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Making Research Work demonstrates how research can be fostered and applied more effectively to child care policy and practice. Drawing on a wealth of experience, current literature and government documents, the contributors present a comprehensive discussion of key contemporary issues relating to child care research. Recommendations are given for recognising and responding to both the fundamental and the specialist issues that challenge the various stages of the research process. Practical guidelines are given for
- undertaking single-case design research
- appraising current child care literature and official statistics
- accessing hidden or hard-to-reach populations
- dissemination
- establishing a research centre
- preparing a research proposal to submit to a funding body
- commissioning and funding research
This book's practical approach and unique focus will appeal to practitioners, researchers, policy makers and students seeking to understand and enhance the relationship of research to policy and practice in the child care context.
List of contents
Research into policy and practice: the impact of research on policy and practice, John Pinkerton; multidisciplinary approach to the child care research and practice, Dorota Iwaniec; the effects of research on child care policy developments, Greg Kelly; evidencing effectiveness - the use of single-case evaluation designs in child care practice, Karola Dillenburger. Child care research - some challenging issues: contemporary developments in the methods of critically reviewing the literature, John Pinkerton and Kathryn Higgins; accessing hidden or "hard to reach" populations, Kathryn Higgins; the importance of and difficulties with child care statistics, Valleri Switzer; deciding a strategy for disseminating research findings, Marina Monteith; developing effective ways of involving parents and children in the research process, John Pinkerton and Jenny Marks. Research funding: preparing a research proposal for funding purposes, Patrick McCrystal; commissioning research, Marina Monteith; accessing funds through development of research centres and units, Dorota Iwaniec; who and how to approach regarding research sponsoring, Patrick McCrystal.
Summary
Making Research Work demonstrates how research can be fostered and applied more effectively to child care policy and practice. Drawing on a wealth of experience, current literature and government documents, the contributors present a comprehensive discussion of key contemporary issues relating to child care research.
