Research Methods and Dissertation Writing

Plan, research and write a long piece without losing the thread.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 What counts as research here
2. 1.2 Epistemology and ontology, and why they matter practically
3. 1.3 Positionality, and the researcher's own perspective
4. 1.4 From a topic to a researchable question
1. 2.1 Systematic and narrative reviews
2. 2.2 Building a theoretical framework
3. 2.3 Mapping a debate rather than listing sources
4. 2.4 Managing a very large reading load
1. 3.1 Qualitative, quantitative and mixed approaches
2. 3.2 Matching method to question
3. 3.3 Case study, ethnography and archival work
4. 3.4 Surveys and secondary datasets
1. 4.1 Interviews and focus groups
2. 4.2 Observation and fieldwork
3. 4.3 Documents, texts and archives
4. 4.4 Access, gatekeepers and recruitment
1. 5.1 Consent, anonymity and confidentiality
2. 5.2 The power difference between researcher and participant
3. 5.3 Sensitive topics, and participant distress
4. 5.4 Ethics approval, and what committees look for
1. 6.1 The shape of the whole thing
2. 6.2 Introduction and research questions
3. 6.3 The methodology chapter
4. 6.4 Findings, discussion and conclusion
1. 7.1 Planning and drafting across months
2. 7.2 Keeping the argument visible from chapter to chapter
3. 7.3 Supervision: getting it, and using it
4. 7.4 Writing when you are stuck
1. 8.1 Editing a long document
2. 8.2 References, appendices and formatting
3. 8.3 Submission, and the viva or defence
4. 8.4 What to do with the work afterwards

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Depth beyond your coursework Pitched above taught content, for research, leadership and the work that follows the degree.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Master's Degree for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.