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Research: Research Methods

A guide to the research process and search strategies

Research Methods Overview

Information on research methods, tools and guides to help you undertake research activities. These guides will be especially helpful for post graduate ākonga/students.

Refer also to the Research Skills tab which has guidance on Annotated Bibliographies, Literature Reviews and Systematic Reviews and to the Research Resources tab which has useful resources such as forms, templates and guides.

Books on Research

Research Methods

Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and analysing data. There are different types of research methods which use different tools for data collection.

  • Quantitative research - an overview of Quantitative research created by the University of Southern California.
  • Qualitative research - an overview of Qualitative research created by the Duke University Library.
  • Quantitative and qualitative methods - a short paper explaining the differences between the two methods.
  • Mixed Methods research - is a type of user research that combines quantitative and qualitative research methods into a single study. This links to a BMJ Journals article which provides an overview of this methodology.

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research

Case Studies

A case study is an in-depth, systematic investigation of a particular person, group, organisation, or unit, conducted over a period of time and typically involving multiple research methodologies. Generally, a case study is either formatted as an essay or a report. 

Have a look at the 'Writing a case study guide' from Monash University for more in-depth guidance about this topic.

Aotearoa Research Sites

Whitireia & WelTec Research

Master of Information Technology Theses Collection

Master of Management Theses Collection

Master of Professional Practice Theses and Praxis Research Projects Collection

Māori Research

Kaupapa Māori Research. A webpage describing research that is done by Māori within a Kaupapa Māori Research paradigm.

Kaupapa Māori as Transformative Indigenous Analysis. Sharing Kaupapa Māori resources and articles.

Pātaka Raraunga. Brings together data, tools, and reports on Te Āo Māori.

Rauru Whakarare Evaluation Framework. Provides a Kaupapa Māori-informed approach to evaluation.

Rainbow Research Collection

Ia ~ the Rainbow Collection. Compelling and impactful research, that relates directly to rainbow communities, conducted by AUT staff and students.

Aotearoa/New Zealand Open Access Research

Digital NZ, NZ Research. You can access a comprehensive collection of research papers from New Zealand organisations, including from universities, polytechnics, and other research sites.