Welcome to the IOU Library Research Methods LibGuide, your starting point for understanding and applying effective research strategies in academic work.
Whether you're preparing a master’s thesis or a PhD dissertation, this guide is here to support you at every stage of your research journey.
You will find practical advice on:
This LibGuide also connects you to expert subject librarians, specialized guides, and tools that help you manage your time, data, and references.
Explore the sections to build your confidence and skills in academic research, and remember, IOU Library staff are here to help whenever you need support.
A good research question gives your study direction and helps you stay focused. You don’t have to start with the perfect question, it takes a few simple steps to get there.
Here’s how to do it, using a topic from Islamic Psychology.
Start by picking a topic that interests you and is related to your course. It should be meaningful and relevant to your goals as a student.
Example Topic: Spiritual practices and mental well-being
Before you create your question, read more about the topic. This helps you understand what’s already known and where your research can add something new.
Why it’s helpful:
Where to find information:
Example: You learn that dhikr (remembrance of Allah) is often linked with inner peace, lower stress, and better emotional balance.
Now try turning your topic into a research question. A good question should be clear, focused, and possible to answer through study.
Example Progression:
Questions to guide you:
As you begin your research, you may discover that your question needs to change. That’s a normal part of the process.
You might need to:
Need help?
A research question is not something you get right on the first try. It develops and improves as you read, think, and explore. Start with something positive and meaningful, and let your curiosity lead you!
Qualitative Content Analysis
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This hands-on guide to qualitative content analysis from two internationally renowned experts provides you with a clear strategy for analysing your data, whether you are working with social media content, field notes, images, narratives or focus group data.
Designing Qualitative Research
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Offering clear, easy-to-understand guidance on designing qualitative research, this fully updated Seventh Edition of Marshall and Rossman’s bestselling text retains the useful examples, tools, and vignettes that makes it such an outstanding resource.
Creative Research Methods
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Written in an accessible, practical and jargon-free style, this useful book informs and inspires researchers by showing readers why, when, and how to use creative methods in their research.
Applied Qualitative Research Design
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This unique text provides a comprehensive framework for creating, managing, and interpreting qualitative research studies that yield valid and useful information.
The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers
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an in-depth guide to each of the multiple approaches available for coding qualitative data.
Qualitative Data Analysis Using RQDA
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This book highlights the rise of the Strauss-Corbin-Gioia (SCG) methodology as an important paradigm in qualitative research in the social sciences, and demonstrates how the SCG methodology can be operationalized and enhanced using RQDA
Writing Theses and Academic Articles
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The book is both a practical guide for structuring and editing academic material, and a reflection from the authors about the situation of Muslim scholarship.
Research Methods in Education
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This thoroughly updated and extended eighth edition of the long-running bestseller Research Methods in Education covers the whole range of methods employed by educational research at all stages.
Thinking Qualitatively
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Each chapter presents one "method of mind" (thinking analytically, realistically, symbolically, ethically, multidisciplinarily, artistically, summarily, interpretively, and narratively), together with applications, a vignette or story related to the thinking modality, points to remember, and exercises.
Research Design
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The eagerly anticipated Fourth Edition of the title that pioneered the comparison of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design is here!
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis
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The handbook includes chapters on traditional analytic strategies such as grounded theory, content analysis, hermeneutics, phenomenology and narrative analysis, as well as coverage of newer trends like mixed methods, reanalysis and meta-analysis.