A Hands-on Guide provides a practical guide to conducting meta-analyses in R. It covers all the key steps of the meta-analysis process, from data preparation to model fitting and interpretation.
Meta-Analysis: A Guide to Calibrating and Combining Statistical Studies comprehensive guide to meta-analysis. It covers the theoretical and practical aspects of meta-analysis, including how to conduct a meta-analysis, assess the quality of the studies included in a meta-analysis, and interpret the results of a meta-analysis.
Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis comprehensive and technical guide to the statistical methods used in meta-analysis. It covers a wide range of topics, including effect size estimation, heterogeneity assessment, and publication bias.
Well-regarded introductory text to research methodology. It provides a clear and concise overview of the research process, from planning and design to data collection and analysis.
This classic text provides thorough coverage of research methods in a social science context. The latest edition includes updated information on research design, data collection, and data analysis.
Provides a clear and concise introduction to research methods in psychology. It covers a wide range of topics, including research design, data collection, and data analysis.
This classic text provides a comprehensive overview of the research process, from planning and design to writing and publishing. It valuable resource for students and researchers at all levels.
Provides a comprehensive overview of research methods used in criminal justice and criminology. It covers a wide range of topics, including research design, data collection, and data analysis.
This classic guide to research methods offers practical advice on every aspect of the research process, from developing a research question to writing a research report.

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