Doing Development Research

"The collection is a tight volume containing the diverse insight of the many years of collective experience of a range of academics."

My research involves an integrated strategy of cross disciplinary research collaboration combining my own background in development with the work of academics from geography, sociology, social policy, gerontology and international NGOs such as Practical Action and WaterAid in seeking to influence international policy making focussing on theoretical and implementation issues in development policy, urban governance, and North-South donor relations in areas of low-income housing and infrastructural development (water and sanitation), ageing and gender issues.
My work is organised in four particular themes. First, improved infrastructure and services and the threat that it creates for security of tenure for slum dwellers in Ghana and Bangladesh with Dr. Alex Loftus (Geography, Royal Holloway), Dr. Mansoor Ali (Practical Action) and Mr. Nick Bundle (WaterAid UK). Secondly, on ageing strategies among the urban poor in Mumbai. Thirdly, on ageing strategies, transnationalism and global health care with Dr. Deborah Price (Institute of Gerontology, Kings College). Fourthly, on cultural transformation and gender issues in India and Indonesia, in collaboration with the Dr. Shruti Tambe, University of Pune (India), and Dr. Harriot Beazley in Queensland University, Australia.

Funded by DFID (UK) and a grant from the British Academy, I have carried out research on NGOs and development. The research was the first of its kind in focusing on a sample of 67 urban NGOs in one city i.e. Mumbai. This research led theoretical debates on how NGOs are increasingly called upon to fill the gap between the needs of vulnerable urban groups and the partial service delivery of the public sector.

I have been a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Progress in Development Studies for the last eleven years. I was appointed a member of the editorial board The Urban World a quarterly journal of the Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES), All India Institute of Local Self Government, Mumbai in May 2009. I also hold external positions of responsibilities such as gender adviser to the Diversity Unit of the British Council, elected member of the advisory council of Global Think (Development Education Association - DEA) and research associate with Equality Research and Consulting Ltd

I have co-edited two of the leading development text books. I teach on the undergraduate and Masters programme and supervise PhD postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers.

I did my Masters at Liverpool University and achieved a Wingate scholarship at Oxford University to do my DPhil supervised by Prof. Ceri Peach (Geography) and Prof. Marcus Banks (Social Anthropology). My thesis on Community participation and slum housing (Sage Publications, 1995) was awarded the Eileen Younghusband Memorial Award from the London School of Economics and Political Science. On completion in 1992, I was appointed as a Research Fellow for three years at the Institute ...

PART ONE: INFORMATION AND DATA COLLECTION METHODS: / Tony Binns Doing Field Work in Developing Countries: Planning and Logistical Issues / Lynn Brydon Ethical Practices in Doing Development Research / Jane Parpart Working in Different Cultures: Issues of Race, Ethnicity and Identity / Janet Momsen Women, Men and Fieldwork: Gender Relations and Power Structures / Lorraine Young Working with Children in Development / Margaret Harrison Collecting Sensitive and Contentious Information / Tim Shaw Dealing with Conflicts and Emergency Situations / Bill Gould Working with Partners: Educational Institutions / Andrew Cotton Working with Partners: Government Ministries / Claire Mercer Working with Partners: NGOs and CBOs / Tim Unwin Doing Development Studies 'at home' / PART TWO: METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH AND ASSOCIATED FORMS OF ANALYSIS / Linda Mayoux Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods / David Barker Field Surveys and Inventories / Katie Willis Interviewing / Sally Lloyd Evans Focus Groups / David Simon Conducting Questionnnaire Surveys / Janet Bujra Using Interpreters / Jan Kees van Dinge Ethnographic Research and Participant Observation / Harriot Beazley Participatory Methods and Approaches / Joanna McGregor Diaries and Case Studies / PART THREE: USING EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND RECORDS / Glyn Williams and Paula Meth Literature Reviews and Bibliographic searches / Cathy McIlwaine Using the Indigenous Literature / Cheryl McEwan Using Images, Films and Photography / Michael Jennings Using Archives / Denis Conway and Shanon Donnelly Remote Sensing, GIS and Ground Truthing / Allan Findlay Census Data / Emma Mawdsley Using the World Wide Web for Development Research / Jonathan Rigg Data from International Agencies / PART THREE: DISSEMINATING FINDINGS//RESEARCH / Steve Morse Writing an Effective Research Dissertation or Report / Sally Gainsbury How is Research Communicated Professionally?