The Research Journey; Introduction to Inquiry

Designed to foster "inquiry-mindedness," this book prepares graduate students to develop a conceptual framework and conduct inquiry projects that are linked to ongoing conversations in a field. The authors examine different ways of knowing and show how to identify a research question; build arguments and support them with evidence; make informed design decisions; engage in reflective, ethical practices; and produce a written proposal or report. Each chapter opens with a set of critical questions, followed by a dialogue among five fictional graduate students exploring questions and concerns about their own inquiry projects; these issues are revisited throughout the chapter. Other useful features include end-of-chapter learning activities for individual or group use. useful pedagogical features include: framing questions for exploration and reflection chapter-opening dialogues that bring in perspectives from multiple disciplines example boxes with detailed cases and questions for the reader end-of-chapter activities and experiential exercises that guide readers to develop their own inquiry projects suggestions for further reading.

Sharon F. Rallis, EdD, is the Dwight W. Allen Distinguished Professor of Education Policy and Reform at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she is also Director of the Center for Education Policy. Past president of the American Evaluation Association, she has coauthored 10 books, including several on leadership. Gretchen B. Rossman, PhD, is Chair of the Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has coauthored nine books, including the major qualitative research texts Learning in the Field (with Sharon F. Rallis) and Designing Qualitative Research (with Catherine Marshall).

1. Inquiry as Learning: Beginning the Journey Introduction What Is Inquiry? The Learner as Knowledge Generator Drawing on Values and Passion Your Journey into Systematic Inquiry For Further Reading 2. Ways of Knowing: Finding a Compass Ways of Knowing Fundamental Assumptions Mapping Perspectives Back to Ontology and Epistemology For Further Reading 3. The Cycle of Inquiry: More Than One Way to Get There Inquiry in Action/Inquiry as Practice The Systematic Inquiry Cycle Validity, Credibility, and Trustworthiness For Further Reading 4. Being an Ethical Inquirer: Staying Alert on the Road Ethics in Inquiry The Inquirer as a Moral Practitioner Standards for Practice and Procedural Matters Ethics, Trustworthiness, and Rigor Ethical Theories Ethics and Reflexivity For Further Reading 5. Constructing Conceptual Frameworks: Building the Route What Is a Conceptual Framework? Building an Argument Entering the Conversation: Your Community of Practice Entering the Conversation: Your Engagement Entering the Conversation: The Communities of Discourse Ways of Organizing Chapter Summary For Further Reading 6. Designing the Inquiry Project: Finding “True North” Moving from the Conceptual Framework into Design Considering Various Designs Samira’s Research Questions and Possible Designs A Short Course on Research Methods Planning for Analysis and Interpretation The Research Proposal: Bringing it All Together An Example of Connecting the What and the How Chapter Summary For Further Reading 7. Things to Consider in Writing: Staying in the Right Lane Writing Introductions The Nasty Problem of Plagiarism Using Proper Citation Format For Further Reading 8. Knowledge Use: Arriving at Your Destination Using What You have Learned Who Cares?: Potential Audiences Communicating for Use Passions and Closing the Loop style="LINE-HEIGHT: 99%; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"For Further Reading