The Practical Guide To Social Welfare Research

Star rating: 4/5 stars.

By Douglas Robertson and Alan Dearling.
Russell House Publishing
ISBN 18988924937, £19.95

The authors avoid many of the pitfalls of “how to” books which
often skim the surface of subjects, leaving the reader with
disconnected threads that cannot be woven together, writes Mary
Baginsky.

It is a guide that will be of equal assistance to the novice
researcher, the commissioner and the practitioner. The authors deal
with issues in a comprehensive and intelligent way, from the idea
through to analysis and final report.

They provide insights into technical areas which sometimes
remain obscure in research proposals, creating an unnecessary
divide between a researcher and audience. In turn the style is
clear and jargon free.

Many years ago I came to quantitative research with some
trepidation, having bowed to the obvious superiority of people who
could use such terms as “bimodal analysis”.

This book will not make you an expert in these techniques but it
will give you an understanding of what they are for and save you
years learning that much is common sense, even if you will need
another book to teach you how to apply this understanding.

Mary Baginsky is a senior research officer.