Chapter 2: Designing Development Research

Designing Development Research

Good research requires good design, yet the process of research design can be fraught with difficulties and frustration. Fortunately, there is a wide literature on the principles of research design in social and economic studies that offers both theoretical and practical guidance (Blaxter et al., 2006; Denscombe, 2010; Kitchin and Tate, 2000; O'Leary, 2010; Robinson, 1998). For research design advice specific to development research, see Desai and Potter (2006) or Sumner and Tribe (2008a). Research design is an enormous theme. It covers three broad overlapping areas that are crucial to the genesis and initiation of a viable and relevant research topic. First, research philosophy covers issues of ontology (theories of what the world is) and epistemology ...