Research for Development
A Practical Guide
- Sophie Laws - Coram
- Caroline Harper - Overseas Development Institute, UK
- Nicola Jones - Overseas Development Institute, UK
- Rachel Marcus - Independent Researcher
Perfect for practitioners, teachers and students, this book 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 entire research process spanning:
- The uses, planning and management of research
- How to review existing evidence
- Learning development research skills
- Choosing research methods and data collection
- Undertaking ethical research
- Research analysis and writing an effective research report
- Promoting research uptake and assessing research
- Monitoring and evaluation
This fully revised and updated Second Edition includes new sections on how to use the internet for research, promoting research uptake, assessing research work and on monitoring and evaluation. The highly accessible content is supported by a wide variety of international case studies, checklists of key points, learning exercises, helpful references to further reading, engaging illustrations and 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.
In the decade since it was first published, Research for Development has become the 'go to' text for development practitioners, students and researchers alike. This substantially revised second edition is even better: brought fully up to date with many new topics and chapters, this book is comprehensive, authoritative and highly informative. Whether one is seeking a quick definition or brief explanation of a subject, or needing a more detailed guide to how to go about doing research for development, this book is quite simply indispensible.
David Lewis
Professor of Social Policy and Development, London School of Economics & Political Science
Research for Development is undoubtedly the best guide to its subject that we have. The first edition has become an indispensable work of reference for development researchers and practitioners engaged in commissioning and managing research. Oxfam staff around the world have benefitted from its use, and all of us are looking forward to the publication of the new edition. Sophie Laws, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones and Rachel Marcus are to be congratulated for the work they have put into updating the text and keeping it relevant to the ever-changing demands of development research, and for their contribution to our common goal of making the world a better place..
Duncan Green
Senior Strategic Adviser, Oxfam
Drawing from their wide experience, the authors showcase examples from various fields including poverty studies, child trafficking, environmental issues, health and sanitation, and gender studies. This ensures that the book appeals to a wide range of development researchers and practitioners.[...] The clear, engaging written style is suited both to readers looking for an overview of certain research approaches, as well as those with more time who can engage with the exercises in each chapter. The chapters are punctuated with real-life examples and case studies that will help a novice development researcher envision what their own research may look like in the field.
A good general text on key elements of development research.
I think this is a super book - the ideas are not only relevant to research in international development, but also for social research in any context that wishes to engage 'respondents' as research participants.
The book covers, among the usual topics, other issues relating to planning and managing research, participation, and uses of research findings to influence policy, programming and practice. A key theme running through the book are the social and political elements of research.
Perhaps more could have been made of the emancipatory intentions of (some) research by addressing critical perspectives in addition to positivist and social constructionist approaches. A critical realist take on research may also be a useful addition here (usefully brought to life in Alderson P (2013) Childhoods, Real and Imagined)
That said, the book goes into enough depth for most small-scale studies - and shows readers how, for example, to carry out simple qualitative and quantitative analysis; a useful outline for studies in resource poor contexts/settings.
This is a book I'll recommend to postgrad students (as well as other tutors) on our education-related programmes.
The MA course policy research and evaluation attracts more and more foreign students who want to conduct their dissertation project in their own country. This book is really helpful because it outlines the essential steps in a research project in an accessible manner (making it relevant for all students) whilst at the same time highlighting specific issues in developing countries. I particular like the summaries at the end of Chapters (key points, further reading, web sites, etc.).
A substantive and highly useful reference text. Well-written and relevant both in terms of range of topics and approach.
A really valuable book concerning the methods of research for the students of international development. Thanks for the great service!
- A new section on how to use the internet for research
- New international case studies, checklists of key points, learning exercises, helpful references to further reading and engaging illustrations
- A detailed glossary of terms.
Sage College Publishing
