The Research Playbook

In a broad sense, a Playbook is a description of the workflows and procedures to address a specific task. The task here is Research, also taken in a broad sense applicable to any study. The culmination of a university education is conducting a research project by a student to demonstrate his or her ability to independently conceive, conduct, analyse data, write a thesis, and present it confidently. The authors draw on their experience from mentoring undergraduates and postgraduates during their research career. Many of these know-hows are not formally taught in universities: this book seeks to provide a road map to navigate the research journey be it an undergraduate project of a few months or a postgraduate project of a few years. The research journey involves many skills: planning a research proposal, searching for relevant literature (and managing them), recording and analyzing data and writing up the findings. Academic writing itself needs to be learnt with its own set of rules and style guides. Tips are given on writing a good thesis, presenting and defending it. This book further looks at presenting the research at conferences and preparing a research presentation. It also looks at life after graduation. Bringing to conclusion a good research project is the passport to future success in the industry, academia, or for that matter in one’s life.