Doing Development Research

Author: Vandana Desai
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1847877826
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
Doing Development Research is a comprehensive introduction to research in development studies, that provides thorough training for anyone carrying out research in developing countries. It brings together experts with extensive experience of overseas research, presenting an interdisciplinary guide to the core methodologies. Informed by years of research experience, Doing Development Research draws together many strands of action research and participatory methods, demonstrating their diverse applications and showing how they interrelate. The text provides: · an account of the theoretical approaches that underlie development work · an explanation of the practical issues involved in planning development research · a systematic overview of information and data collecting methods in three sub-sections: · methods of social research and associated forms of analysis · using existing knowledge and records · disseminating findings/research Using clear and uncomplicated language – illustrated with appropriate learning features throughout - the text guides the researcher through the choice of appropriate methods, the implementation of the research, and the communication of the findings to a range of audiences. This is the essential A-Z of development research.

Doing Developmental Research

Author: Tricia Striano
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 1462524427
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description
"Subject Areas/Keywords: child development, children, developmental psychology, developmental research methods, developmental science, early childhood, infancy research, infants, parents, preschoolers, research laboratory, research studies DESCRIPTION Addressing practical issues rarely covered in methods texts, this userfriendly, jargonfree book helps students and beginning researchers plan infant and child development studies and get them done. The author provides stepbystep guidance for getting involved in a developmental laboratory and crafting effective research questions and proposals. Tips on recruiting study participants cover access issues--such as how to overcome language and cultural barriers--and include helpful sample scripts. The book offers time management strategies, pointers for organizing and communicating data, and a roadmap of the journal publication process, complete with an annotated sample article. Numerous concrete examples, checklists, worksheets, and exercises are featured. Reproducible forms can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size"--

Knowledge to Policy

Author: Fred Carden
Publisher: IDRC
ISBN: 8178299305
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
Investigates the effects of research in the field of international development.. Examines the consequences of 23 research projects funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre in developing countries. Shows how research influence public policy and decision-making and how can contribute to better governance.

Research for Development

Author: Sophie Laws
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 9780761973270
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 500

Book Description
`[Research for Development] is well-written and, at every stage, is well-documented with practical examples. The simplicity with which it is written adds to its value in that non-professional persons get well-aquainted with the research process. Every chapter in the book ends with highlighting of the main points made in that chapter... A further strength of the book is the inclusion of an appendix with a list of websites that deal with issues in the area of development research... the simplicity of its organization and message should appeal to people/researchers across disciplines' - Pakistan Development Review `Research for Development achieves the near impossible: it provides vast quantities of useful guidance for almost anyone involved in research for development regardless of the size of your research project or your role within that project' - Arvac Bulletin `Written by professional researchers, this immensely practical book provides development workers with a more research-oriented point of view, so that they can avoid mistakes in the design of programmes. It will also help them to understand people's needs and respond accordingly' - The Asian Age `It is a beautiful and comprehensive compilation giving scores of instances that prove the essentiality if carrying out a survey of a particular locality for bringing about a change there' - Rafique Jalal, DAWN This book provides a comprehensive introduction and handbook for undertaking and managing research in development. It is designed to provide both a quick reference manual and an indispensable learning tool for all students, researchers and practitioners engaged in development work. The text is divided into two parts: Managing research for development, and Doing research for development. Together the two parts review the complete research process from outlining the essential role and purpose of research, highlighting specific issues to development research, to demonstrating how to evaluate and secure the best results from subsequent research projects. The book includes: an overview of different types of research in development work; practical steps to writing a brief and managing research; practical steps to evaluating and promoting research findings; step by step guides to getting started and choosing a research method; detailed guidelines to seven key research techniques; examples, exercises, summaries and checklists; and glossary and guides to additional resources and packages Drawing on considerable hands-on experience, Research for Development will be an essential companion and invaluable tool for anyone engaged in contemporary development research, development work and development studies.

Design and Development Research

Author: Rita C. Richey
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136791280
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 208

Book Description
AECT Design & Development Outstanding Book Award for 2008! Design and Development Research thoroughly discusses methods and strategies appropriate for conducting design and development research. Rich with examples and explanations, the book describes actual strategies that researchers have used to conduct two major types of design and development research: 1) product and tool research and 2) model research. Common challenges confronted by researchers in the field when planning and conducting a study are explored and procedural explanations are supported by a wide variety of examples taken from current literature. Samples of actual research tools are also presented. Important features in this volume include: concise checklists at the end of each chapter to give a clear summary of the steps involved in the various phases of a project; an examination of the critical types of information and data often gathered in studies, and unique procedures for collecting these data; examples of data collection instruments, as well as the use of technology in data collection; and a discussion of the process of extracting meaning from data and interpreting product and tool and model research findings. Design and Development Research is appropriate for both experienced researchers and those preparing to become researchers. It is intended for scholars interested in planning and conducting design and development research, and is intended to stimulate future thinking about methods, strategies, and issues related to the field.

Development Fieldwork

Author: Regina Scheyvens
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1412933382
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Book Description
`Every now and then one stumbles across a breath of fresh air and this practical research guide is certainly one of them!.. It will be no doubt refreshing for those of us who keep going to the field and who perhaps have forgotten the human dimension of research. For those who supervise students the book will be a useful source of inspiration.... I shall certainly recommend the book to any of my students' - Development and Change `Development Fieldwork is an excellent examination of and preparation for development research and will be an invaluable guide to all those entering or considering fieldwork, wherever that may be' - Progress in Development Studies `I would strongly recommend it as a field textbook across a range of disciplines and topics. The tone is thoughtful, engaging and pragmatic, with all of the chapters contributing equally to a very high quality publication. It is the best book I have read on fieldwork for a while. It is essential for anyone contemplating 'development' based study, but it also contains a great deal of value and interest to geographers, sociologists and other students working in and on the West' - Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 'This is an outstanding book, and one that all of us engaged in fieldwork in "developing countries" will want to read and doubtless re-read. Thoughtful, relevant and consistently well-written' - Professor Stuart Corbridge, London School of Economics and University of Miami 'An excellent overview of the pitfalls and problems of fieldwork in remote places... elegant and enjoyable, incisive and elegant... good humoured and eminently practical - the "Lonely Planet" guide to the field' - Professor John Connell, Sydney University 'A very welcome and richly inviting review of the politics, ethics and practicalities of fieldwork, Development Fieldwork deserves reading in many 'fields'. This will surely travel far' - James D Sidaway, National University of Singapore 'I warmly commend this guide to anyone planning or even thinking about fieldwork in the Third World. Postgraduates and academics will find it particularly good, as it not only raises an abundance of practical and logistical points but explores fundamental ethical and epistemological concerns to an unusual degree, including issues not addressed elsewhere. The clarity and attention to detail are also very welcome, as is the ease with which the book can be navigated' - Janet Townsend, University of Durham `Developmental Fieldwork provides a useful guide packed with information on practical and personal (and sometimes political) matters. As with all good `rough' guides, rather than fixing options and closing issues, the authors make it a point to suggest flexible itineraries across the terrain of the `field'. The book should in time become a well-thumbed, dog-eared volume, thrown into the haversack along with the notebook (both sorts), tape recorder, mosquito repellent, sunglasses and sturdy shoes' - Brenda S A Yeoh, National University of Singapore 'A good introductory text that will assist the novice development researcher to prepare for a new experience and will also provide a timely reminder for more experienced researchers' - Evaluation Journal of Australasia Development Fieldwork provides an indispensable new resource and guide for all students undertaking development fieldwork in the Third World. Accessible and lively, the text: - introduces the basics of research design and methodology together with guidance on choosing the best research methods; - provides `hands on' advice (practical, personal and ethical) to those preparing to enter `the field'; - covers the initial planning and preparation stages to end writing up and tips for the successful resumption of life back home. The authors draw upon a rich and diverse set of fieldwork experiences across the developing world (rural and urban) and utilize case studies to illustrate the many common issues and challenges that will face both new and experienced fieldwork researchers. It will be an essential text and companion to all postgraduate and research students across the social sciences.

International Development Studies

Author: Andrew Sumner
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1849206392
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description
′A sure-footed and self-confident book, ambitious in scope, authoritative in execution and practical in its implications′ - Simon Maxwell, Director, Overseas Development Institute, London ′At last, a development studies text that encourages self-reflection from within the discipline. Highly recommended′ - Professor Ray Kiely, Chair in International Politics, Queen Mary University of London ′This is the book that academics, development researchers and practitioners have been seeking for a long time. [It] addresses the most important issues which development researchers and practitioners cope with each and every day′ - Dr Tran Tuan, Director, Research and Training Centre for Community Development, Hanoi, Vietnam. ′An insightful book for both development practitioners and researchers alike′ - Professor K.N. Nair, Director Centre for Development Studies, Kerala, India This book is about working professionally in Development Studies as a student, researcher or practitioner. It introduces and addresses the fundamental questions that everyone engaged with development must ask: " What is ′development′ and why do we wish to study it? " How do the many theoretical, methodological and espistemological approaches relate to research and practical studies in development? " How are development research and practice linked? Accessibly written, with extensive use of case study material, this book is an essential primer for students of development studies who require a concise, penetrating overview of its foundations. It is also core reading for students and practitioners concerned with the design of studies in the course of policy analysis, sector reviews, or project formulation, management and evaluation.

Participatory Research and Development for Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management

Author: Julian F. Gonsalves
Publisher: IDRC
ISBN: 1552501817
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Book Description
Intended for aspiring and new practitioners of Participatory Research and Development (PR&D) as well as field-based researchers in developing countries. Highlights that agricultural research and development has become a joint approach to deal with diverse biophysical environments, multiple livelihood goals, rapid changes in local and global economies, and an expanded range for stakeholders over agriculture and natural resources.

Action Research: A Methodology For Change And Development

Author: Somekh, Bridget
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN: 0335216587
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
This book presents a fresh view of action research as a methodology uniquely suited to researching the processes of innovation and change. Drawing on twenty-five yearsâ€™ experience of leading or facilitating action research projects, Bridget Somekh argues that action research can be a powerful systematic intervention, which goes beyond describing, analyzing and theorizing practices to reconstruct and transform those practices. The book examines action research into change in a range of educational settings, such as schools and classrooms, university departments, and a national evaluation of technology in schools. The opening chapter presents eight methodological principles and discusses key methodological issues. The focus then turns to action research in broader contexts such as â€˜southernâ€™ countries, health, business and management, and community development. Each chapter thereafter takes a specific research project as its starting point and critically reviews its design, relationships, knowledge outcomes, political engagement and impact. Action Researchis important reading for postgraduate students and practitioner researchers in education, health and management, as well as those in government agencies and charities who wish to research and evaluate change and development initiatives. It is also valuable for pre-service and in-service training of professionals such as teachers, nurses and managers.

Development Research in Practice

Author: Kristoffer Bjärkefur
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464816956
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 388

Book Description
Development Research in Practice leads the reader through a complete empirical research project, providing links to continuously updated resources on the DIME Wiki as well as illustrative examples from the Demand for Safe Spaces study. The handbook is intended to train users of development data how to handle data effectively, efficiently, and ethically. “In the DIME Analytics Data Handbook, the DIME team has produced an extraordinary public good: a detailed, comprehensive, yet easy-to-read manual for how to manage a data-oriented research project from beginning to end. It offers everything from big-picture guidance on the determinants of high-quality empirical research, to specific practical guidance on how to implement specific workflows—and includes computer code! I think it will prove durably useful to a broad range of researchers in international development and beyond, and I learned new practices that I plan on adopting in my own research group.†? —Marshall Burke, Associate Professor, Department of Earth System Science, and Deputy Director, Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University “Data are the essential ingredient in any research or evaluation project, yet there has been too little attention to standardized practices to ensure high-quality data collection, handling, documentation, and exchange. Development Research in Practice: The DIME Analytics Data Handbook seeks to fill that gap with practical guidance and tools, grounded in ethics and efficiency, for data management at every stage in a research project. This excellent resource sets a new standard for the field and is an essential reference for all empirical researchers.†? —Ruth E. Levine, PhD, CEO, IDinsight “Development Research in Practice: The DIME Analytics Data Handbook is an important resource and a must-read for all development economists, empirical social scientists, and public policy analysts. Based on decades of pioneering work at the World Bank on data collection, measurement, and analysis, the handbook provides valuable tools to allow research teams to more efficiently and transparently manage their work flows—yielding more credible analytical conclusions as a result.†? —Edward Miguel, Oxfam Professor in Environmental and Resource Economics and Faculty Director of the Center for Effective Global Action, University of California, Berkeley “The DIME Analytics Data Handbook is a must-read for any data-driven researcher looking to create credible research outcomes and policy advice. By meticulously describing detailed steps, from project planning via ethical and responsible code and data practices to the publication of research papers and associated replication packages, the DIME handbook makes the complexities of transparent and credible research easier.†? —Lars Vilhuber, Data Editor, American Economic Association, and Executive Director, Labor Dynamics Institute, Cornell University