Application is the essence of knowl

Application is the essence of knowledge. However, there always remains a gap between
theoretical knowledge and its application. It is only with practice that this gap can be
narrowed. A beginner attempting to apply theoretical knowledge needs direction and
guidance. This set of exercises, each one of which is attached to an operational step, has
been developed with this belief in mind. Working through them will help you to
develop a research project.
The main aim of these exercises is to provide you with a broad framework that is
central to the operationalisation of each step of the research process. In most cases, a
separate exercise is provided for quantitative and qualitative studies, so it is important
that you know before you start which approach you are going to take. Within each
exercise, there are brief reminders of some of the key issues relating to the process and
a series of questions to help you to think through procedures and provide a framework
for the development of your study.
Answers to these questions and awareness of the issues that the exercises outline will
put you in a position to complete the framework suggested for writing a research proposal
(Chapter 13), and therefore these will also constitute the core of your research
proposal.
It is important for a beginner to work through these exercises with considerable
thought and care.