Click on the title to find out more about this book. At the end of the twentieth century, it's easy to forget that not everyone is a computer whizz. If technology scares you rigid, or you're an unashamed Luddite who will stick to pen and ink through thick and thin, you might find some ways to get round the technology problem here. Before you read this section, answer the questions in Exercise 34. There are a wide range of responses to the idea of using wordprocessors or computers in research.
Some people are already very aware and competent in the use of information technology.
Others are scared stiff and have long devised personal strategies to avoid their usage. Most people probably lie somewhere in between these extremes, having some familiarity with wordprocessors or computers, perhaps through using them to play games, type letters or run simple programs. We would suggest that having an understanding and some facility in the use of computers and wordprocessors is a key skill for all researchers in the social sciences. You may be going to get your research report or dissertation typed out by somebody else, but you may have to type letters, notes and corrections yourself. You should know of, and be able to access and use, the various computer databases of relevance to your field of research.