1. IntroductionChapter summaryIntroductionBeing a researcherWhy do practitioners do research?Insider and outsider researchTable 1.1 - Comparing insider and outsider researchDoing research or evaluationManaging and commissioning research or evaluationTerminologyStructure of this bookCase studiesExerciseDiscussion questionsDebate2. Overview of research and evaluationChapter summaryIntroductionQuantitative or qualitative?Solo or collaborative?Involving participants or service users in research and evaluationHighly time-consuming methodsRandomised controlled trialsSystematic reviews and meta-analysesEthnography and participant observationSocial return on investmentConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate3. Research and evaluation ethicsIntroductionResearch ethics managementEthics through the research processResearcher wellbeingConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate4. Methodologies, Approaches, and TheoriesChapter summaryIntroductionMethodologies, Methods, and ApproachesPositivist methodologyRealist methodologiesConstructionist methodologiesInterpretivist methodologiesTransformative methodologiesOntology and epistemologyTable 4.1: methodologies, ontologies, epistemologies and methodsAction researchFigure 4.1: the action research cycleEvaluation researchFigure 4.
2: the evaluation cycleMixed methods researchArts-based researchDigitally mediated researchThe role of theory in research and evaluationTheory, research, practiceFigure 4.3: research, theory, and practice: a cyclical relationshipConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic5. Topics and ProposalsChapter summaryIntroductionChoosing a research or evaluation topicRefining your topicFrom question to dataHow much data?Qualitative or quantitative methods?Sampling techniquesProbability samplesNon-probability samplingWhat is evidence?Writing a proposalResearch fundersConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic6. Managing Your Research or Evaluation ProjectChapter summaryIntroductionPlanningFigure 6.1 - Gantt chart for a research projectOrganisationTime managementFigure 5.2: time audit exampleSupport from employersCreative time managementReward yourselfLook after yourselfConclusionTable 6.1: What works, and what doesn''t workCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic7. Background ResearchChapter summaryIntroductionDocument review or literature review?Record-keepingFigure 7.
1: example of a literature gridCritical and strategic readingBox 7.1: process of written communicationFinding academic journal articlesHow to conduct a document reviewHow to conduct a literature reviewUsing librariesMaking notesKnowing when to stopConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic8. Secondary DataChapter summaryIntroductionTable 8.1 - Pros and cons of using secondary dataOnline secondary data sourcesSecondary qualitative dataArchival dataOpen dataApplication programming interfacesLarge-scale surveysInternational surveysWorking with secondary dataConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic9. Primary Data Collection - Conventional MethodsIntroductionCollecting quantitative dataCountingMeasuringQuestionnairesTable 9.1 - Pros and cons of questionnairesQuestionnaire tipsCollecting qualitative dataInterviewsTable 9.2 - Pros and cons of interviewsInterview tipsFocus groupsTable 9.3 - Pros and cons of focus groupsFocus group tipsDocuments as dataTable 9.
4 - Pros and cons of using documents as dataDocuments as Data Tips ObservationTable 9.5 - Pros and cons of observational dataObservation tipsConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic10. Primary Data Collection - Creative MethodsChapter summaryIntroductionCollecting data onlineTable 10.1 - Pros and cons of online data collectionSmartphonesTable 10.2: Pros and cons of smartphonesEnhanced interviews and focus groupsTable 10.3: Pros and cons of enhanced interviews and focus groupsDiaries, field notes, journals and logsTable 10.4: Pros and cons of diaries, field notes, journals and logsVisual dataTable 10.5 - Pros and cons of visual dataMappingTable 10.
6: Pros and cons of maps and mappingMobile methodsTable 10.7: Pros and cons of mobile methodsCase studiesTable 10.8: Pros and cons of case studiesCollaborative methodsTable 10.9 - Ranking matrixTable 10.10: Pros and cons of collaborative methodsConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic11. Quantitative Data AnalysisChapter summaryIntroductionPreparing quantitative dataCoding quantitative dataQuantitative data analysisDescriptive statisticsFigure 11.1: frequency distribution tableFigure 11.2: bar graphFigure 11.
3: pie chartFigure 11.4: scattergraph showing strong positive relationshipFigure 11.5: Bivariate frequency tableInferential statisticsTable 11.1 - Parametric tests and non-parametric equivalentsConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic12. Qualitative Data AnalysisChapter summaryIntroductionPreparing qualitative dataFigure 12.1: metadata record for photographic dataCoding qualitative dataFigure 12.2: data coded using a coding frameFigure 12.3: data coded using emergent codingTable 12.
1 - Pros and cons of two kinds of codingBox 12.1: managing outlying codes in practiceQualitative data analysisContent analysisThematic analysisDiscourse analysisNarrative analysisA real-life example of qualitative data analysisData synthesisConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic13. Writing for Research and EvaluationChapter summaryIntroductionMyths about writingTable 13.1 - Regularly expressed myths about writing, with my responsesThe writing processTable 13.2 - Structures for research reports, dissertations and thesesStructurePlagiarismCitation Findings versus recommendationsEditingPolishing your writingConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic14. Disseminating Research and EvaluationChapter summaryIntroductionSummarising research or evaluationBarriers to disseminating research and evaluationPresenting findings in personSharing findings onlineTable 14.1 - Pros and cons of different presentation methodsData visualizationDissemination methodsTable 14.2 - Pros and cons of different dissemination methodsDisseminating workplace researchDisseminating academic researchDissemination ethicsConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic15.
How can research create positive change?Chapter summaryIntroductionResearch impactResearch into policyImplementationKnowledge exchangeA holistic approachConclusionCase studiesExercisesDiscussion questionsDebate topic16. ConclusionBibliographyFurther ReadingGlossary.