desk based dissertation

22 August 2024: Due to technical disruption, we are experiencing some delays to publication. We are working to restore services and apologise for the inconvenience. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/universitypress/about-us/news-and-blogs/cambridge-university-press-publishing-update-following-technical-disruption

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings .

Login Alert

• > How to Do Research
• > Analysing desk research

Book contents

• Frontmatter
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction: Types of research
• Part 1 The research process
• Part 2 Methods
• 9 Introducing research methods
• 10 Desk research
• 11 Analysing desk research
• 12 Collecting quantitative data
• 13 Analysing quantitative data
• 14 Collecting qualitative data
• 15 Analysing qualitative data
• 16 Sources of further reading
• Appendix The market for information professionals: A proposal from the Policy Studies Institute

11 - Analysing desk research

from Part 2 - Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2018

Desk research can call for quantitative or qualitative approaches to analysis. Clearly, if you are embarking on the secondary analysis of data, then you will need to follow the same kind of approach that you would if you had collected the data yourself.

If, on the other hand, you are analysing the results of a literature or internet search or you are conducting a review of research, you will need to adopt approaches that draw heavily on qualitative research.

Common principles

There are, however, some principles that are common to the analysis of all desk research.

Authority and reliability

You need to begin by questioning the authority and reliability of the material you are working with. If you have collected the data yourself you will have a reasonable idea of the amount of trust you can place in it. If someone else has compiled the data then you need to look fairly carefully at how they did it.

You need to look at sample sizes and the basis for drawing the samples. You should, if you can, look at the data collection tools used – the questionnaires, interview schedules and so on. You should give some thought to the people who conducted the research – how much experience do they have, are they known to you, would you trust them? Clearly, data produced from one of the regular government social surveys will have a different standing from that produced as part of an independent study carried out by an unknown research team.

If you are dealing with published material, what authority does the publisher bring to the party? What steps will they have taken to ensure that the research is worth publishing? Similar questions could be applied to the research sponsor.

Be clear about what you are looking for

A structured approach to the material you have to work with is much more likely to bear fruit. Work out in advance what it is that you are interested in. At first you may only have a broad idea derived from your project aim and objectives. As you work through the material, develop a more refined set of issues and questions that you want to explore. At any stage in the process you should be able to state quite clearly what it is that you are looking for in your material.

Access options

Save book to kindle.

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle .

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service .

• Analysing desk research
• Book: How to Do Research
• Online publication: 09 June 2018
• Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.29085/9781856049825.012

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox .

Doing qualitative desk-based research : a practical guide to writing an excellent dissertation

Available online, at the library.

Education Library (Cubberley)

The Education Library is closed for construction. Request items for pickup at another library.

More options

• Find it at other libraries via WorldCat
• Contributors

Description

Creators/contributors, contents/summary.

• The structure of this book and how to use it
• Part 1: Preparing the ground 1. Introduction 2. Choosing a topic 3. Keeping a research journal 4. Writing a strong research proposal
• Part 2: Assembling the structure 5. The importance of your research question 6. Context, background and introduction 7. Selecting high quality data resources 8. Literature review 9. Desk-based methodologies 10. Ethics 11. Data analysis and techniques 12. Writing conclusions and recommendations
• Part 3: Keeping your tent stable and secure 13. Getting the support you need 14. Managing desk-based research.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Bibliographic information

Browse related items.

• Stanford Home
• Maps & Directions
• Search Stanford
• Emergency Info
• Terms of Use
• Non-Discrimination
• Accessibility

© Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 .