Research like a pro-and write a winning paper! Do research papers make you nervous? Don't panic! This task isn't as overwhelming as it may seem–and conducting good research is an important skill to have. With How to Write a Great Research Paper, you'll see how easy and rewarding it can be to explore a topic and present your ideas in an organized and interesting way. Filled with easy-to-follow instructions and valuable tips, this new guide breaks the entire process down into 7 Keys to Success: * Find a Topic * Look It Up * Take Notes * Outline Your Paper * Create Your First Draft * Revise and Edit Your Draft * Present Your Paper So take a deep breath, relax-and get ready to write a top-notch research paper!
Everything aspiring authors need to write, publish, and sell a children's book Everyone loves a children's book—and many dream about writing one. But is it actually possible for an unpublished writer—armed with a good story idea and a love of kids—to write, sell, publish, and promote a book? Yes, it is! Clearly and concisely written with straightforward advice and a plethora of specific up-to-date recommendations, Writing Children's Books For Dummies provides step-by-step information on everything aspiring children's book authors need to know—from researching the current marketplace to developing story ideas, strengthening writing skills, dealing with editors, and submitting proposals and manuscripts to agents and publishers. Updated and improved writing exercises All new content on social media and establishing an online presence as an author Fresh, updated content on publishing via hard copy and all the e- platforms From setting down that first word on paper to doing a successful publicity tour, Writing Children's Books For Dummies gives you the confidence and the insiders' know-how to write and sell the story you've always wanted to write.
A user-friendly, hands-on guide to recognizing and conducting proper research techniques in data collection Offering a unique approach to numerical research methods, Analyzing Quantitative Data: An Introduction for Social Researchers presents readers with the necessary statistical applications for carrying out the key phases of conducting and evaluating a research project. The book guides readers through the steps of data analysis, from organizing raw data to utilizing descriptive statistics and tests of significance, drawing valid conclusions, and writing research reports. The author successfully provides a presentation that is accessible and hands-on rather than heavily theoretical, outlining the key quantitative processes and the use of software to successfully draw valid conclusions from gathered data. In its discussion of methods for organizing data, the book includes suggestions for coding and entry into spreadsheets or databases while also introducing commonly used descriptive statistics and clarifying their roles in data analysis. Next, inferential statistics is explored in-depth with explanations of and instructions for performing chi-square tests, t-tests, analyses of variance, correlation and regression analyses, and a number of advanced statistical procedures. Each chapter contains explanations of when to use the tests described, relevant formulas, and sample computations. The book concludes with guidance on extracting meaningful conclusions from statistical tests and writing research reports that describe procedures and analyses. Throughout the book, Statistical Resources for SPSS® sections provide fundamental instruction for using SPSS® to obtain the results presented. Where necessary, the author provides basic theoretical explanations for distributions and background information regarding formulas. Each chapter concludes with practice problems, and a related website features derivations of the book's formulas along with additional resources for performing the discussed processes. Analyzing Quantitative Data is an excellent book for social sciences courses on data analysis and research methods at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable reference for applied statisticians and practitioners working in the fields of education, medicine, business and public service who analyze, interpret, and evaluate data in their daily work.
A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO WRITING Technical ideas may be solid or even groundbreaking, but if these ideas cannot be clearly communicated, reviewers of technical documents—e.g., proposals for research funding, articles submitted to scientific journals, and business plans to commercialize technology—are likely to reject the argument for advancing these ideas. The problem is that many engineers and scientists, entirely comfortable with the logic and principles of mathematics and science, treat writing as if it possesses none of these attributes. The absence of a systematic framework for writing often results in sentences that are difficult to follow or arguments that leave reviewers scratching their heads. This book fixes that problem by presenting a “scientific” approach to writing that mirrors the sensibilities of scientists and engineers, an approach based on an easily-discernable set of principles. Rather than merely stating rules for English grammar and composition, this book explains the reasons behind these rules and shows that good reasons can guide every writing decision. This resource is also well suited for the growing number of scientists and engineers in the U.S. and elsewhere who speak English as a second language, as well as for anyone else who just wants to be understood.
Do ever wish that you could write the perfect university essay? Are you left baffled about where to start? This easy-to-use guide walks you through the nuts and bolts of academic writing, helping you develop your essay-writing skills and achieve higher marks. From identifying the essay type and planning a structure, to honing your research skills, managing your time, finding an essay voice, and referencing correctly, Writing Essays For Dummies shows you how to stay on top of each stage of the essay-writing process, to help you produce a well-crafted and confident final document. Writing Essays For Dummies covers: Part I: Navigating a World of Information Chapter 1: Mapping Your Way: Starting to Write Essays Chapter 2: Identifying the essay type Part II: Researching, Recording and Reformulating Chapter 3: Eyes Down: Academic reading Chapter 4: Researching Online Chapter 5: Note-taking and Organising your Material Chapter 6: Avoiding Plagiarism Part III: Putting Pen to Paper Chapter 7: Writing as a process Chapter 8: Getting Going and Keeping Going Part IV: Mastering Language and Style Chapter 9: Writing with Confidence Chapter 10: Penning the Perfect Paragraph Chapter 11: Finding Your Voice Part V: Tightening Your Structure and Organisation Chapter 12: Preparing the Aperitif: The Introduction Chapter 13: Serving the Main Course: The Essay’s Body Chapter 14: Dishing up Dessert: The Conclusion Chapter 15: Acknowledging Sources of Information Part VI: Finishing with a Flourish: The Final Touches Chapter 16: It’s all in the detail Chapter 17: Perfecting Your Presentation Chapter 18: The afterglow Part VII: Part of Tens
The tools you need to identify, obtain, record, and analyze data Sure, access to data is faster and easier to obtain than ever before, but how do you cut through the clutter of information to find what's most useful and organize it to suit your purposes? Marketing Research Kit For Dummies supplies a brimming box of tools that help you mine mountains of data, find the sources you need, and focus your marketing plan. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a marketer in a large organization, this powerful resource and companion CD provide you with hands-on tools you need to identify, obtain, record, and analyze secondary, data-electronic and print-for developing or revising a marketing plan, launching a new product or service, or implementing long-term strategic planning. It also offers clear, in-depth instructions and customizable forms for conducting your own primary research. Includes complete instructions for writing a research plan, conducting depth interviews, and focus groups Fully explains the process of sampling, analyzing data, and reporting results Features tips on developing questionnaires for face-to-face, Internet, and postal surveys Helps you keep an eye on your competition and analyze their results When money is tight and everything is on the line, you need to make sure you've done your homework. You need Marketing Research Kit For Dummies. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Research Writing in Dentistry provides you with a uniquely practical guide to selecting, designing, and writing up a research project. Of particular use to the dental student, both pre- and post-doctoral, this is a no-nonsense guide that presents concrete advice and information that can be absorbed quickly and effectively. By asking simple questions, this useful resource enables you to develop, analyze and present a program of research work. It begins with the basic principles of research: what it is and how to select a topic and plan a program. It then moves on to discuss study design, methods and materials, presenting results and undertaking a literature review. It concludes with a section on basic statistics and analysis. Precepts and guidance are illustrated throughout with examples from dentistry.
Do you have an idea that you’re burning to get down on paper? Do you want to document your travels to far-flung places, or write a few stanzas of poetry? Whether you dream of being a novelist, a travel writer, a poet, a playwright or a columnist, Creative Writing For Dummies shows you how to unlock your creativity and choose the genre of writing that suits you best. Walking you through characterisation, setting, dialogue and plot, as well as giving expert insights into both fiction and non-fiction, it’s the ideal launching pad to the world of creative writing. Creative Writing For Dummies covers: Part I: Getting started Chapter 1: Can Everyone Write? Chapter 2: Getting into the Write Mind Chapter 3: Finding the Material to work with Part II: The Elements of Creative Writing Chapter 4: Creating Characters Chapter 5: Discovering Dialogue Chapter 6: Who is telling the story? Chapter 7: Creating your own world Chapter 8: Plotting your way Chapter 9: Creating a Structure Chapter 10: Rewriting and editing Part III: Different Kinds of Fiction Writing Chapter 11: Short stories Chapter 12: Novels Chapter 13: Writing for children Chapter 14: Plays Chapter 15: Screenplays Chapter 16: Poetry Part IV: Different kinds of Non-fiction writing Chapter 17: Breaking into journalism – Writing articles/ magazine writing Chapter 18: Writing from life and autobiography Chapter 19: Embroidering the facts: Narrative non-fiction Chapter 20: Exploring the world from your armchair – Travel writing Chapter 21: Blogging – the new big thing Part V: Finding an audience Chapter 22: Finding editors/ publishers/ agents Chapter 23: Becoming a professional Part VI: Part of Tens Chapter 24: Ten top tips for writers Chapter 25: Ten ways to get noticed
Producing a dissertation has become a major requirement of most university courses, both undergraduate and Masters. It's likely to be the largest single piece of work you'll have to submit – and also the hardest! Writing a Dissertation For Dummies walks you through all the practical and theoretical aspects of writing a dissertation to help you produce a first-class work. This guide is ideal for any student in the broad range of the social sciences, from anthropology to law, psychology to media studies. From choosing a topic, to researching the literature, utilising your supervisor, managing your time, and structuring and writing your dissertation, you'll be able to avoid all the common mistakes and stay on top of your workload throughout the process. You'll also find tips on the best way to reference your work, and expert advice on presentation and binding. This is a must if you want to maximise your marks on your university dissertation. Writing a Dissertation For Dummies covers: Part I: What is a Dissertation? Chapter 1: So You Have to Write a Dissertation Chapter 2: Thinking About a Research Question Part II: Getting Set Up for Your Dissertation Chapter 3: The Structure of Your Dissertation Chapter 4: Getting Started Chapter 5: Finalising Your Research Question, Dissertation 'Type' And Considering Ethics Chapter 6: Reading Efficiently and Taking Useful Notes Part III: Getting On With Your Research Chapter 7: Researching in Libraries and the Using the Internet Chapter 8: Creating Your Own Empirical Data Chapter 9: Analysing Data And Drawing Conclusions Chapter 10: Staying on Track Part IV: Writing and Polishing Chapter 11: Managing Your Argument: 'Writing Up' Your Non-Empirical Dissertation Chapter 12: Writing Up Your Empirical Dissertation Chapter 13: Writing Effectively Chapter 14: References, Bibliographies and Appendices Chapter 15: Sorting Out The Presentation of Your Dissertation Part V: Managing The Overall Experience Chapter 16: Your Work Habits Chapter 17: Looking After Yourself Physically and Emotionally Chapter 18: Ten Common Dissertation Pitfalls to Avoid Chapter 19: Ten Essential Tips For Completing Your Dissertation Chapter 20: Ten Items For Your Very Final Checklist
How to Read a Paper describes the different types of clinical research reporting, and explains how to critically appraise the publications. The book provides the tools to find and evaluate the literature, and implement the findings in an evidence-based, patient-centered way. Written for anyone in the health care professions who has little or no knowledge of evidence-based medicine, it provides a clear understanding of the concepts and how to put them into practice at the basic, clinical level. Changes for the 4th edition The fourth edition will include two new chapters on important developments in health care research and delivery, but otherwise retains its original style, size, and scope. New chapter on quality improvement – describing papers on quality improvement projects using ebm methods; this will extend the readership to non clinical health care professionals working in hospitals and family practice, and to nurse specialists and practice nurses working in this field New chapter on complex interventions – how to set up research projects involving both qualitative and quantitative methodology (known as mixed methods) Thorough revision and updating of existing chapters and references New illustrations – diagrammatic representations of ebm concepts
The best-selling introduction to evidence-based medicine In a clear and engaging style, How to Read a Paper demystifies evidence-based medicine and explains how to critically appraise published research and also put the findings into practice. An ideal introduction to evidence-based medicine, How to Read a Paper explains what to look for in different types of papers and how best to evaluate the literature and then implement the findings in an evidence-based, patient-centred way. Helpful checklist summaries of the key points in each chapter provide a useful framework for applying the principles of evidence-based medicine in everyday practice. This fifth edition has been fully updated with new examples and references to reflect recent developments and current practice. It also includes two new chapters on applying evidence-based medicine with patients and on the common criticisms of evidence-based medicine and responses. How to Read a Paper is a standard text for medical and nursing schools as well as a friendly guide for everyone wanting to teach or learn the basics of evidence-based medicine.
Essential tools for implementing right-sized prospect research techniques that help nonprofit organizations reach their fundraising goals Written especially for front-line fundraisers, Prospect Research for Fundraisers presents a practical understanding of prospect research, prospect management, and fundraising analytics, demonstrating how research can be used to raise more money. Filled with examples, case studies, interviews, and stories, this unique book is structured around the fundraising cycle and illustrates the myriad of current and ever-changing prospect research tools and techniques available to boost an organization's fundraising effectiveness. From essential overviews to how-to-search skills, this practical book gives development officers the tools to understand how to use prospect research in ways that best fit their goals for each stage of the fundraising cycle. Provides practical insight to understand the best use of each prospect research tool and technique Features a companion website with a variety of online tools to help readers implement key concepts Part of the AFP Fund Development Series Prospect Research for Fundraisers provides fundraisers with an understanding of what prospect research is and which resources are available to small organizations that have limited internal capacity, medium-sized organizations building capacity, and large organizations wanting to maximize their strengths. It offers a practical understanding of the relevant tools at the disposal of development officers and managers responsible for hiring, outsourcing, purchasing, managing, and implementing prospect research within their organizations.
