List of figures, tables and boxes About the author Acknowledgements Foreword by Patrick Sturgis One Introduction Introduction Being a researcher or evaluator Why do practitioners do research? Insider and outsider research Doing research or evaluation Managing and commissioning research or evaluation Terminology Structure of this book Exercise Note Further reading Two Overview of research Introduction Quantitative or qualitative? Solo or collaborative? Involving service users in research and evaluation Highly time-consuming methods Research and evaluation ethics Looking after yourself Exercises Note Further reading Three Methodologies, approaches, and theories Introduction Methodologies, methods, and approaches Positivist methodology Realist methodologies Constructionist methodologies Interpretivist methodologies Transformative methodologies Ontology and epistemology Action research Evaluation research Mixed methods research Arts-based research Digitally mediated research The role of theory in research and evaluation Theory, research, practice Exercise Further reading Four Topics and proposals Introduction Choosing a research or evaluation topic Refining your topic From Question to data How much data? Qualitative or quantitative methods? Sampling techniques Probability samples Non-probability sampling What is evidence? Bidding and tendering for research for evaluation Research funders Exercises Notes Further reading Five Managing your research or evaluation project Introduction Planning Organisation Time management Support from employers Creative time management Reward yourself Look after yourself What works, and what doesn''t work Exercises Notes Further reading Six Background research Introduction Document review or literature review? Record-keeping Critical and strategic reading Finding academic journal articles How to conduct a document review How to conduct a literature review Using libraries Making notes Knowing when to stop Exercises Notes Further Reading Seven Secondary data Introduction Online secondary data sources Secondary qualitative data Archival data Open data Application programming interfaces Large-scale surveys International surveys Working with secondary data Exercises Notes Further reading Eight Primary data Introduction Collecting quantitative data Questionnaire tips Colelcting qualitative data Interview tips Focus groups: pros and cons Focus group tips Documents as data Observation Visual data Case studies Creative methods Collecting data online Exercise Note Further reading Nine Data analysis Introduction Data preparation Quantitative data coding Qualitative data coding Quantitative data analysis Qualitative data analysis A real-life example of qualitative data analysis Geographic informations ystems Data synthesis Exercises Notes Further reading Ten Writing for research and evaluation Introduction Myths about writing The writing process Structure Plagiarism Citation Findings versus recommendations Editing Polishing your writing Exercises Note Further reading Eleven Disseminating research and evaluation Introduction Summarising research or evaluation Barriers to disseminating research and evaluation Presenting findings in person Data visualization Dissemination methods Disseminating workplace research Disseminating academic research Dissemination ethics Closing the dissemination loop Research and evaluation into practice Exercise Further reading Twelve Conclusion Appendix One: Job titles of interviewees Appendix Two: Sample record-keeping grid Appendix Three: Exchanging information electronically Appendix Four: Ethical codes from different disciplines nad countries Glossary Bibliography Index.