This paperback edition of an established text aims to deliver key information on social research methods in developing countries. It deals with the particular problems of carrying out social surveys and censuses in the Third World, which differ significantly from research in Western Europe or North America. This book makes the difference clear, particularly in the areas of research design, sampling, data collection and the social context of research. The contributors are social scientists from a range of disciplines in 12 countries, all with firsthand practical experience of research in Asia, Africa or Latin America. They provide a guide to the pitfalls and possiblities of empirical research and pay attention to methodological marriages and to ethical and political problems. The formulation and implementation of policies for development depends on information as much as on social ideals or political objectives. This volume offers an account of social research methods and practice which facilitate the effective collection and productive use of accurate information.
The book is designed to appeal to students and teachers in development studies, sociology, economics, geography, political science and social statistics, and in applied fields such as planning, agricultural economics, education, health, housing and social welfare. It is also aimed at research workers in government, academic institutes and the voluntary sector in the Third World.