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Practical Research and Evaluation
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Practical Research and Evaluation
A Start-to-Finish Guide for Practitioners

Edited by:
  • Lena Dahlberg - Dalarna University and Dalarna Research Institute
  • Colin McCaig - Centre for Education and Inclusion Research (CEIR), Sheffield Hallam University


May 2010 | 272 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
Practical Research and Evaluation is a starter 'DIY' text for practitioners who are looking to conduct evaluation studies and research as part of their own professional practice.

The growing emphasis on evidence-based practice means that there is an increasing need for practitioners to have at least a basic understanding of research, be aware of methodological pitfalls and to be updated on new methods. This book provides a practical, user-friendly guide to social science research methods for professionals who have benefited from little, if any, formal research methods training but find themselves in a role that requires them to read and understand complex research findings and carry out their own research as part of their professional practice.

Practical Research and Evaluation is aimed at practitioners working in education, health, social care and community work. Many in this market are non-graduates or are those whose study did not contain a research element, but are required to know how research works. This book will:

  • enable readers to carry out small-scale research projects of their own
  • provide them with the basic understanding necessary to commission research
  • enable them to better understand and evaluate critically research reports
This book is designed specifically for 'Do-it-Yourself' researchers working in the public or voluntary sectors. It is accessible and relevant to practitioners, uses non-technical language wherever possible and employs grounded examples, practical tips, checklists and reading lists throughout.


Lena Dahlberg and Colin McCaig
Practitioner Research and the Research Process
Lena Dahlberg and Colin McCaig
Introduction to Research and Evaluation Basics
Colin McCaig
Research and Evaluation Design
Maria Smith
Ethics and Research Governance
Colin McCaig and Lena Dahlberg
Writing a Research Proposal or Brief
Tamsin Bowers-Brown and Anna Stevens
Literature Reviews
Scott Fernie and Karen Smith
Action Research
Maria Smith and Tamsin Bowers-Brown
Different Kinds of Qualitative Data Collection Methods
Joanne Davies
Preparation and Process of Qualitative Interviews and Focus Groups
Karen Smith and Joanne Davies
Qualitative Data Analysis
Jason Leman
Different Kinds of Quantitative Data Collection Methods
Jason Leman
Quantitative Data Collection
Guillaumette Haughton and Anna Stevens
Quantitative Data Processing and Analysis
Colin McCaig and Lena Dahlberg
Dissemination

Some will be able to use this book - a useful resource.

Dr Camille Cronin
Health , University of Essex - Southend campus
November 5, 2013

This is a really good resource for our students, many of whom have used it in their assignment work already. We have access to it as an e-book so it is strongly recommended for students to read (we don't usually have essential reading at this level, so strongly recommended reflects the good standard of the book in content and the way it is presented.) We are keeping it in the reading list for future runs of the module (annual) and have also recommended it in other similar modules.

Mrs Linda Martindale
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Coll of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
September 19, 2013

I find the practitioners' guide approach as an effective way to communicate research methods to my students who come from government and civil society. They are usually intimidated by the usual Research Method textbooks. The language of this text is very friendly to non-academics. Hopefully, my students no longer "fear" research after reading this book.

Dr Anne Lan Candelaria
Political Science , Ateneo De Manila University
June 9, 2013

I found this a really user friendly manual suitable for all abilities and research experience.

Dr Paula Carroll
Health, Sport & Exercise Studies Dept, Waterford Institute of Technology
April 10, 2013

Clear, comprehensive & well written. I intend to recommend this text to the incoming Masters in Development Practice cohort as a valuable guide to research design and practice.

Dr Conor Galvin
College of Human Sciences, University College Dublin
January 17, 2013

Very useful text for students studying organisational evaluation as part of their MA in S0cial Work research module

Mr Bob Cecil
Social Work, Community and Mental Health, Canterbury Christ Church University
December 18, 2012

A very useful book - practical as its title suggests and more accessible than many - which I now recommend to candidates on my course at Metanoia. It is especially good to see a book that deals with both some general issues in research and develops a focus particularly on evaluation while representing both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Dr Stephen Goss
Metanoia Institute, Centre for Practice Based Research, Middlesex University
November 29, 2011

This is a good text suitable for introducing practitioners to research.

Dr Sheila Greatrex-White
Nursing , Nottingham University
October 13, 2011

An excellent guidebook- to be used as recommended /supplemental reading for our course.

Dr Alex Nowicky
School Health Sciencs and Social Care, Brunel University
July 28, 2011

Some chapters were better than others. I would use chapters of the book rather than to recommend the book itself

Dr Jill Aylott
Faculty of Health & Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University
July 25, 2011