Conclusion

Abstract

With the end of the book virtually in sight, it seems appropriate to revisit the place where you and I began by noticing a parallel between the attributes of a good researcher and a good therapist. If we remind ourselves that, in Hockey’s (1985) view, the ingredients of success in research are the curiosity, competence, integrity, common sense and sense of humour of the person carrying out the investigation, then it seems reasonable to wonder whether the preceding chapters have kindled your curiosity, hopefully with the occasional appeal to your sense of humour. Some sections of the text may have aroused your common sense; others may have been too packed with information for easy digestion. With any luck, you decided to reserve these for a later date, to be used as reference sections when you need to call on details of a range of research designs, tools of measurement or statistical analysis.