ABSTRACT
The provision of practical advice is one major objective of this book but not the only one. Being a good researcher also requires understanding of the process of science. In this chapter and the two that follow, I focus on both philosophical and psychological issues that bear on this process. These three chapters are more intellectually demanding than those which precede and follow them and will take more time to read and assimilate. Think of them as an interlude prior to a return to a principal focus on practical advice in Chapters 7 and 8. They are important, though, because part of what is required in 'how to do research' well is the ability to understand and reflect upon the process in which you are involved.
