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Research Skills for Policy and Development
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Research Skills for Policy and Development
How to Find Out Fast

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June 2007 | 376 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
This book is a critical guide to conducting investigations under time- and resource-pressured conditions, equipping readers with the key skills and approaches for research designed to influence or inform development policies. Unlike a simple 'how to' guide, Research Skills for Policy and Development also provides a critique of various methods and situates these approaches within 'real life' organisational settings, enabling those working in or studying development to locate, evaluate and use relevant information quickly but rigorously.

The successor to Finding Out Fast (SAGE, 1998) it reflects the changes in development management theories and practice over the last seven years, and includes new material and advice on critical use of the web as a resource and research tool. It is essential reading for development managers in NGOs and public sector agencies as well as students of development management and development studies more generally.


 
PART ONE: CONCEPTUALIZING POLICY-RELATED INVESTIGATION
Stephen Potter and Ramaya Subrahmanian
Information Needs and Policy Change
Chris Blackmore and Ray Ison
Boundaries for Thinking in Action
Joseph Hanlon
Grabbing Attention
Joanna Chataway, Avril Joffe and Jill Mordaunt
Communicating Results
 
PART TWO: THINKING WITH DOCUMENTS
Stephanie Barrientos
Interrogating Information Through a Literature Study
Bridget O'Laughlin
Interpreting Institutional Discourses
 
PART THREE: THINKING WITH PEOPLE
Philip Woodhouse
People as Informants
Hazel Johnson and Linda Mayoux
Investigation as Empowerment
Using Participatory Methods

 
Dina Abbott
Doing Incorrect Research
The Importance of the Subjective and the Personal in Researching Poverty

 
 
PART FOUR: BRINGING IN DATA
Chandan Mukherjee and Marc Wuyts
Thinking with Quantitative Data
Sue Mayer
Using Evidence in Advocacy
Alan Thomas
Organizational Assessments and Institutional Footprints
Alan Thomas
Challenging cases
Alan Thomas and Joanna Chataway
Conclusion

As a guide, Research Skills for Policy Development offers a breadth of knowledge and depth which is essential for students to develop a greater understanding of the key themes and issues associated with research outside of academia for practitioners and students of management and the public sector.

Mrs Lynne Bedson
Institure of Health and Wellbeing, Coleg Llandrillo Cymru
August 27, 2013

An interesting and engaging book that I think will help students undertaking development research in short timescales

Dr Tomas Frederiksen
Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester
June 27, 2013

Not used on program evaluation may use in applied research course in fall

Professor Bruce Perlman
Sch Of Public Administration, University of New Mexico
March 12, 2013

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