Languages: 
It is a climatic start to the year for WSU Lecturers and researchers, Dr Anthony Kambi Masha and Professor Jogymol Alex, following the publication of their acclaimed Research Guide titled ‘Fundamentals of Research in Humanities, Social Sciences and Education.’
The book comprises 27 chapters, two of which were written by Masha, and provides invaluable and current information aimed at helping students and researchers in navigating their research journey.
Alex said, “This book is certainly going to be a valuable resource and reference text for students who struggle to understand the processes involved in a research study. It can be used as a reference guide or even as a textbook for teaching research methodology to undergraduate and post graduate students in Education and will make the complex and demanding task of the research journey easier for novice researchers.”
Just over a year ago, the editors of the book, Professor Emamanuel Adu and Professor Chinedu Okeke, put out a call for writers to submit abstracts for the book. The two researchers responded with their submissions, which were subsequently accepted, and now make up chapters 9, 10, 15 and 24 of the book.
“I have contributed mainly to assist researchers with information on research instruments such as questionnaires, observations and interviews. I have also given tips to researchers on key steps in presenting the summary of a study,” said Masha.
The book acts as an easy-to-read guide to research that is informed purely by practical experiences, providing content that is simplistic in language, highly interactive, context based for both, lectures and students.
Alex said, “My own experience of supervising students from undergraduate research paper to PhD thesis made me to join the team to contribute to this book. The book is a contribution to fellow academics and researchers to guide the students to a successful research journey. South Africa needs to develop its research capacity, more especially in the field of education.”
In its entirety, the book covers apt information on research, and is in four parts which cover the context of educational research, Structure of the literature review and theoretical framework, as well as Methodological issues and Reporting the research product.
“Novice and seasoned researchers need to have a copy of not only this book, but of other research books. This will give them insights into different aspects of research and they will begin to love research, as I do,” said Masha.
Masha described the book as a fresh contribution in the field of academics and research, noting, “The currency of research related matters is guaranteed. It means that they have every type of research matters in one book, written predominantly by African writers who understand the African lands covers.”
Masha said, “I developed a keen interest in research back in the days when I was a student at Stellenbosch University. I went through research classes and workshops and, from then onwards, I decided to follow this route. I have also been doing a lot of reading. I become like a child set loose in a sweets shop whenever I come across anything that has to do with research – books, theses, journals, conference papers.”
In addition to his current success, Masha contributed a chapter in two separate books – one on micro-teaching and the other on higher education, and has said to be writing his own book.
Meanwhile, Alex co-authored two chapters in the book, “The essence of the literature review” (Chapter 9) and “The link between theory, empirical studies and research” (Chapter 10).
“The whole book is a great source of information on research processes and Chapter 9 will help the novice researchers to ground the study on a strong body of relevant knowledge and assisting in firmly linking different sections of the literature within the chapter and also to other parts of the dissertation/thesis,” she said.
The book is available in all Van Schaik bookstores nation-wide. Or through request from the authors –
By Yanga Ziwele & Ongezwa Sigodi
