This text takes the reader through the initial stages of an undergraduate dissertation or a postgraduate thesis, offering advice on: searching out existing knowledge on a topic; analyzing arguments and ideas; mapping perspectives; producing a literature review; and constructing a case for investigation. Appendices are provided on how to cite reference, structure for a research proposal and presentation of a Master's thesis. The text is published as a set book for the Open University postgraduate foundation module, "The Challenge of the Social Sciences" (D820).

Author Biography

Chris Hart is Senior Lecturer in Management and Organizational Studies at the University of Central England, Birmingham.