| How to use this book |
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xi | |
| Preface to the third edition |
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xv | |
| Contributors |
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xvii | |
| 1 The nature of business and management research and structure of this book |
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1 | (12) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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1.1 The aims of this book |
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1 | (1) |
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1.2 The nature of research |
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2 | (1) |
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1.3 The nature of business and management research |
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3 | (2) |
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1.4 The research process, |
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5 | (1) |
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1.5 The purpose and structure of this book |
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6 | (4) |
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10 | (1) |
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11 | (1) |
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11 | (1) |
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11 | (1) |
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12 | (1) |
| 2 Formulating and clarifying the research topic |
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13 | (30) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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13 | (1) |
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2.2 Attributes of a good research topic |
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14 | (2) |
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2.3 Generating and refining research ideas |
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16 | (7) |
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2.4 Turning research ideas into research projects |
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23 | (5) |
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2.5 Writing your research proposal |
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28 | (8) |
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36 | (1) |
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37 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: From research ideas to a research proposal |
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37 | (1) |
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38 | (1) |
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38 | (3) |
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Case 2: Strategic issues in the UK brewing industry |
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39 | (39) |
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Mike Blee, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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41 | (2) |
| 3 Critically reviewing the literature |
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43 | (39) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, Adrian Thornhill aid Martin Jenkins |
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43 | (1) |
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44 | (6) |
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3.3 Literature sources available |
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50 | (5) |
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3.4 Planning the literature search |
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55 | (4) |
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3.5 Conducting the literature search |
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59 | (11) |
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3.6 Obtaining and evaluating the literature |
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70 | (3) |
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3.7 Recording the literature |
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73 | (2) |
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75 | (1) |
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76 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Critically reviewing the literature |
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77 | (1) |
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77 | (1) |
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78 | (2) |
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Case 3: The problems of valuing intellectual capital |
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78 | (30) |
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Laura Spira, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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80 | (2) |
| 4 Deciding on the research approach and choosing a research strategy |
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82 | (31) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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4.1 Differing approaches to research |
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82 | (8) |
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4.2 The need for a clear research strategy |
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90 | (9) |
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99 | (1) |
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4.4 The credibility of research findings |
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100 | (4) |
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4.5 The ethics of research design |
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104 | (1) |
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105 | (1) |
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106 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Deciding on your research design |
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107 | (1) |
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107 | (1) |
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108 | (3) |
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Case 4: Embedded quality at Zarlink Semiconductor |
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109 | (36) |
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Mick Church, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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111 | (2) |
| 5 Negotiating access and research ethics |
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113 | (37) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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113 | (1) |
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5.2 Problems associated with access |
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114 | (3) |
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5.3 Strategies to gain access |
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117 | (12) |
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129 | (14) |
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143 | (1) |
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143 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Negotiating access and addressing ethical issues |
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144 | (1) |
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144 | (1) |
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145 | (2) |
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Case 5: Getting in, getting on ...? Misreading issues related to access and ethics in a small-scale enterprise |
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145 | (36) |
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Teresa Smallbone, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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147 | (3) |
| 6 Selecting samples |
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150 | (38) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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150 | (3) |
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153 | (17) |
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6.3 Non-probability sampling |
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170 | (7) |
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177 | (1) |
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178 | (2) |
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Progressing your research project: Using sampling as part of your research |
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180 | (1) |
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181 | (1) |
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181 | (3) |
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Case 6: Employment networking in the Hollywood film industry |
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182 | (34) |
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Keith Randle, Nigel Culkin, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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184 | (4) |
| 7 Using secondary data |
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188 | (33) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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188 | (1) |
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7.2 Types of secondary data and uses in research |
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189 | (5) |
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7.3 Locating secondary data |
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194 | (6) |
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7.4 Advantages and disadvantages of secondary data |
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200 | (4) |
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7.5 Evaluating secondary data sources |
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204 | (8) |
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212 | (1) |
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213 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Assessing the suitability of secondary data for your research |
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214 | (1) |
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214 | (2) |
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216 | (3) |
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Case 7: Research and development in the UK pharmaceutical industry in the 1960's |
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216 | (24) |
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Judy Slinn, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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219 | (2) |
| 8 Collecting primary data through observation |
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221 | (24) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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221 | (1) |
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8.2 Participant observation: an introduction |
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222 | (2) |
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8.3 Participant observation: researcher roles |
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224 | (3) |
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8.4 Participant observation: data collection and analysis |
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227 | (4) |
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8.5 Structured observation: an introduction |
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231 | (3) |
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8.6 Structured observation: data collection and analysis |
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234 | (4) |
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238 | (1) |
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238 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Deciding on the appropriateness of observation |
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239 | (1) |
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239 | (1) |
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240 | (3) |
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Case 8: Customer satisfaction on a long-haul tour holiday |
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240 | (35) |
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David Bowen, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis aid Adrian Thornhill |
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243 | (2) |
| 9 Collecting primary data using semi-structured and in-depth interviews |
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245 | (35) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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245 | (1) |
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9.2 Types of interview and their link to the purposes of research and research strategy |
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246 | (3) |
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9.3 Situations favouring qualitative research interviews |
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249 | (3) |
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9.4 Data quality issues and how to overcome them |
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252 | (9) |
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9.5 The researcher's interviewing competence |
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261 | (3) |
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9.6 Logistical and resource issues and how to manage these |
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264 | (2) |
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9.7 A checklist for using semi-structured and in-depth interviews |
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266 | (3) |
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9.8 A final word about telephone and group interviews |
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269 | (3) |
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272 | (1) |
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273 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Using semi-structured or in-depth interviews in your research |
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274 | (1) |
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274 | (1) |
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275 | (3) |
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Case 9: Students' use of work-based learning in their studies |
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Jim Keane, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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275 | (3) |
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278 | (2) |
| 10 Collecting primary data using questionnaires |
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280 | (47) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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280 | (1) |
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10.2 An overview of questionnaire techniques |
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281 | (5) |
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10.3 Deciding what data need to be collected |
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286 | (5) |
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10.4 Designing the questionnaire |
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291 | (19) |
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10.5 Administering the questionnaire |
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310 | (5) |
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315 | (1) |
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316 | (2) |
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Progressing your research project: Using questionnaires in your research |
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318 | (1) |
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319 | (1) |
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320 | (3) |
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Case 10: Job satisfaction in an Australian organisation |
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320 | (52) |
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Ian Firns, Tony Travaglione, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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323 | (4) |
| 11 Analysing quantitative data |
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327 | (50) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, Adrian Thornhill and Andrew Guppy |
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327 | (1) |
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11.2 Preparing data for analysis |
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328 | (10) |
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11.3 Exploring and presenting data |
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338 | (13) |
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11.4 Describing data using statistics |
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351 | (5) |
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11.5 Examining relationships, differences and trends using statistics |
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356 | (12) |
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368 | (1) |
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369 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Analysing your data quantitatively |
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370 | (1) |
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371 | (1) |
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372 | (2) |
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Case 11: Marketing a golf course |
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372 | (37) |
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Christine Williams, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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374 | (3) |
| 12 Analysing qualitative data |
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377 | (37) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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377 | (1) |
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12.2 Understanding qualitative data |
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378 | (1) |
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12.3 An overview of qualitative analysis |
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379 | (9) |
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12.4 Strategies for qualitative analysis |
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388 | (2) |
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12.5 Deductively based analytical strategies and procedures |
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390 | (3) |
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12.6 Inductively based analytical strategies and procedures |
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393 | (9) |
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12.7 A note on quantifying your qualitative data |
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402 | (1) |
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12.8 Using a computer for qualitative analysis |
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402 | (4) |
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406 | (1) |
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407 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Analysing your data qualitatively |
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407 | (1) |
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408 | (1) |
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409 | (2) |
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Case 12: Paying for competence at Investco? |
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409 | (2) |
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411 | (3) |
| 13 Writing and presenting your project report |
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414 | (58) |
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Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill |
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414 | (1) |
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13.2 Getting started with writing |
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415 | (3) |
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13.3 Structuring your project report |
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418 | (7) |
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13.4 Organising the project report's content |
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425 | (4) |
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13.5 Developing an appropriate writing style |
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429 | (5) |
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13.6 Meeting the assessment criteria |
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434 | (1) |
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13.7 Oral presentation of the report |
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435 | (3) |
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438 | (1) |
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438 | (1) |
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Progressing your research project: Writing your project report |
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439 | (1) |
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439 | (1) |
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440 | (2) |
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440 | (2) |
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442 | (1) |
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443 | (9) |
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1 Example research project titles |
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452 | (7) |
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459 | (7) |
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3 Calculating the minimum sample size |
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466 | (2) |
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4 Random sampling numbers |
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468 | (1) |
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5 Guidelines for non-discriminatory language |
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469 | (3) |
| Glossary |
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472 | (22) |
| Index |
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494 | |