General Research Practices
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"What can I do today to create a more inclusive community"?This document lists specific practices and citations for them that can help create more inclusive communities. The suggestions are targeted towards instructors in computer science, but can be adapted for other fields and for the research environment.
Open Science Framework (OSF) is a free and open-source project management tool and data repository, run by the Center for Open Science.
Its flexible file and contributor structure makes it great for managing individual projects, lab management and protocol storage, and for collaborations. You can link it to services you already use in your projects such as github, Dropbox, or Google Drive, while keeping those documents linked all from one central location easily sharable with collaborators.
OSF has great introductory materials, including written tutorials online. If you'd like to contact a Science Librarian or Research Data Specialist about OSF, please visit our Open Office Hours 1-3pm (in the DAVIS Zoom office hours) or contact us for an appointment.
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How to include Indigenous researchers and their knowledge"Researchers from Native American and Indigenous communities explain how colleagues and institutions can help them to battle marginalization. "
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Tidy dataHadley Wickham's philosophy (and R code) for tackling messy data
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Synchronized editing: the future of collaborative writing"A growing suite of tools allows teams of researchers to work collectively to edit scientific documents."
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Managing Research Data by
Call Number: Q 180.55 .E4 M35ISBN: 9781856047562Publication Date: 2012"Defines what is required to achieve a culture of effective data management, offering practical advice on the skills required, legal and contractual obligations, strategies and management plans and the data management infrastructure of specialists and services."
Qualitative Research Methods
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Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography by
Call Number: GF 21 .Q83 2016 (Bizzell Reserves, National Weather Center stacks)ISBN: 9780199010905Publication Date: 2016"Using a unique "how-to" approach to focus on the practical application of research in human geography by providing real-world examples of research methods at work in case studies, this fourth edition teaches students how to plan, execute, interpret, and effectively communicate qualitative research." -
Qualitative Geography by
Call Number: Available onlineISBN: 9781412919913Publication Date: 2009"Shows how empirical details of qualitative research can be linked to the broader social, theoretical, political, and policy concerns of qualitative geographers and the communities within which they work." -
Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences by
Call Number: H 61 .B4715 2007ISBN: 0205482635Publication Date: 2006"The author's central purpose is to show inexperienced researchers how to design, collect, and analyze data and then present their results to the scientific community, while stressing the importance of ethics in research and taking the time to properly design and think through any research endeavor." -
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research by
Call Number: H 62 .H2455 2005ISBN: 0761927573Publication Date: 2005"A text for any researcher interested in the art, science and practice of qualitative research."
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Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector's Field Guide"This how-to guide covers the mechanics of data collection for applied qualitative research. It is appropriate for novice and experienced researchers alike. It can be used as both a training tool and a daily reference manual for field team members. The question and answer format and modular design make it easy for readers to find information on a particular topic quickly."
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Investigating Our Experience in the World by
Call Number: H 62 .M6447 2011ISBN: 9781572337596Publication Date: 2011"Leads readers through framing the project and undertaking the initial bracketing interview to conducting phenomenological interviews with participants, interpreting texts, thematizing, and developing thematic structure. Rounding out discussion of the research procedures is a full chapter devoted to writing the research report. The book concludes with a section answering common questions about this style of phenomenological research." -
Qualitative Data by
Call Number: BF 76.5 .A95 2003 (Also available online)ISBN: 0814706940Publication Date: 2003"Meant for the novice researcher who needs guidance on what specifically to do when faced with a sea of information. It takes readers through the qualitative research process, beginning with an examination of the basic philosophy of qualitative research, and ending with planning and carrying out a qualitative research study."
Quantitative Research Methods
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Experiment! by
ISBN: 0470688254Publication Date: 2012"Provides an excellent introduction to the methodology and implementation of experimentation in the natural, engineering and medical sciences. [...] This book focuses on general research skills, such as adopting a scientific mindset, learning how to plan meaningful experiments and understanding the fundamentals of collecting and interpreting data. It is directed to anyone engaged in experiments." Particularly suitable for undergraduates or other novice researchers learning about designing their own experiments. -
Dealing with Statistics by
Call Number: HA 29 .B76 2008ISBN: 0335227244Publication Date: 2007"The tools to choose the graphs and statistics that are suitable for your data, and to understand what the statistical results actually mean." A very short introduction to statistics and why you need to use them. It also includes some guidance on gathering data, focused for the social sciences, but the principles are broadly applicable. -
Statistics and Scientific Method by
Call Number: Q 180.55 .S7 D54ISBN: 9780199543182Publication Date: 2011"Studiously avoids the recipe-book style and keeps algebraic details of specific statistical methods to the minimum extent necessary to understand the underlying concepts." Recommended if you are considering designing an experiment but want a broad overview before choosing an approach, or if you have an approach but want to understand how it fits into the broader statistical and scientific thought process. The text is organized around case studies for different methods. It will likely be most applicable for undergraduates or graduate students learning about experimental design and who are comfortable with seeing equations scattered throughout the text.