At some point in their academic careers, most tertiary-level students will engage in planning and executing research projects. This fundamental aspect of higher education often appears daunting, but it need not be. First steps in research leverages the latest local and international perspectives to provide theoretical and practical guidelines on conducting and reporting research at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

First steps in research brings together the insights of academics, theorists, researchers and practitioners. It offers perspectives and theory to facilitate the understanding and application of research theories, goals, methods and strategies. The book is designed to be accessible without oversimplifying the complexities of the field. It explores the historical and philosophical foundations of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, offering guidance on their appropriate use. Additionally, it examines the methodological aspects of action research and exemplifies participatory reflection.

Contents include the following:

• Formulating research questions
• Conceptualising and writing research proposals
• Conducting a preliminary literature review
• Ethical considerations
• Interpreting data
• Data generation/collection methods, including engaging participants and eliciting “thick” data
• Sampling methods
• Graphical representation of data
• Basic probability rules
• Basic statistical methods and tests
• Utilising online and technical instruments
• Avant-garde mixed-methods frameworks

Jacobus Gideon Maree is a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Pretoria, specialising in educational psychology.