Research for Development: A Practical Guide

✍ Scribed by Sophie Laws, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones, Rachel Marcus

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 493
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Research for Development offers a comprehensive guide to commissioning, managing and undertaking research in development work. It serves both as a practical reference manual and an indispensable learning tool.

Divided into three parts, the book provides a complete overview of the research process spanning:

- the uses, planning and management of research

- reviewing existing evidence

- learning development research skills

- choosing research methods

- undertaking ethical research

- writing an effective research report

- promoting research uptake and assessing research

- monitoring and evaluation

This fully revised second edition also includes a new section on how to use the internet for research. Its 16 chapters are enriched by a variety of international case studies, checklists of key points, learning exercises, helpful references to further reading and engaging illustrations. The book also includes a detailed glossary of terms.

Drawing on considerable hands-on experience, Research for Development is an ideal practical companion for students of development studies and public policy, as well as practitioners in the field.

Cover image © Jenny Matthews / World Vision/ PhotoVoice

From PhotoVoice′s See it Our Way project, Pakistan

For more information visit www.photovoice.org

✦ Table of Contents

Cover Page
RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT
SAGE has been part of
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
About the authors
Acknowledgements
How to use this book
PART 1 INTRODUCTION AND PLANNING YOUR RESEARCH
Chapter 1 Introduction: why development research matters
1.1 So what is research?
1.2 But‘But I’m not a researcher’: the contribution of the development worker
1.3 Who should do research for development work? The broader issues
1.4 Research and social change
1.5 How to tell when research is the best approach to a problem
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 2 Using research in development work
2.1 So what is the right approach to research for development work?
2.2 Two major research approaches
2.3 Types of research in development work
2.4 Programme-focused and issue-focused research
2.5 Using research for programme development
2.6 Using research to influence policy
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 3 Planning for effective research
3.1 Quality in research
3.2 Choosing a research focus
3.3 Defining the research questions
3.4 Writing a research brief
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 4 Managing research
4.1 Attracting and engaging with funders
4.2 Deciding who should do the research
4.3 Selecting and appointing external researchers
4.4 Managing costs and time
4.5 Supervising researchers
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 5 Reviewing existing evidence
5.1 How to look
5.2 Where to look
5.3 How to use the internet for research
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 6 Learning development research skills
6.1 Where to start?
6.2 Some ways of learning research skills
6.3 Supporting Southern researchers
Further reading
Notes
PART 2 COLLECTING DATA
Chapter 7 Choosing methods
7.1 Choosing a research approach
7.2 Choosing research techniques
7.3 Triangulation: using more than one technique
Further reading
Chapter 8 Collecting and managing quality data
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Three characteristics of good-quality data
8.3 Ways to improve quality in data collection
8.4 Improving communication with respondents
8.5 Collecting, recording and managing data
8.6 Ensuring ‘trustworthiness’
Further reading
Note
Chapter 9 Thinking about ethics in research
9.1 Codes of ethics
9.2 Responsibilities towards respondents: some ethical issues to consider
9.3 Wider accountability
9.4 Responsibilities to colleagues
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 10 Choosing a sample
10.1 What does sampling mean?
10.2 Quantitative or qualitative sampling?
10.3 Probability or random sampling
10.4 Purposive or non-random sampling
10.5 How to sample for cases, location, time and events
10.6 Including ‘hard-to-reach’ people
10.7 Incentives: what are the issues?
Further reading
Chapter 11 Collecting data
11.1 How to ask questions
11.2 Interviews
11.3 Focus groups
11.4 Questionnaires
11.5 Use of documentary sources and secondary data analysis
11.6 Observation
Further reading
Chapter 12 Participatory research
12.1 Participation for ... ?
12.2 Participation by ... ?
12.3 Participation in ... ?
12.4 Some participatory research methods
12.5 Practical challenges in participatory research
12.6 Critical perspectives on participatory research
Further reading
PART 3 ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH COMMUNICATION
Chapter 13 Undertaking research analysis
13.1 Getting organized
13.2 What is analysis?
13.3 Interpretation
13.4 The process of data analysis
13.5 Participation in the analysis process
13.6 Methods of analysis
13.7 Qualitative analysis
13.8 Quantitative analysis
13.9 So what does it all mean?
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 14 Writing effectively
14.1 What to write
14.2 What not to write
14.3 What must be included
14.4 How to write: the process
14.5 Writing press releases, policy briefs or journal articles
Further reading
Chapter 15 Promoting research uptake
15.1 Building a successful communications strategy
15.2 Promotion for implementation: influencing programmes
15.3 Promotion for policy influence
15.4 Some tools for communication
15.5 Dealing with the media
15.6 Capacity building
Further reading
Notes
Chapter 16 Assessing research for development work
16.1 What, who and when?
16.2 Assessing research output
16.3 Assessing research uptake
16.4 Assessing research impact
Further reading
Notes
Appendix 1: Monitoring and evaluation
Appendix 2: Useful websites
Glossary
Bibliography
Index