Project Management for Researchers:
A Practical, Stress-Free Guide to Getting Organized
out November 25, 2024!
use code UMF24 for 30% off on the University of Michigan Press website!
Project Management for Researchers tackles the how, what, and why of project management. It offers step-by-step guidance on choosing tools and developing a personalized system that will help the reader manage and organize their research so that steps and decisions are documented for accountability and reproducibility. Readers will find worksheets they can adapt to their own needs, priorities, and research as well as practical tips on issues ranging from emails to scheduling. Suitable for work across methods, experience levels, and disciplines and adaptable for those working alone, with others, or as team managers, this book will guide readers between various research stages–from planning, to execution, to adjustment of research projects big and small.
You can visit the book's companion website, where you can download all of the worksheets from the book in pdf and word format in blank format so you can fill them out. They are also available for download below (clicking will begin the download):
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worksheets - Google docs (click "USE TEMPLATE" on the top right to create your own editable copy)
Some things I've written about the book and research project management:
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an author Q&A about my experiences and advice about research project management the University of Michigan Press blog
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my short piece on the importance of research project management for book writers for Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer's newsletter
If you are using the book in a course, I would love to know about it, and I would be happy to Zoom in to discuss and answer any questions! Please contact me via e-mail.
I also offer workshops on several topics related to research project management, more information can be found here.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Who this Book is For and How to Use It
PART I. PLANNING
Chapter 1: Research Scope and Design
Chapter 2: Taking Stock
Chapter 3: Systems and Tools
PART II. EXECUTION
Chapter 4: Workflow
Chapter 5: Bookkeeping
Chapter 6: Collaboration and People Management
PART III. ADJUSTMENT
Chapter 7: Communication and Diagnosis
Chapter 8: Troubleshooting When Things Get Off Track
Chapter 9: Project Completion, Dissemination, Reproducibility, Replication, and New Offshoots
PART IV. FINAL NOTES
Chapter 10: Finding your Style
Chapter 11: Managing the Day-to-Day and Making things Fun(ner)
Conclusion: Getting to It