Center For Industrial Technology and Enterprise: Stages
Center For Industrial Technology and Enterprise: Stages
Center For Industrial Technology and Enterprise: Stages
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Reference/s
I. CONCEPT DIGEST
Coping with the research literature
To the novice researcher, it can seem as if there is so much that needs reading, and that it is so difcult to
get on top of or make sense of it. More experienced researchers you may or may not be relieved to know
can have much the same concerns. But the new researcher may feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of
these demands for quite a long time.
Reading at different stages and for different purposes
Stages
At the beginning of your research, in order to check what other research has been done, to focus
your ideas, shape your hypotheses and explore the context for your project.
During your research, to keep you interested and up to date with develop- ments, to help you
better understand the methods you are using and the eld you are researching, and as a source of
data.
After your research, to see what impact your own work has had and to help you develop ideas
for further research projects.
Purposes
Accounts of research on similar topics to your own.
Accounts of research methods being applied in ways which are similar to your own plans.
Accounts of the context relating to your project.
To protect against duplication and enrich your arguments.
How does the researcher get to grips with this?
The variety of literature. There are so many kinds of literature (e.g. textbooks, journals,
magazines, newspapers, policy documents, academic papers, conference papers, internet
materials, internal reports, novels, etc.) which may be relevant.
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Finally, in your reading you should be aware of the extent to which texts present and make use of
original data. A common distinction made is that between primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Primary
sources mainly consist of original data, while secondary sources comment on and interpret data, and
tertiary sources (e.g. textbooks) offer summaries of knowledge in a particular area. You would be unwise to
restrict your reading mainly to tertiary sources, though these can be valuable as an initial guide.
II. EXERCISES/QUESTIONS/DRILLS
1. Explain the stages and purposes of the reading in course of the project study making. (5pts.)
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