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THE RESEARCHER’S
TOOLKIT

Designed for those undertaking research for the first time, this fully
updated edition of The Researcher’s Toolkit is a practical and accessi-
ble guide for all those partaking in small-scale research. Jargon-free and
assuming no prior knowledge, it covers the entire research process, from
defining a research topic or question through to its completion.
This second edition has been fully revised by a collaborating team with
a wealth of knowledge and practical experience in research project work.
Including activity boxes to highlight key concepts and short summary
boxes to indicate fundamental elements of various research areas, the
chapters cover:

● The importance of research and framing your research question and

research ethics
● Practical elements associated with planning and executing your
research activity
● The application of survey-based research methods and the value pro-
vided by social media as data collection devices
● Deploying both quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques to
analyse research data
● Writing up your research work and preparing it for wider access and
consumption
● Examining the effect of your research work through assessing or
measuring its impact

The Researcher’s Toolkit is a must-read guide for students and budding

researchers as well as educators seeking to explain academic research
and writing to their pupils. It will benefit anyone looking to complete a
research project whether inside academia or beyond.
David Wilkinson is based in Nexus at the University of Leeds where he
runs his consultancy – Research Toolkit. He edited the first edition of this
textbook and has been a researcher and evaluator for over twenty years.

Dennis Dokter is the Manager of Data & Insights and Smart Cities lead at
Nexus, the University of Leeds’ innovation hub and community. He pos-
sesses wide-ranging experience in writing research proposals as well as
coordinating, managing, and leading them.
THE RESEARCHER’S
TOOLKIT
The Complete Guide to Practitioner
Research
Second Edition

David Wilkinson and Dennis Dokter

Designed cover image: © Getty Images

Second edition published 2023

by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

© 2023 David Wilkinson and Dennis Dokter

The right of David Wilkinson and Dennis Dokter to be identified as authors of this work
has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered

trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.

First edition published by Routledge 2000

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-032-01809-6 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-032-01810-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-18015-9 (ebk)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003180159

Typeset in Mixage
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
CONTENTS

vii
ix

23
David Wilkinson

3 Collecting your data: literature and other forms of data 45

David Wilkinson

4 Analysing your data 82

116

139


161
FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Pure and applied research comparison 4

Figure 1.2 Traditions in research 10
Figure 1.3 Quantitative and qualitative research compared 13
Figure 2.1 The research project process 25
Figure 2.2 An example research plan – Gantt chart 37
Figure 2.3 Example informed consent protocol 42
Figure 3.1 Examples of open-ended questions 63
Figure 3.2 Examples of multiple-choice questions 64
Figure 3.3 Advantages and disadvantages of social media
platforms as data collection devices 77
Figure 4.1 Sample categories that may emerge from the data
when exploring important memories linked to music 84
Figure 4.2 Analysing content: stages in developing
a coding frame 85
Figure 4.3 Charts showing admissions to Paperfield Hospital
(year and gender) 95
Figure 4.4 Admissions to Barnswell Hospital (2022 and 2023
compared) 96
Figure 4.5 Age of admissions (female) to Department A in 2022 97
Figure 4.6 Tally chart of female admissions to Department A
in 2022 97
Figure 4.7 Grouping of ages – female admissions to
Department A in 2022 98
Figure 4.8 Frequency of ages of female admissions during
2022 100
Figure 4.9 Distribution of exam results 101
Figure 4.10 Working out standard deviations 102
Figure 4.11 Distribution of exam results showing standard
deviation 103
viii Figures

Figure 4.12 Positive relationship (correlation) between two

data sets 104
Figure 4.13 Negative relationship (correlation) between two
data sets 105
Figure 4.14 No relationship (correlation) between two data sets 105
Figure 4.15 An example using Pearson’s Product Moment
Correlation Coefficient approach (R) 106
Figure 6.1 Exploring impact and examples 144
Figure 6.2 A co-produced view of a research topic in health 147
Figure 6.3 Dissemination identifier 152
PREFACE

The first edition of this book was written over twenty years ago to support
those engaging in research work for the first time. It was developed to
help demystify the research project process and make it accessible and
(hopefully) enjoyable.
A new element of this edition is to assess the value of the content
specific to four user-groups or stakeholders who may have a voice in the
research work: academics (including undergraduate or college students),
industry or business representatives, those who work in the public sector,
and society or wider community groups. Throughout the content we
make regular reference to these groups and discuss elements of the
research process and its application and relevance to them. Our aim is to
contextualise the content and make it meaningful, applicable and relevant.
Whilst this updated edition recasts and updates the content, it still
follows the typical research project structure and timeline. We begin (in
Chapter 1) by exploring why research work is undertaken and the purposes
it satisfies. This includes an assessment of the defining characteristics of
different attitudes towards research work and its associated definitions.
From this foundation we then quickly move (Chapter 2) to practical
elements associated with planning and executing your research activity.
In this section we spend some time on the importance of specifying an
appropriate research question or hypothesis and linking this to relevant
published material. Developing a research strategy and considering the
best or most effective research methods are also covered in this chapter.
Following the planning stage, we then move on (Chapter 3) to consider
the forms and types of data you might collect or collate as part of your
research project work. This section provides an overview of the typical
research methods used in small-scale research project work (experimental
methods, survey-based approaches, research interviews, focus groups,
observation techniques, and the value provided by social media as data
x Preface

collection devices). Dealing with the data you collect (Chapter 4) is an

important part of the research process and will require you to become
skilled in data analysis techniques. In this chapter we spend some time
working through a few approaches that allow researchers to deal with
both quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques. Preparing your
research findings for wider consumption (Chapter 5) includes preparing
your written work and carefully considering the format and structing of
your reporting. In this chapter we spend some time reflecting on the styles
of research reporting as relevant for different readership or audience
groups. This includes considering the value of tools and techniques such
as storytelling and data visualisation. Finally, we explore (Chapter 6) the
value of research work by examining material which seeks to assess effect
and impact. This includes coverage of the interpretation of impact and
how it can be enhanced through mechanisms such as co-production and
dissemination.
Although the content of the Researcher’s Toolkit has been completely
updated for this edition, the driving force remains the same – to support
you as a researcher engaged in small-scale project work, and to help you
successfully negotiate your own way through the process.
David Wilkinson
Dennis Dokter
January 2023
 WHY RESEARCH?
What to look out for and what to think of
1
David Wilkinson

IN THIS CHAPTER WE EXPLORE:

● The purpose of research
● Traditions and methods
● Ethics of research

The purpose of research

In the social world, research is going on all around us, every day. Most of
us have been asked to provide feedback on services we’ve received or
answer a survey seeking our views on particular topics. Market research-
ers ask us about our preferred brand of toothpaste, chocolate, smart-
phone, or other consumer good. Pollsters ask us about our views on the
latest political topics, environmental issues, world events. Software appli-
cations (apps) and websites will ask for your feedback or to give a satis-
faction score. Academic researchers may seek our views on medicines,
public policy issues, and new technological developments. All of this activ-
ity is carried out under the banner of ‘research’. In all of these examples
research is carried out with a common purpose: To increase knowledge
and understanding of what is known or understood and to take action
based on that increased knowledge and understanding.
Research results may also have indirect effects on our lives. Policy-
makers in central or local government may, for example, make decisions
based on the outcomes of research work they have been involved with or

DOI: 10.4324/9781003180159-1
2 Why research?

commissioned. Each year government departments employ universities

or research organisations to carry out enquiries on their behalf. Other
organisations, such as charities, healthcare organisations, hospitals,
community groups, and unions, also employ research organisations to
undertake research work on their behalf.
Research work is also carried out by, or on behalf of, commercial and
industrial organisations to explore the potential value and development
of new products or services, to gain customer feedback, and to monitor
competitors. Having a research and innovation strategy is a big part of
the successes made by many innovative corporations and small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Research activity, therefore, informs
policy and action; it can help guide or steer organisational improvement
and development and can also lead to new products and services.
Throughout this textbook we return to a core set of stakeholders
and discuss the relevance of our content to them. We are interested in
exploring ‘what this means’ to them and want to further emphasise that
research is not only relevant when pursuing a career in academia, but that
this skillset is valuable within any career path. Our four stakeholder groups
are: Academia, society, industry, and the public sector.

THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

Academia
Engaging in research activity is one of the most important parts
of the work of academia (university or higher education). It
provides a base from which to develop effective and relevant
teaching practice and knowledge creation. It is here that most
state-of-the-art knowledge is developed and disseminated.

Society
Research into the effectiveness treatments and vaccines helps
to protect health and save lives. A powerful example of this
were the huge research programmes developed to evaluate the
effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines during the global pandemic
in 2020–2022. Research that has a societal impact or purpose
provides us with insights on the value of research and how it
affects groups within society.
 Why research? 3

Industry
Research that reveals changing consumer practices enable
industry to refine products and services to better meet their
needs. It is at the core of their innovation strategy and provides
insights into future endeavours.

Public sector
Research for the public sector helps establish policy that is data-
driven and evidence-based. This allows for a more transparent
and democratic process by which decisions within the public sec-
tor are made and evaluated. Transport habit research and the
collection and analysis of population growth data for instance
allow public sector bodies to make changes to infrastructure and
services to support the population.

The focus of research

Broadly speaking, research can be categorised as expanding knowledge in

a discipline or subject area, and/or to create impact. There is some degree
of flexibility and overlap between these two categories. For example,
policy research may also contribute to disciplinary knowledge. They rep-
resent different points on a continuum rather than being completely sep-
arate. Each of these objectives is examined below. However, because this
book is aimed at practitioners, the role of research in informing practice is
explored in greater detail. In socially driven research work there are other
classifiers for research work that are equally valid (Robson and McCartan,
2016). For example (Leavy, 2017, p. 5) articulates that research can be a
mixture of exploration, explanation, and description.

To expand knowledge in a discipline or area

Research can be seen as enquiry designed to contribute to disci-

pline-based knowledge. Much of what we learn in school, college, or
university is derived from some form of research. The social, behavioural,
and natural sciences, in particular, are research-based disciplines, but all
subjects rely on continuous enquiry and new ideas. For example, some
4 Why research?

people may think that history is a given set of facts that do not change,
but it is likely that the version of history that we were taught in school or
university is quite different from the one which our grandparents were
taught. This is partly because history is continually being revised, based on
new evidence or on a reconsideration of the existing evidence. Research
moves disciplines forward and is central to the life of the university.
Research that is primarily aimed at expanding theory and knowledge in
a particular discipline is sometimes called ‘pure’ research because it is often
without context or direct application (Robson and McCartan, 2016, p. 397).
Pure research can be described as a search for knowledge and understanding
for its own sake. Historically, most scientific and academic research work would
be described as pure research work in that its primary focus was on expanding
knowledge and understanding. The alternative to research work that is ‘pure’
is research work that is more immediately transferrable, contextualised, or
applied. There are differences between these two classifying types:

Academic ‘pure’ research Contextualised ‘applied’ research

Seeks to expand “body of knowledge” in Seeks to find solutions to instant ‘real-
a given subject area. world’ (Robson, 2017) problems and
issues.
Questions tend to be more conceptual Problems tend to be more practical and
and theory-driven. focused around a given topic or
concern.
Findings are generally made public. Findings are often made public but
sometimes are kept private (for example
when linked to the development of new
products).
Results generally spur ideas and Results are generally used internally to
questions for future research. make decisions and set up strategy.
Assessed through peer review by Assessed by client-organisation and/or
means of academic discipline industry standards.
standards.
Shared primarily through academic Shared mainly through internal reports
writings (doctoral dissertation, thesis, to reveal results; may also be shared
dissertation research, scholarly journals, more widely through professional
academic conferences & presentations, conferences and industry/trade
academic articles and other publications publications (e.g., articles, case studies,
(e.g., books). etc.).

Figure 1.1 Pure and applied research comparison

To create impact

The measurable effect or impact of research work is central in commer-

cially framed work. Examples might include the attractiveness amongst
 Why research? 5

consumer groups of remote working and the likelihood of purchasing

technology solutions to support this. In the academic world, although
research may contribute to the knowledge base of a discipline, findings are
often accessible and meaningful to only a small group of fellow research-
ers or academics. Results from such research projects have historically
been published in academic journals that were not easily accessible for
the non-expert. Greater understanding of a research topic or issue was
more important than the tangible (and measurable) effect or impact of the
research. However, this is now changing. In most academic research work
funded in UK universities there are measures in place to explore effect
and impact. This includes how the work is disseminated inside and outside
academia.
This was not always the case. Historically, research in academia
(as well as other areas) was often referred to (unkindly) as ‘research by
academics for academics’. Some commentators argued that historically
research in the social and behavioural sciences had little influence on
the day-to-day lives and practices of most people. They suggested that
practitioners (e.g., psychologists, teachers, nurses, business managers)
did not read research findings, or that, if they did, they didn’t necessarily
act upon them in their work. More recently, things have changed in the
perception of the rationale and value of research work. It is now driven by
a focus on effect and measurable impact.
There are numerous ways to explore value and impact in research
work. Some of the key ones have been identified by Mark Reed,
a transdisciplinary researcher specialising in the identification and
measurement of research impact Reed et al., (2021) identifies that
to demonstrate meaningful impact, research should be capable of
classification within one or more of the following ten categories:

• Understanding and awareness – meaning your research helped peo-

ple understand an issue better than they had before.
• Attitudinal – your research helped lead to a change in attitudes.
• Economic – your research contributed to cost savings, or costs
avoided; or increases in revenue, profits or funding.
• Environmental – benefits arising from your research aid genetic diver-
sity, habitat conservation and ecosystems.
• Health and well-being – your research led to better outcomes for
individuals or groups.
6 Why research?

• Policy – your research contributed to new or amended guidelines or

laws.
• Decision-making – supporting the development of this and other
behavioural impacts.
• Cultural – changes in prevailing values, attitudes and beliefs.
• Other social impacts – such as access to education or improvement
in human rights.
• Capacity or preparedness – research that helps individuals and
groups better cope with changes that might otherwise have a nega-
tive impact.
(Reed, 2016)

One of the ways in which research can provide impact is by it being accessi-
ble and contextualised. When it reaches this level of understanding it can be
effectively used to inform policy, decision-making, and practice. Those who
fund large-scale research recognise this and now demand a commitment
to demonstrating impact in all of the research project work they support.
Examples here include requirements issued by the largest academic research
funder in the UK (UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)), and one of the largest
healthcare research funders (National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)).

UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (UKRI)

Launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body

sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (BEIS). The organisation brings together the seven dis-
ciplinary research councils, Research England, which is respon-
sible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher
education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency,
Innovate UK. They provide funding to researchers, ­businesses,
universities, NHS bodies, charities, non-­governmental organisa-
tions (NGOs) and other institutions.

The UKRI provide two substantive strands which should be used to

demonstrate impact, and both of which could be present in impactful
research work. Academic impact is the demonstrable contribution that
excellent social and economic research makes in shifting understanding
and advancing scientific method, theory, and application across and
within disciplines. Economic and societal impact is the demonstrable
 Why research? 7

contribution that excellent social and economic research has on society

and the economy, and its benefits to individuals, organisations, or nations
(UKRI, 2022). This will include the development of new innovative products
that will help a company and its business models, or/and support end-
users with the solution/support for societal challenges.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH (NIHR)

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has a mission

to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.
A substantial part of this mission involves funding health, public
health, and social care research that leads to improved outcomes
for patients and the public and makes the health and social care
system more efficient, effective, and safe. They work closely with
a range of different organisations and stakeholders from across
the healthcare ecosystem to ensure that the research they fund
addresses the health and wealth challenges the nation faces.

The NIHR provide a short summary of their focused interest in

supporting impactful work as part of their core guidelines to applicants. It
articulates that applicants for funding should plan their ‘pathway to impact’
within their funding applications. They usefully define how they interpret
impact as the demonstrable contribution that research makes to society
and the economy. It should be of benefit to individuals, organisations, and
nations. Generating impact from research is highly context-dependent,
takes time, involves serendipity, and, often, comprises a series of small
incremental changes carried out collaboratively (NIHR, 2022).

Traditions and methods

Research work relies on an agreed understanding of how we come to

know something is true or valid. In most research work carried out in the
social sciences our ‘truth’ is defined by our acceptance of certain traditions
in research. When embarking on research work (i.e., at the planning stage)
we usually decide on our underpinning tradition as this will then steer us
towards (or away from) particular devices or research tools to help us on
our research journey.
8 Why research?

Underlying elements: Ontology, epistemology,

methodology

Guba and Lincoln (1994, p. 12) have explored the important characteris-
tics of research traditions (sometimes also called paradigms). They state
that all substantive ways of seeing the truth through research rely on three
underlying elements: What is the form and nature of reality and what is
there that can be known about it? This is often referred to as ‘Ontology’.
What is the nature of the relationship between the knower or would-be
knower and what can be known? This is often called ‘Epistemology’. How
can the inquirer (would-be knower) go about finding out whatever he
or she believes can be known? This is often termed the ‘Methodology’
and includes the identification of the research tools or instruments the
researcher will use to conduct the work. Any given research tradition is
expected to have coherent responses to these questions as a paradig-
matic trait (Gallifa, 2018, p. 12).

RESEARCH TRADITION

A research tradition or paradigm is a philosophical framework

that your research is based on. It sets out a framework of under-
standings and beliefs and from which the theories and practices
of your research project operate.

There are numerous traditions or paradigms through which to frame

your research work. Popular ones include positivism, constructivism,
pragmatism.

Some examples of traditions: positivism,

constructivism, pragmatism

Positivism

Positivist research is often linked to scientific research and is reliant on

quantitative data (usually lots of it). Positivism uses well-established statis-
tical and analytical techniques to interpret research work. For this reason,
 Why research? 9

positivism typically uses quantitative research methods or approaches to

collecting and managing data. Within positivist-framed research, measure-
ment and comparisons are common in order to evaluate effect and impact.
Positivist researchers are comfortable utilising language that sets out a
hypothesis or research question which can then be proved or disproved by
the methods applied. Post-positivist researchers make efforts to utilise the
core underlying principles of positivism, but are generally less rigid in their
use of only quantitative research tools or instruments. However, not all writ-
ers on research traditions and methodologies agree with this interpreta-
tion of post-positivists. Some believe that positivism/post-positivism only
draws upon quantitative approaches and summarise it in this way (Mertens,
2019), whereas others identify that post-positivist approaches have simi-
larities to constructivism (detailed below), in that they are more inclusive
of different approaches to determining truth and validity (Marvasti, 2004).

Constructivism

Constructivist research traditions are fundamentally based on the belief

that reality is socially constructed. A major element of constructivism is the
interpretive understanding of meaning (often referred to as hermeneutics).
The essence of constructivism identifies that human beings do not find or
discover knowledge so much as construct or make it (Schwandt, 2000,
p. 197). These constructions, interpretations, and understandings of mean-
ing are carried out by researchers in a number of settings. For example, his-
torians attempt to include contextual and environmental factors to assess
and interpret documents written in a particular time period. Constructivist
researchers therefore utilise hermeneutics (the interpretation of spoken
and written language) as a way to interpret the meaning of something from
a certain standpoint or situation (Guba and Lincoln, 1989).

Pragmatism

The pragmatist paradigm is underpinned by its acceptance of a

mixed-methods approach to research work (Tashakkori and Teddlie,
2010). In essence, the pragmatic tradition is one that is developmental
in its embrace and acceptance of newer and more innovative ways of
10 Why research?

conducting research work. A pragmatic approach to research work is

more practically focused upon the core scope and remit of the research
work. As such, pragmatism allows the researchers to choose the methods
(or combination of methods) that work best for answering their research
questions (Onwuegbuzie and Johnson, 2006).

Approaches to collecting data – methods and tools

Methods and tools commonly used within particular paradigms or tra-

ditions vary to fit the philosophical underpinning or positioning of each.
Some are rigidly framed and applied and tend to be exclusively used by
particular traditions; others are more flexibly utilised and are therefore
applied across multiple traditions.
A useful shorthand for broadly classifying research tools or instruments
can be achieved by exploring their central data source. Research tools
can therefore be described as either essentially quantitative (numerically-
based) or essentially qualitative (non-numeric) in nature. Performing a
classification in this way helps us to identify some of the fundamental
strengths and limitations of the specific tools and instruments we might
use to realise our research work. In order to understand the nature of data
collection and analysis two broad categories have been used to describe
different approaches. These are: Quantitative and qualitative research.
Tradition or paradigm Quantitative or Examples
qualitative
Positivism. Mainly quantitative. Experiments.
Quasi-experiments.
Tests.
Scales.
Constructivism. Mainly qualitative. Interviews.
Focus groups.
Observations.
Document reviews.
Visual data analysis.
Pragmatism Mixture of both Includes tools or instruments
quantitative and that are quantitative and
qualitative. qualitative. Focus groups.
Interviews.
Observations.
Testing.
Scale measurement.
Experiments.

Figure 1.2 Traditions in research

 Why research? 11

Quantitative methods

Surveys, tests, structured interviews, laboratory experiments, and

non-participant observation are usually categorised as quantitative
data collection methods. One of the important features of quantitative
research is that it is highly structured and produces data which are amena-
ble to statistical analysis. For example, structured questionnaires usually
ask respondents to select an appropriate response in order to answer
questions – respondents are not usually asked to say anything in their
own words. They simply have to agree or disagree with statements the
researcher has devised. This approach makes it easier for the researcher
to quantify the data and calculate how many people made a particular
point.

QUANTITATIVE DATA

Quantitative data are those types of data that can usually be

reduced to numerical form. The analysis of these data types
involves manipulating them in some way and/or applying some
form of statistical test.

The results of quantitative research are presented in the form of

descriptive or complex statistics, like tests of significance, correlation,
regression analysis. As the name suggests, quantitative research is
concerned with presenting findings in a numerical form. The values
underlying quantitative research include neutrality, objectivity, and the
acquisition of a sizeable scope of knowledge (e.g., a statistical overview
from a large sample) (Leavy, 2017, p. 9). Some authors articulate that
quantitative tools and techniques are of far more importance in terms
of presenting truth about a research topic or issue than their qualitative
counterparts. The canons of reliability for quantitative research may be
simply unworkable for qualitative research (LeCompte and Preissle,
1993). However, the complexities of researched realities have caused
some academics to question the rigid absolutes provided through the
use of only quantitative approaches to research investigation (Brunsdon,
2016).
12 Why research?

Qualitative methods

Participant observation, focus groups, unstructured interviews, or life his-

tories are all types of qualitative research methods (Dawson, 2019). The
resulting data are often presented in the form of quotations or descrip-
tions, though some basic statistics may also be presented.
The development and application of qualitative tools and techniques
are a relatively recent phenomena in social research. Up until around the
1960s social sciences researchers modelled themselves on the natural
sciences, focusing on the need for objective, quantifiable information.
Much of the research in psychology, for example, was based on an
experimental design and carried out in laboratories or similar controlled
conditions. Another important aspect of psychological research
was (and still is) the use of various tests, for example, of intelligence,
personality, attitude, and academic achievement. Although sociological
research was not usually experimental in character, it used measurement
techniques (e.g., pupils’ ability tests) and forms of statistical analyses
similar to those used in psychology. In the social sciences, surveys, tests,
and observation were commonly accepted as objective methods of
producing ‘hard’ data.

QUALITATIVE DATA

Qualitative data include observations, interviews, and life his-

tory accounts. They enable the voices of those being researched
to be heard. Qualitative data are usually analysed by subjecting
it to some form of coding process.

This approach to research began to be challenged during the 1960s

and 1970s when it was argued that the application of a ‘scientific’
quantitative approach – in the form of surveys and experiments – failed
to take into account the differences between people and the objects of
the natural sciences. There were concerns that the experimental method,
in particular, was so artificial and removed from everyday life that the
findings might not be valid; they might not represent accurately what they
 Why research? 13

claim to represent. Quantitative research just seemed to lack imagination

(Shipman, 1985).
These criticisms of quantitative research have led many researchers
to adopt qualitative approaches that are more flexible and adaptable to
different research topics or scenarios. For example, a qualitative research
strategy, in which participant observation and unstructured interviewing
are the data collection methods, allows researchers to get closer to the
people they are investigating (Mannay, 2015).

Quantitative research Qualitative research

Quantitative research tools include Qualitative research tools include
surveys with closed questions. surveys with open-ended questions.
Uses categorical questions such as Asks respondents to specify views and
male/female, yes/no, checkbox or reactions to questions by providing
multiple choice responses. written or verbal responses.
Examples of specific tools and Examples of specific tools include:
instruments include: content analysis, focus groups, interviews, observations,
frequency counts, inferential analysis video analysis.
tools and techniques.
Tend to be narrowly focused around Tend to be broad in focus, embracing
specific research parameters or aims. multiple perspectives and accounts.
Heavily reliant on facts and numbers. Heavily reliant on impressions, opinions,
views and perspectives.

Figure 1.3 Quantitative and qualitative research compared

Mixing quantitative and qualitative methods

There are numerous examples of how quantitative and qualitative methods

have been combined in research projects, though one method is usually
dominant. Furthermore, the distinction between quantitative and qualita-
tive approaches can be rather artificial and misleading as quantitative meth-
ods, such as surveys, can produce qualitative data if open-ended questions
are included. Qualitative data can also be quantified (Brannen, 1995).
In the following section we explore a popular approach to research
that draws upon a mixture of methods, although there is an emphasis
on interpretative qualitative techniques. Action research has its roots
in constructivist or pragmatic research traditions (given our overview
descriptions above). Developing understanding or context around issues
and relating research work to the ‘real world’ would also afford it the label
of ‘applied research’.
14 Why research?

Action research

Action research is about diagnosing a specific problem (e.g., pupil absence)

in a specific setting (a school) and attempting to solve it. The ultimate
objective is to improve practice in some way. Action research is usually,
but not always, collaborative. Teams of researchers and practitioners work
together on a project. Alternatively, a project can be undertaken by the
practitioners themselves, without any involvement from outside research-
ers. In action research, practitioners play an active role in designing the
project, collecting data, and implementing change. This is quite different
from the forms of research described earlier where an outside researcher
conducts a study (e.g., in a hospital) and the role of the practitioners is
usually to fill out questionnaires or participate in interviews.
Action research can take place in a diverse range of settings, e.g.,
hospitals, companies or schools. Observation and interviews are the two
methods of data collection most often associated with action research,
though a whole range of other methods, including questionnaires, tests,
or documentary evidence, can also be used. The conditions imposed on
other forms of research are often relaxed with action research, it interprets
the scientific method much more loosely and flexibly. The claim is made
that action research is strongly empowering and emancipatory in that it
gives practitioners a ‘voice’ (Cohen, Manion, and Morrison, 2017, p. 31).
Not surprisingly, action research has been criticised by those who
subscribe to a more traditional scientific approach to research. Critics
suggest that it is too subjective; it overlooks the need for systematic
methods and lacks scientific rigour. Findings are not generalisable; in
other words, they do not apply solely to the environment in which the
research was carried out. Nevertheless, the champions of action research
are encouraged by the thoughts of one of its founders, who indicated
that research which produced nothing but books was inadequate; to be
effective and meaningful research required action to be taken once its
findings were revealed (Lewin, 1968).

Ethics of research

If research work is carried out to expand knowledge and understanding

and/or provide impact it should be conducted in a transparent and fair
way. If it is not, we would question its value or worth (Farrimond, 2012).
 Why research? 15

All commissioned or sponsored research work will document and identify

the scope and remit of what is being investigated, examined, or explored.
It will also identify how it will collect data, where it will collect it from, and
how it will be analysed. This process documentation (sometimes called a
research protocol) includes the ethical issues considered by the researcher
or research group. Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles
that provide clear structure and a ‘moral compass’ for research designs
and practices. Within academia and public sector research work there are
clearly defined codes of practice and guidance materials articulating how
research projects must be conducted and how data must be held and
analysed (Brooks, Te Riele, and Maguire, 2014).
Research ethics matters because your actions in this area help to
ensure research work is accepted and trusted by sponsors, peer groups,
and society. Without clear and robust ethical guidance, our trust of
research work would erode.

MERTON’S NORMS AND COUNTER-NORMS

Robert Merton made his reputation as a key social science

researcher and academic. He published prolifically in the 1950s,
1960s, and 1970s on various sociological issues and he brought
visibility and legitimacy to the specialty of the social study of
science (Cole, 2004). Very early in his academic career, Merton
devised a framework of norms for good scientific research work.
These ‘norms’ he identified as the core standards of good aca-
demic research work (Merton and Sztompka, 1996). They should
be in the minds of all researchers seeking to produce good and
effective research work. Although devised to support ‘scientific’
research work, they have commonly been applied to all research
work as meaningful standards of good academic practice. His
four norms are:

Communalism (or communism) This identifies that research dis-

coveries should have shared ownership if they are to have the
maximum societal effect or impact. This links to notions of
open science and discoveries belonging in the public domain.
Universalism removes the protective barriers that preclude
some from conducting research work. This norm celebrates
16 Why research?

the idea that everyone can do science, regardless of tradi-

tional limitations such as race, nationality, gender, or any
other differences. Within the universalism norm, everyone
should be judged equally, on the merits of their research
work, rather than their prestige or position.
Disinterestedness articulates that research should be pure and
free from influences. Merton believed that scientists should
work only for the benefit of science.
Organised scepticism espouses that research should be robustly
and transparently assessed and examined. The acceptance of
any research work should be conditional on assessments of
its scientific contribution, objectivity, and rigour.

Whilst these norms are important yardsticks by which to

measure research work, some other authors have presented
counter-norms which seek to undermine these worthy stand-
ards. In work published in 1974 Ian Mitroff presented his anal-
ysis of these counter-norms that are diametrically opposed to
Merton’s idealised standards. Mitroff’s counter-norms focused
instead on research work that is kept secret, is particular to
specific research approaches or ‘ways of doing things’, and is
heavily influenced by external factors (including sponsors and
­policy-makers), and dogmatic in that its inflexible to what the
truth might be.
(Mitroff, 1974)

Of paramount ethical importance in research work is the fair and

reasoned treatment of participants in a study. Participants may include,
for example, patients, students, service users, clients, or colleagues.
Ethical considerations should always be driven by transparency and
openness in how we coordinate the research work and deal with the
data we collect, especially if it is collected from individuals or participants.
Professional research processes that are ethical will ensure scientific
integrity, protect human rights and dignity, and encourage meaningful
collaboration between science and society.
 Why research? 17

If you are conducting research work within an academic or public

sector environment, there are clear guidelines or frameworks directing you
to deal with your research subjects and the data collected from them in very
specific ways. Generally, you should have consideration of the following
standard areas, and this should be clearly communicated as part of your
research design to sponsors, academic reviewers, and clients. These should
also be communicated to participants (usually as information sheets or
guidance notes) as part of the recruitment process to your research project.

Consenting to participate (informed consent)

Those participating in your research project should be informed about the

purpose and benefits of your study. They should also be made aware of
any risks associated with their participation in the research work. Risks are
usually associated with healthcare-related research work but also apply
to more socially driven work. For example, if participants are exposed to
differing viewpoints to their own this may be uncomfortable for some to
hear so a robust ethics policy will ensure that you inform them of this
possibility. Armed with this information, prior to the research beginning,
some participants may decide not to support your work. Whilst this may
be disappointing, it shows empathy and consideration of your participant
group. It is good ethical practice as a researcher to do this.

Voluntary participation

Your participants should not be coerced into participating in your research

work. They should participate voluntarily. You should communicate to
them that they are free to opt in or out of the study at any point in time.
Participants who contribute to your research work voluntarily are more
likely to provide authentic and realistic data to support your work as a result.

Anonymity

Protecting the identity of participants to your research work should be

of central importance. Most research protocols or ethics guidance have
clear mechanisms and processes that show how respondent information
18 Why research?

is dealt with anonymously. Sometimes projects may need to collect iden-

tifying information from participants in order to ensure data are being col-
lected from the correct profile of respondents, but these data are usually
removed before reporting and analysis. Generally, personally identifiable
data are not collected.

Confidentiality

Where identifiable information is collected from participants to a research

project, you must provide clear information on how this is dealt with in
the research work. Examples of what you might do to ensure confidenti-
ality are actions you take to keep that information hidden from everyone
else. You anonymise personally identifiable data so that it can’t be linked
to other data by anyone else.

Potential for harm

In almost all social science-based research work participants will not usu-
ally be exposed to activities or actions that would cause physical, social,
or psychological harm. In some circumstances, you may be asking partici-
pants to consider views or perspectives that are different from their own.
This in itself could be a potential cause of distress or harm for some partic-
ipants, especially if the viewpoint of others is very different from their own.
Examples here might include attitudes and perspectives related to socially
divisive or controversial issues. Where there is a potential to cause harm to
participants researchers should make clear their strategies for mitigating
or removing this harm.

Accurate reporting

Professionally produced research work should be your own and clearly

acknowledge the work of others i.e., it should not be plagiarised. It should
objectively and accurately present research data and make clear the types
of data collected and analytical tools or techniques applied.
 Why research? 19

WHEN RESEARCH GOES WRONG

Unfortunately, not all research work includes robust mecha-

nisms for ensuring clear ethical processes have been applied.
Robson and McCartan (2016, p. 211) have identified ten question-
able practices in social research. These are:

1. Involving people without their knowledge or consent.

2. Coercing them to participate.
3. Withholding information about the true nature of the research.
4. Otherwise deceiving the participant.
5. Inducing them to commit acts diminishing their self-esteem.
6. Violating rights of self-determination (e.g., in studies seek-
ing to promote individual change).
7. Exposing participants to physical or mental stress.
8. Invading their privacy.
9. Withholding benefits from some participants (e.g., in com-
parison groups).
10. Not treating participants fairly, or with consideration, or
with respect.

Summary
This introductory chapter has explored the role of research in our soci-
ety. Research can contribute to disciplinary knowledge, inform policy,
develop new products and materials, or address specific problems. Some
of the limitations of research approaches, traditions, or paradigms have
also been discussed. These include the fact that methods of interpre-
tation can have an effect on the perceived value of the research (scien-
tific or positivist approaches may be ‘valued’ more than constructivist or
mixed-methods approaches), or policy-makers may ignore information
that does not fit their agenda.
Debates about the nature of social research have also been covered.
We have seen that the scientific approach has historically influenced social
20 Why research?

research methods but in recent decades innovative and more qualitative

methods have become more popular, particularly in sociology and
education.
Ethical considerations in research work direct the approach undertaken
by researchers and provide important markers to allow sponsors and
other research consumers to value results and outputs produced from
it. The problems typically encountered by weak commitments to ethical
principles have been outlined.

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 Why research? 21

Leavy, P. (2017) Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods,

arts-based, and community-based participatory research approaches.
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 PLANNING THE
RESEARCH
David Wilkinson
2

IN THIS CHAPTER WE EXPLORE:

● Planning your research and the messy research journey.
● Things to think about before you start.
● Framing your questions.
● Being realistic about what you can do.
● The hypothesis.
● Exploring the literature.
● Developing a strategy.
● Timing and planning.
● Methodology.
● Ethics as part of your planning.

Planning your research and the messy

research journey

Most research begins with the development of a research question, topic,

or theme. In some cases, such as a personal piece of work, you may
decide on your own questions or theme; in others, they may be given to

DOI: 10.4324/9781003180159-2
24 Planning the research

you. A great deal of research project work is now commissioned by others

to support organisational development, inform policy, and develop new
services, for example, with explicit aims and outcomes. Whoever decides
on the topic or theme of the research, there are a number of fundamental
clarifying questions that can be applied to it in order to help steer and
direct its direction and focus. These include:

What is it that we wish to learn more about?

Why is it of interest or importance to research this area?
What other work has been carried out in this area?

This clarifying process should enable you to develop, refine, and frame the
questions you’d like to set out to answer in your research. Initially you will,
no doubt, have generated many questions. Some of these will be related,
so you should aim to limit the questions tackled in your research to a few
which are clearly formulated and distinctive. Many research projects fail
due to the sheer number of questions posed and the lack of clarity they
display.

Stages in the process

Research in the social sciences typically has a number of fundamen-

tal stages. These include framing your questions, exploring the litera-
ture, developing a strategy, collecting data, analysing data, and writing/
submitting your report. This might suggest that research is a neat, linear
undertaking but in real-world research, this is rarely the case (Robson and
McCartan, 2016). However, most research project work cycles around
these fundamental stages (VanderStoep and Johnson, 2009), and is itera-
tive, reflective, and developmental.
Setting your research topic or question can be time-consuming and
requires careful thought in order to frame it appropriately around a given
focus or topic (Denscombe, 2017). Planning research work can sometimes
feel overwhelming when you have limited experience or are unsure about
the process. It can be helpful in these situations to draw strength from
your personal characteristics in order to make the experience as pain-free
as possible.
 Planning the research 25

Figure 2.1 The research project process

WHAT KIND OF RESEARCHER ARE YOU?

Factors you might think about to help you plan and structure
your research include:

● Are you good with people?

● Do you prefer written communication or face-to-face
interaction?
● Do you love or loath mathematics and statistics?
● Do people feel at ease with you and are they willing to con-
fide in you?
● Do you like to number-crunch?
● Do you like to conduct web-based research work?
(Dawson, 2019, p. 3)

In a real-world setting the stages of research are not distinct and as sepa-
rate as they might at first appear; they are flexible and organic in their form,
adapting to the research work as it continues and develops. As an exam-
ple, your research project may have reached the data collection stage and
you may become aware of other published work that raises important
26 Planning the research

additional questions you might like to ask your research subjects about.
In a real-world setting you might be required to edit your interview or sur-
vey questions to include the newly published work you have discovered.
Similarly, you may start to analyse some elements of the data you have
collected (for example, reading through your interview transcripts) whilst
still collecting other forms of data (such as observations of participants
in their work setting). If this is the case (and it happens to the best of us),
you may need to revise some aspect of your plan. The researcher often
has to move backwards and forwards between different stages in their
work. Social research is, by its very nature, a messy process, something
that many research textbooks disguise from their readers. However, some
well-respected social science researchers do acknowledge that social
research is often a lot less smooth than the accounts of research you may
read about in textbooks (Bryman, 2016, p. 14).

ACADEMIC

Students are required (on most college and degree programmes)

to carry out a piece of original research work as part of their
programme of study. Such work would need to ensure that it
met the standard required.

Industry
A small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) might need to carry
out research work to explore the appetite for a new product or
service. This would require planning in terms of (for example)
which markets/sectors to concentrate on in terms of survey or
interview work.

Public sector
A local authority may be charged with providing adequate levels
of service in relation to refuse collection. They may need to plan
for research work examining the best collection times and days
for certain postcode areas.
 Planning the research 27

Society
Charities or third sector organisations might be interested in
the rights afforded to certain groups represented by them. They
may need to plan for effective research work to establish how to
service these groups.

Things to think about before you start

There are a number of factors that shape the way in which a project
is carried out, especially the availability and amount of time, money
and other resources (for example, software and other appliances,
and instruments or tools you might use to help shape and report on
your research work) (Robson, 2017, pp. 150–157). Accessibility of the
research subjects or participants, and ethical issues also need to be kept
in mind.

Resources

One of the key resource elements in research work is the amount of fund-
ing resource (money) that is available to undertake the work. Very often in
small-scale research work, you will be acting as a lone researcher and will
be required to undertake all elements of the work yourself. But this is not
without a financial cost; your time and experience are of some financial
value, and it is useful (for planning and assignment purposes) to think of
it in this way. Research projects that are based primarily on observation
and face-to-face interviews are labour-intensive, so the ‘cost’ in terms of
researcher time will be the greatest. If the project data are being collected
using qualitative methods, such as open-ended interviews, then the anal-
ysis can also be very time-consuming as interviews may need to be tran-
scribed and transcriptions analysed and coded in some way as part of the
reporting process.
Some of the main costs (in terms of time and effort) in survey research
include: piloting the draft questions; constructing the survey instrument
28 Planning the research

(usually an online hosted survey), coding the responses, and analysing the
data. There are many software packages (such as SPSS (Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences) and Nvivo for dealing with interview, observation
and other qualitative data). Using analysis packages such as these can
drastically reduce the time you might need to dedicate to collating, coding,
and analysing your research data.

NEGOTIATING ACCESS CHECKLIST – EXAMPLE

FROM EDUCATION

Gaining access within school or other education settings

requires thought and consideration of a number of issues.
Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2017) identify ten key elements
that are of value:

1. Formally request permission to carry out your research

work as soon as you have an agreed project outline.
2. Speak to the people who will be asked to participate in your
work.
3. Submit the project outline to the headteacher, if you are car-
rying out a study in your or another educational institution.
4. Decide what you mean by anonymity and confidentiality
and communicate this to your research participants.
5. Decide whether participants will receive a copy of the report
and/or see drafts or interview transcripts.
6. Inform participants what is to be done with the information
they provide.
7. Prepare an outline of intentions and conditions under which
the study will be carried out to hand to the participants.
8. Be honest about the purpose of the study and about the
conditions of the research.
9. Remember that people who agree to help are doing you a
favour.
10. Never assume ‘it will be all right’. Negotiating access is an
important stage in your investigation.
(adapted from Cohen, Manion, and Morrison, 2017, p. 57)
 Planning the research 29

Amount of time available

The timeframe in which you need to complete the research is central to your
planning. Setting realistic goals is important. One trap that researchers can
fall into is that whilst they allow sufficient time to carry out the research
and to analyse the data, they do not allocate enough time for writing up the
final report. Report writing is where you bring all of the various elements of
your project together into a coherent piece of work. It is where you provide
clear answers or responses to your research questions. You need to allow
yourself time and space in order to reflect upon the data you have collected,
literature consulted, and the feedback received from peers/colleagues or
line managers. Managing and committing time to the stages of your pro-
ject (during your planning stage) will ensure you are more likely to produce
good-quality work, on time and within the budget or resourcing envelope.

Accessibility of research sample (your participants or

respondents)

Some groups are more accessible than others. Teachers, university stu-
dents and school pupils are among the easier targets, whereas the home-
less, those with drug dependencies or the super-rich may be more difficult
to access. In some cases you may need to negotiate access with a ‘gate-
keeper’ before you are able to reach the people you would like to reach.
For example, if you want to carry out research on hospital patients, you will
probably have to get the approval of the hospital management. Similarly, it
will be impossible to interview school pupils without first obtaining permis-
sion from the headteacher, and also from the children’s parents. Therefore,
in any one project you may have to negotiate several access ‘hurdles’ before
you finally reach your respondent group. Guaranteeing confidentiality,
arranging visits well in advance, and impressing upon people the value of
the research are all useful tactics in negotiating access (Clark, 2011).

RESEARCH ‘GATEKEEPERS’

Gatekeepers are key or influential figures associated with

the community or participant group you wish to work with or
30 Planning the research

research. These individuals can help you to better understand

the community or participant group and can help you get to
know other people. Working with them, you will be able to build
trust and generate acceptance within their community.
(Dawson, 2019, p. 106)

Negotiating or managing successful access to your research subjects

or participants is fundamental to all research projects. Without their
support your research project will undoubtably stumble, if not fail. A
typical, negotiated access approach undertaken by researchers seeking to
collect interview data from a respondent group might include:

1. Introducing the research work to the participant group – through

an email, letter, tweet or other social media release sent directly to
participants or via a gatekeeper (someone who acts as a link person
between you and the participants).
2. Negotiating access to the participant group – achieved by asking
those interested to come forward and discuss the specifics of their
involvement (time for interviews, detailed purposes of the research,
etc.).
3. Securing consent from participants – achieved through discussing the
need and use of consent forms with participants.
4. Interacting with participants – speaking with participants and secur-
ing their responses to your questions. Part of this negotiation stage
would also include summarising data and reporting back to partici-
pants (for sense-checking and accuracy) what they have said.
(adapted from Fobosi, 2019, p. 507)

STAGES IN A RESEARCH PROJECT

Framing your questions

Before you start you need a subject. If you work as a researcher
or have been asked to carry out a specific project as part of
your job, then your focus or topics may already have been
 Planning the research 31

selected for you. This stage can be one of the most challeng-
ing parts of the research process, as it involves translating the
overall theme of the research into a viable research question or
hypothesis.

Exploring the literature

Acknowledging what has been published is an important part
of all research projects. In this stage you establish and identify
what has been produced and published elsewhere and how this
influences your own research work.

Develop a strategy
This development stage is where you identify the tradition or
paradigm you will draw upon to support delivery of your research
project. This is the stage where decisions are made regarding
which methods of data collection and analysis are to be used.
You will also identify the types of participants or stakeholders
involved in your research work.

Collecting data
This is the stage in which you carry out the interviews, send out
your surveys, and so on (these are your primary data sources).
You may also utilise data collected elsewhere (such as census
data or market research agency data). These are often referred
to as secondary data sources and may require specific permis-
sions to be sought from the data holders prior to using them for
your research work.

Data analysis
The data analysis stage is where you bring together the vari-
ous strands of your research project work in order to develop a
narrative within your write-up stage. Data analysis is where you
would code your data and identify its key themes or topics. This
stage usually takes place towards the project when most or all of
the data have been collected.
32 Planning the research

Writing up the results

The stage in the project where you bring together your research
data and present it in an accessible form for your audience. It is
a good idea to have the framework for your report or write-up
developed during your planning stage.

Framing your questions

All research work is based around a topic or theme which is then nar-
rowed down to a specific research topic or question. These elements of
your research project are usually detailed in the introductory section of
your write-up or reporting. They are where you set the scene for your
research work by determining its scope and remit.
Introducing the research and setting it in context is an important part
of a research proposal and any subsequent write-up or reporting. This
is where you would define what you wanted to find out by setting your
research in context and linking it to other related work. Setting the context
of your own research includes identifying data/information, published
materials that have acted as guides to the development of your research
topic or questions. Your introduction should also seek to establish the
need for your research work. This could include, for example, a need
driven by the limited previous work that has been undertaken in this area.
A need could also reasonably be defined if your work was developmental
for practitioners who could apply the results of your work in their own
practice.
Framing your questions allows you to be specific about what your
research will cover and want it will not. It provides markers or areas of
interest so that you can explore and follow these up, in-depth, in relevant
literature sources. The linear process for developing research questions is
usually:

1. Establish your research topic or theme so that you can focus on the
body of literature you need to include and review in your work.
2. Carry out an extensive review of relevant literature so that you are in
a position to form appropriate, researchable questions.
(O’Leary, 2014, p. 35)
 Planning the research 33

However, this neat and logical interpretation presents an issue around practi-
cality. Which do you focus on first – your topic or question, or the literature? You
may find that, following an exhaustive review of the literature, your research
question has already been answered by others. Equally, you may become
aware of issues, in this particular research context, linked to the use of par-
ticular research and analytical tools or instruments. These types of dilemmas
emerge in many more research projects than are probably reported. As a pro-
fessional researcher you may, through your own iterative and developmental
research journey, need to rationalise changes or edits to research question,
and adaptations to methods, data sources and forms of reporting. Effective
research activity should work through these stages of organic developmental
planning and refinement. Your goal should be to articulate in your reporting or
write up the decisions you have made (to edit or adapt your research ques-
tions, or to abandon the use of specific data collection approaches, for exam-
ple), and to provide robust arguments for those decisions.

THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Research questions should help you to define the limits of your

study.

● Research questions help you to clarify your research study.

● Research questions allow you to develop knowledge and under-
standing based on practical experience rather than theory.

When defining research questions care must be taken to develop

them objectively. As professional researchers we must always make clear
the theoretical perspectives or models we are employing, and the related
strategies we are about to employ. We should similarly provide clear reasons
for collecting data and presenting information in the way that we do. This
makes clear, to anyone who reads our work, our philosophical positions
and identifies any biases that might exist (Creswell and Creswell, 2018).

Being realistic about what you can do

It is worth spending some time thinking carefully about the research ques-
tion you will seek to address in your work. The questions below might help
and guide you:
34 Planning the research

● Will the research question be of interest to me and be able to sustain

my interest for the duration of the project work?
● Am I able to answer the question in an objective way, or are there any
biases I have towards the research work that I might need to address?
● Will the research work make a valuable and meaningful contribution
to the work that is already out there?
● In terms of my question, is it clearly and unambiguously set?
● Is the question ‘do-able’? Can I complete it within the timeframe available?
● Do I have the requisite skills needed to complete the research work?
Will I need to be able to use specific data collection tools or analytical
techniques?

The hypothesis

Research topics or themes are usually generally set. Research questions

are more specific, and a research hypothesis is a refinement of a research
question. In scientific research work (belonging to the positivist tradition
or paradigm) the hypothesis is a central part of the research process. For
those who operate within other research traditions, such as constructiv-
ists or pragmatists, there is a common view that research which focuses
on the research hypothesis loses all of its colour and value. Research terms
such as ‘hypothesis’ are usually linked to scientific, quantitative, research
projects rather than qualitative ones (Creswell and Creswell, 2018). The
following definition aligns with this view:

A research hypothesis is a specific, clear and testable proposition or

predictive statement about the possible outcome of a scientific research
study based on a particular property of a population, such as presumed
differences between groups on a particular variable or relationships
between variables. Specifying the research hypotheses is one of the
most important steps in planning a scientific quantitative research study.
(Kalaian and Kasim, 2008)

Exploring the literature

In many proposals, the research plan will make reference to key literature
to emphasise points and provide authority to the work being undertaken.
Therefore, early consultation of the literature in a research project is important.
Another Random Scribd Document
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Title: Fairy Gold

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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY GOLD ***

 FAIRY GOLD
By CHRISTIAN REID
Author of "Véra's Charge," "Philip's Restitution," "A Child of
Mary," "His Victory," etc.

THE AVE MARIA PRESS

NOTRE DAME, INDIANA

Copyright, 1897,

BY

D.E. HUDSON.

FAIRY GOLD.
 PRELUDE.

C
" LAIRE! do stop that tiresome practicing and come here. Helen and
I want you."
The voice was very clear and vibrating, and had a ring of command
in it as it uttered these words; while the summer dusk was dying
away, and the summer air came soft and sweet into the school-room
of a convent, that, from the eminence on which it stood, overlooked
a city at its feet, and the rise and fall of Atlantic tides. It was
drawing toward the close of the exercise-hour, but the two girls who
stood together in school-girl fashion beside an open window, and the
third, who in an adjoining music-room was diligently practicing
Chopin, were not the only ones who had neglected its observance
and incurred no rebuke; for was not to-morrow the end of the
scholastic year, and did not relaxation of rules already reign from
dormitory to class-room?
Many hearts were beating high at the thought of the freedom which
that morrow would bring; many dreams were woven of the bright
world which lay beyond these quiet shades; of pleasures which were
to replace the monotonous round of occupation in which youth had
so far been spent—the round of lessons from teachers whose voices
were gentle as their faces were holy and serene; of quiet
meditations in the beautiful chapel, with its sculptured altar and
stained-glass windows and never-dying lamp; of walks in the green
old garden, and romps along its far-stretching alleys. They were
ready to leave it all behind, these careless birds, eager to try their
new-fledged wings; and when the heat and burden of the day
should come down upon them, how much they would give for one
hour of the old quiet peace, the old happy ignorance!
And among them all no face was more bright with triumphant hope
—or was it triumphant resolve?—than hers whose voice went ringing
through the almost deserted school-room, in the half-entreaty, half-
command recorded above.
The sound of the piano ceased on the instant; a slight rustling
followed, as of music being put away; and then a girl came down
the middle aisle of desks, toward the window which overlooked the
garden and faced the glowing western sky, where the two girls were
standing, both of whom turned as she advanced.
"You must pardon me," she said, in a tone of apology. "I did not
mean to stay so long, but I forget myself when I am at the piano,
and I could scarcely bear to think that this was my last hour of
practice."
"I am quite sure that it will not be your last hour of practice," said
the girl who had spoken first. "You are too fond of drudgery for that.
But how can you talk of not bearing to think of its being the last
here, when Helen and I have been congratulating each other on the
fact until we exhausted all our expressions of pleasure, and had to
call on you to help us?"
"Then you would have done better to let me finish my practicing,"
said the other, with a faint smile; "for I cannot help you with one
expression of pleasure: I am too sorry."
"Sorry!"—it was the one called Helen who broke in here. "Oh! how
can you say that, when we are going home to be so happy?"
"You are going home, dear," remarked Claire, gently.
"And are not you? Is not my home your home, and will I not be hurt
if you do not feel it so?"
"You are very kind, dear," said Claire; "but you cannot give me what
God has denied. Perhaps I too might be glad of to-morrow, Helen, if
I had your future or Marion's courage; but, lacking both, I only feel
afraid and sad. I feel as if I should like to stay here forever—as if I
were being pushed out into a world with which I am not able to
cope."
"But a world which shall never harm you so long as my love and
Marion's courage can help you," said Helen, as she passed her
disengaged arm around the slender form. "You know we three are
pledged to stand together as long as we live; are we not, Marion?"
"I know that Claire is very foolish," answered Marion. "If I had her
talent I should be eager to go into the world—eager to cope with
and overcome it. Everyone says that she is certain to succeed, and
of all the gifts in the world fame must be the sweetest."
"I suppose it is," said Claire; "but I know enough of art—just enough
—to be aware that it is a long journey before one can even dream of
fame. I love to paint—oh! yes, better than anything else,—but I
know what difficult work lies before me in becoming an artist."
"Yet you do not mind work," observed Helen, in a wondering tone.
"No." answered the other, "not here, where I had help and
encouragement and the sense of safe shelter. But out in the world,
where I shall have only myself to look to, and no one to care
whether I fail or not—well, I confess my courage ebbs as I think of
that."
"How strange!" said Marion. "If my hands were as free as yours are,
I should like nothing better than for them to be as empty—if you can
call hands empty that have such a power."
"And are not your hands as free as mine?" asked the other. "We are
both orphans, and both—"
"Poor," said Marion, frankly. "Yes, but with a difference. Most people,
I suppose, would think the difference in my favor; I think it is in
yours. You have no family obligations to prevent your doing what
you will with your life, from following the bent of your genius; while
I—well, it is true I have no genius, but if I had it would be all the
same. My uncle would never consent to my doing anything to lower
the family dignity, and I owe him enough to make me feel bound to
respect his wishes."
"It is well to have some one whose wishes one is bound to respect,"
said Claire gently, and then a silence fell.
They were decided contrasts, these three girls, as they stood
together by the open window, and looked out on the bright sunset
and down into the large garden;—decided contrasts, yet all
possessed in greater or less degree the gift of beauty.
It was certainly in greater degree with Marion Lynde, whose daily
expanding loveliness had been the marvel of all who saw her for two
years past;—the marvel even in this quiet convent, where human
aspect was perhaps of less account than any where else on all God's
earth. The little children had looked with admiration on her brilliant
face, the older girls had gazed on it with throbs of unconscious envy;
the nuns had glanced pityingly at the girl who bore so proudly that
often fatal dower; and many times the Mother Superior had sent up
a special prayer for this defiant soldier of life, when she saw her
kneeling at Mass or Benediction with a many-tinted glory streaming
over her head.
As she stood now in her simple school dress, Marion was a picture of
striking beauty. Tall, slight, graceful, there was in her grace
something imperial and unlike other women. Her white skin, finely
grained and colorless as the petal of a lily, suited the regular, clear-
cut features; while her eyes were large and dark—splendid eyes,
which seemed to carry lustre in their sweeping glance,—and her hair
was a mass of red gold. Altogether a face to study with a sense of
artistic pleasure,—a face to admire as one admires a statue or a
painting; but not a face that attracted or wakened love, as many less
beautiful faces do, or as that of her cousin, Helen Morley, did.
For everyone loved Helen—a winsome creature, with lips that
seemed formed only for smiles, and hands ever ready to caress and
aid; with endearing ways that the hardest heart could not have
resisted, and a heaven-born capacity for loving that seemed
inexhaustible. It was impossible to look on the bright young face and
think that sorrow could ever darken it, or that tears would ever dim
the clear violet of those joyous eyes. From the Mother Superior
down to the youngest scholar, all loved the girl, and all recognized
how entirely she seemed marked out for happy destinies. "You must
not let the brightness of this world veil Heaven from your sight, my
child," the nuns would say, as they laid their hands on the silken-soft
head, and longed to hold back from the turmoil of life this white
dove, whose wings were already spread for flight from the quiet
haven where they had been folded for a time.
Least beautiful of the three girls was Claire Alford,—a girl whose
reserved manner had perhaps kept love as well as familiarity at bay
during the years of her convent tutelage. Even Marion, with all her
haughty waywardness, had more friends than this quiet student. Yet
no one could find fault with Claire. She was always considerate and
gentle, quick to oblige and slow to take offense. But she lived a life
absorbed within itself, and those around her felt this. They felt that
her eyes were fixed on some distant goal, to which every thought of
her mind and effort of her nature was directed.
The only child and orphan of a struggling artist—a man of genius,
but who died before he conquered the recognition of the world,—
Claire knew that her slender fortune would hardly suffice for the
expenses of her education, and that afterward she must look for aid
to herself alone. Usually life goes hard with a woman under such
circumstances as these. But Claire had one power as a weapon with
which to fight her way. Her talent for painting had been the
astonishment of all her teachers, and it was a settled thing that she
would make art the object and pursuit of her life. If least beautiful of
the three girls who stood there together, an observant glance might
have lingered longest on her. There was something very attractive in
the gray eyes that gazed so steadily from under their long lashes,
and in the smile that stirred now and then the usually grave and
gentle lips.
It only remains to be added that both Claire and Helen were
Catholics, while Marion had been brought up in Protestantism, which
resulted, in her case, in absolute religious indifference.
The silence had lasted for some time, when Helen's voice at last
broke it, saying:—
"You are right, Claire. It does make one sad to think that we are
standing together for the last time in our dear old school-room. We
have been so happy here! I wonder if we shall be very much more
happy out in the world?"
"I doubt if we shall ever be half as happy again," answered Claire.
"Oh, you prophet of evil! Why not?"
"Why not, Helen!" repeated Claire. "Because I doubt if we shall ever
again feel so entirely at peace with ourselves and with others as we
have felt here."
"It is a very nice place," observed Helen; "and I love the Mother
Superior and all the Sisters dearly. But, then, of course, I want to
see mamma and Harry and little Jock. I want to ride Brown Bess
again, and I do want to go to a party Claire."
"Well," said Claire, smiling, "I suppose there is no doubt that you will
go to a good many parties, and I hope you will enjoy them."
"There is no doubt of her enjoyment," interposed Marion, speaking
in her usual half satiric tone, "if Paul Rathborne is to be there."
"I was not thinking of Paul Rathborne, and neither, I am sure, was
Helen," said Claire.
"That is likely!" cried Marion, laughing. "Don't, Helen! I would not
tell a story to oblige Claire, if I were you."
But Helen had apparently little idea of telling the story. Even in the
dusk, the flush that overspread her face was visible, and the lids
drooped over the violet eyes.
"At all events, we will not talk of him," said Claire, decidedly. "We
will talk of ourselves and our own futures. We are standing on the
threshold of a new life, and surely we may spare a little time in
wondering how it will fare with us. Marion, what do you say?"
"If one may judge the future by the past, I should say, so far as I
am concerned, badly enough," Marion replied. "But whether I alter
matters for better or for worse, I don't mean to go on in the same
old way; I shall change the road, if I don't mend it."
"Change it in what manner?"
"I don't know exactly. Circumstances will have to decide that for me.
But I don't mean to go back to my uncle's, to share the family
economics, and hear the family complaints, and wear Adela's old
dresses; you may be sure of that, Claire!"
"But how can you avoid it," asked Claire, "when you have just said
that you will not disregard your uncle's wishes by attempting to
support yourself?"
"I shall not do anything to hurt the Lynde pride," answered the girl,
mockingly. "I shall only take my gifts of body and mind into the
world, and see what I can make of them."
"Make of them!" repeated Helen. "In what way?"
"There is only one way that I care about," returned the other,
carelessly: "the way of a fortune."
"Oh! I understand: you mean to marry a rich man."
"I mean that only as a last resort. The world would think worse of
me if I robbed a man of his fortune; but I should think worse of
myself, and wrong him more, if I married him to obtain it. No, Helen,
I shall not do that—if I can help it."
"But you would not be wronging him, Marion, if you loved him."
"And do you think," demanded the young cynic, "that one is likely to
love the man it is best for one to marry?"
"Yes, I think so—I know so."
"Ah! well, perhaps it may be so to such a child of happy fate as you
are, but it is never likely to occur to me."
"And is a fortune all that you mean to look for in life?" asked Helen.
"Why should I look for anything more? Does not that comprise
everything? Ah! you have never known the bitterness of poverty, or
you would not doubt that when one has fortune, one has all that is
necessary for happiness."
"But I have known poverty," broke in Claire; "and I know, Marion,
that there are many worse things in life than want of money, and
many better things than possessing it."
"That is all you know about the matter," replied Marion, with an air
of scorn. "Perhaps I, too, might be able to feel in that way, if I had
known only the poverty that you have—a picturesque, Bohemian
poverty, with no necessity to pretend to be what you were not. But
genteel poverty, which must keep up appearances by a hundred
makeshifts and embarrassments and meannesses—have you ever
known that? It has been the experience of my life,—one which I
shudder to recall, and which I would sooner die than go back to."
"Poor darling! you shall not go back to it," cried Helen.
But Marion threw off her caressing hand.
"Don't, Helen!" she said, sharply. "I can't bear pity, even from you.
But I have talked enough of myself. You both know what I am going
to do: to make a fortune by some means. Now it is your turn, Claire,
to tell your ambition."
"You know it very well," answered Claire, quietly. "I am going to be
an artist, and perhaps, if God helps me, to make a name."
"Yes, I know," said Marion, gloomily. "Yours is a noble ambition, and
I think you will succeed."
"I hope so," responded Claire, looking out on the sunset with her
earnest eyes. "At least I know that I have resolution and
perseverance, and I used to hear my father say that with those
things even mediocre talent could do much."
"And yours is not mediocre. Yet you talk of being sorry to leave here,
with such a prospect before you."
"Such a battle, too. And people say that the world is very hard and
stern to those who fight it single-handed."
"So much the better!" cried Marion, flinging back her head with an
air of defiance. "There will be so much the more glory in triumph."
"You never seem to think of failure," observed Claire, with a smile.
"But now Helen must tell us what she desires her future to be."
"Mine?" said Helen. "Oh! I leave all such things as fortune and fame
to you and Marion. I mean only to be happy."
"To be happy!" repeated Marion. "Well, I admire your modesty. You
have set up for yourself a much more difficult aim than either
Claire's or my own. And how do you mean to be happy? That is the
next question."
"I don't know," replied Helen, with a laugh. "I just mean to go home
to enjoy myself; that is all. And how happy it makes me to think that
you are both going with me!"
"Dear little Helen!" said Claire, caressingly. "But it will not make you
unhappy to hear that I am not going with you, will it? I have just
found out that I can not go."
"Not go!" repeated Helen. The deepest surprise and disappointment
were written on her face. "O, Claire, it is impossible that you can
mean it—that you can be so unkind! Why do you say such a thing?"
"I say it because it is true, dear; though it is a greater
disappointment to me than to you. I have just had a letter from my
guardian, telling me he has found an opportunity to send me abroad
with a lady, an acquaintance of his own; and I have no choice but to
go."
"I should think you would be delighted to find such an opportunity,"
said Marion. "But surely the lady is not going to Rome at this
season?"
"No: she is going to Germany for the summer, and to Italy in the
autumn; which is a very good thing, for I shall see the galleries of
Dresden and Munich before I go to Rome. Of course I am glad—I
must be glad—to find the opportunity at once; but I had promised
myself the pleasure of a quiet, happy month with Helen and you,
and I am sorry to lose it."
"It is too bad," said Helen, with a sound as of tears in her voice. "I
had anticipated so much pleasure in our all three being together!
And now—why could not your guardian have waited to find the lady,
or why does she not put off going abroad until the autumn?"
"Why, in short, is not the whole scheme of things arranged with
reference to one insignificant person called Claire Alford?" replied
Claire, laughing. "No, dear; there is no help for it. I must give up the
idea of a short rest before the combat."
"And now there is no telling when we shall all be together again!"
said Helen. "I could not have believed that such a disappointment
was in store for me."
"I hope you will never know a worse one," remarked Claire. "But if
we live, we must meet again some day. We are too good friends to
suffer such trifles as time and space to separate us always."
"But you are going so far away, one cannot tell when or where that
meeting will be," said Helen, still mournfully.
"Perhaps it may be when Marion has made her fortune, and asks us
to visit her castle," answered Claire. "Marion, have you formed any
plans as to where it is to be situated? Marion, don't you hear?"
"What is it?" asked Marion, starting. "I beg your pardon, but I was
thinking. Did you say, Claire, that this visit, which you could not
make, would have been a rest before the combat to you? I was
wondering if it will be a rest to me or a beginning."
She spoke half dreamily, and neither of the others answered. They
only stood with the sunset glow falling on their fair young faces,
their wistful gaze resting upon each other, and quite silent, until a
bell pealed softly out on the twilight air, and their last school-day
ended forever.
 CHAPTER I.
THERE is nothing specially attractive about Scarborough—a town
which nestles among green hills near the foot of the Blue Ridge,—
except its salubrious and delightful climate, which has long drawn
summer visitors from the lower malarial country; but if it had been
as beautiful as Naples or as far-famed as Venice, it could not have
wakened more loving delight than that which shone in Helen
Morley's eyes as she drew near it. For that deeply-rooted attachment
to familiar scenes—to those aspects of nature on which the eyes first
opened, and which to the child are like the face of another mother—
was as strong in her as it is in most people of affectionate character.
For several miles before the train reached Scarborough, she was
calling Marion's attention to one familiar landmark after another; and
when finally they stopped at the station on the outskirts of the town,
her eagerness knew no bounds.
"Come, Marion; here we are!" she cried, springing up hastily. But at
that moment the car was burst open by a tall young man, who
entered, followed by two small boys, upon all three of whom, as it
seemed to Marion, Helen, with a glad little cry, precipitated herself.
There were embraces, kisses, inquiries for a moment; then the
young man turned and held out his hand, saying, "This is Miss
Lynde, I am sure?"
"Yes," said Helen, turning her flushed, smiling face. "And this is my
cousin, Frank Morley, Marion. And here is my brother Harry, who has
almost grown to be a man since I went away; and here is little
Jock."
Marion shook hands with all these new acquaintances; the boys
seized bags and baskets, and the young man led the way from the
car and assisted them to the platform outside, near which a large
open carriage was standing, with a broadly-smiling ebony coachman,
whom Helen greeted warmly. Then her cousin told her that she had
better drive home at once. "I shall stay and attend to the trunks,
and will see you later," he said.
So Helen, Marion, and the boys were bundled into the carriage, and
drove away through the streets of Scarborough,—Helen explaining
that her home was at the opposite end of the town from the station.
"Indeed we are quite in the county," she said: "and I like it much
better than living in town."
"Who would wish to live in a town like this!" asked Marion, eying
disdainfully the rural-looking streets through which they were
passing. "I like the overflowing life, the roar and fret of a great city;
but places of this kind seem to me made only to put people to sleep,
mentally as well as physically."
"Oh, Scarborough is a very nice place when you know it!" said
Helen, in arms at once for her birth-place. "And I assure you people
are not asleep in it, by any means."
"These young gentlemen certainly look wide awake," resumed
Marion, regarding the two boys, who were in turn regarding her with
large and solemn eyes. "And so looked your cousin—very wide
awake indeed."
"Oh, Frank is a delightful boy!" exclaimed Helen; "and I am very
fond of him."
"I am glad to hear it," said Marion. "I hope you will be fond enough
of him to keep him away from me; for if I abhor anything, it is a boy
—I mean" (with a glance at the two young faces before her) "a boy
who fancies himself a man."
"Frank is twenty years old," observed Harry, who, being himself
barely ten, naturally regarded this as a venerable age.
"So I imagined," replied Marion; "and twenty is not my favorite age
—for a man. Jock's age suits me better. Jock, how old are you?"
Jock replied that he was seven; but at this point an exclamation
from Helen cut the conversation short; for now they were rapidly
approaching a house situated in the midst of large grounds on the
outskirts of the town,—a shade-embowered dwelling, on the broad
veranda of which flitting forms were to be seen, as the carriage
paused a moment for the gate to be opened. Helen stood up and
eagerly waved her handkerchief; then they drove in, swept around a
large circle and drew up before an open door, from which poured a
troop of eager welcomers of all ages and colors.
It seemed to Marion a babel of sound which ensued—kisses,
welcomes, hand-shakings, questions,—then she was swept along by
the tide into the cool, garnished house, and thence on to a bowery
chamber, where she was left for a little while to herself: since Helen
was, after all, the grand object of the ovation, and it was into
Helen's room that the loyal crowd gathered, who had merely given
to Marion that cordial welcome which no stranger ever failed to
receive on a Southern threshold.
Only Helen's mother—who, having been twice married, was now
Mrs. Dalton—lingered behind with the young stranger, and looked
earnestly into the fair face, as if seeking a likeness.
"You are very little like your mother, my dear," she said at last;
"though you have her eyes. Alice was beautiful, but it was a gentle
beauty; while you—well, I think you must be altogether a Lynde."
"I know that I am very like the Lyndes," Marion answered. "I have a
miniature of my father, which I can see myself that I resemble."
"He was a very handsome man," said Mrs. Dalton, "and daring—ah!
it was no wonder that he was among the first to rush into the war,
and among the first to be killed! My child, you do not know how my
heart has yearned over you during all these years, how happy I was
to hear of your being at the convent with Helen, and now how glad I
am to see you under my own roof. I want you to feel that you are
like a daughter of the house."
"You are very kind," replied Marion, touched by the evident sincerity
of the words. "I am glad, too, to know at last some of my mother's
kindred."
"I can't help wishing that you looked more like her," said Mrs.
Dalton, returning wistfully to that point. "She was very lovely—
though you—I suppose I need not tell you what you are. My dear"—
and suddenly the elder woman stooped to kiss the younger—"I am
sorry for you."
"I am sorry for you!" The words lingered on Marion's ear after her
aunt's kindly presence had left the room and she stood alone, asking
herself why she was so often met in this manner. Why was it that,
even with her royal beauty, she had thus far encountered more of
pity than of admiration? Why did all eyes that had looked on the sin
and sorrow of earth regard her with compassion, and why had she
heard so often in her old life that which was her first greeting in the
new—"I am sorry for you"?
"Sorry!—for what?" The girl asked herself this with fiery and
impatient disdain. What did they all mean? Why did this keynote of
unknown misfortune or suffering meet her at every turn, like a
shadow flung forward by the unborn future? Why did this refrain
always ring in her ears? She was tired of it—so she said to herself
with sudden passion,—and she would let the future prove whether
or not their pity was misplaced.
She let down her magnificent hair as she thought this, and looked at
herself in the mirror out of a burnished cloud. Not, however, as most
beautiful women look at the fair image that smiles from those
shadowy depths—not with the gratified gaze of self-admiration or
the glance of conscious power, but with a criticism severe and stern
enough to have banished all loveliness from a less perfect face; with
a cool reckoning and appreciation, in which the innocent vanity of
girlhood bore no part. And when this scrutiny was ended, the smile
that came over her face spoke more of resolution than of pleasure.
She took up a comb then, and began arranging her hair. The task
did not occupy her many minutes; for her deft fingers were very
quick, and no one had ever accused her of caring for the arts of the
toilet. On the contrary, she had always manifested a careless
disregard of them, which puzzled her associates, and was by not a
few set down to affectation. Now, when she had piled her hair on
top of her head like a coronal of red gold, she proceeded to make
her simple toilet, with scarcely another glance toward the mirror. It
was soon completed, and she had been ready some time when a
knock at the door was followed by the appearance of Helen's
beaming face.
"So you are dressed?" she said. "I came to show you the way down.
I would have come sooner, but, you know, there was so much to
say."
"And to hear," added Marion. "I can imagine, though I do not know,
what such a home-coming is. And what a lovely home you have,
Helen!"
"You have hardly seen it yet," answered Helen. "Come and let me
show you all over it."
It was certainly a spacious and pleasant house, built with the stately,
honest solidity of the work of former generations, but with many
modern additions which served to enhance its picturesqueness and
comfort. Marion praised it with a sincerity that delighted Helen; and,
having made a thorough exploration, they passed out of the wide
lower hall into a veranda, which, as in most Southern houses, was at
this hour the place of general rendezvous. Here a pretty dark-eyed
girl came forward to meet them.
"I was introduced to you when you arrived, Miss Lynde," she said,
"but there was such a hubbub I fancy you did not notice me, and I
am glad to welcome you again. I feel as if Helen's cousin must be
my cousin too."
"Helen's cousin is much obliged," said Marion. "You are Miss Morley,
then?"
"I am the Netta of whom you have doubtless heard. But pray sit
down. Are you not tired from your journey?"
"A little. It was so warm and dusty!" answered Marion. "But this
seems a perfect place of rest," she added, as she sank on a lounge
that had been placed just under the odorous shade of the vines
which overran the front of the veranda. "I mean to indulge freely in
the luxury of idleness here."