Methodological challenges and new approaches to research in international development

"An expansion in funding for 'basic' research has provided space for development researchers to reflect on their practice and on their ethical responsibility to do research that is 'accountable and of the highest quality' (ESRC Framework 2006). The growth in qualitative as well as quantitative data archiving, which is now a requirement of many funders, brings these issues to the fore. For secondary data to be usable there needs to be a robust methodological account reflecting on the challenges of data production and the implications of these for potential conclusions. The recent emphasis on evidence-based policy making by DFID means it is doubly important to ensure that quantitative and qualitative studies make full disclosure of their methods of data production and analysis, although there is little guidance provided in relation to this. This volume responds to these challenges, drawing on best practice from other fields, and provides a fresh perspective on perennial debates such as how to integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches and the relationship between data and theory"--