A report based on a workshop held in 1998 at which outside research specialists and World Bank staff discussed the importance of integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods and reviewed experiences in the use of mixed method approaches in Bank research and project design.

Increasingly It Is Recognized That Policy Design For Attacking Poverty Requires An Approach That Makes Best Use Of The Relative Strengths Of Qualitative And Quantitative Analytical Tools, Applied To The Situation At Hand. This Volume Brings Together The World Leaders In Analysis From Both Sides Of The Divide To Push The Dialogue Forward.

This study examines the impact of paddy irrigation investments, operations, and maintenance in Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the conclusions of a performance audit of flood control schemes at three sites in Bangladesh. Findings from the review contradict the dominant model for government-operated, gravity-fed irrigation schemes in the humid tropics. The irrigation schemes are performing less well than expected at appraisal, mainly because of falling paddy prices, overoptimism about the crop area served, and project design faults. Results emphasize the value of co-production, involving pragmatic approaches to operation and maintenance under which public irrigation agencies, local authorities, and farmers work together to address specific problems and strengthen appropriate incentives.

Focusing on research designs for projects that collect both qualitative and quantitative data, this practical book discusses strategies for bringing qualitative and quantitative methods together so that their combined strengths accomplish more than is possible with a single method. The approach is broadly interdisciplinary, reflecting the interest in mixed methods research of social scientists from anthropology, communication, criminal justice, education, evaluation, nursing, organizational behavior, psychology, political science, public administration, public health, sociology, social work, and urban studies. In contrast to an "anything goes" approach or a naïve hope that "two methods are better than one," the author argues that projects using mixed methods must pay even more attention to research design than single method approaches. The book’s practical emphasis on mixed methods makes it useful both to active researchers and to students who intend to pursue such a career.

The Handbook of Methodological Approaches to Community-Based Research is intended to aid the community-oriented researcher in learning about and applying cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches.

In this volume, progressive experts survey recent trends in qualitative study, which relies on small sample groups and interview data to better represent the context and complexity of social work practice. Chapters address different approaches to qualitative inquiry, applications to essential areas of research and practice, integration of qualitative and quantitative methods, and epistemological issues. This second edition brings even greater depth and relevance to social work qualitative research, including new material that tackles traditional research concerns, such as data quality, ethics, and epistemological stances, and updated techniques in data collection and analysis. To increase the usefulness for students and researchers, the editors have reorganized the text to present basic principles first and then their applications, and they have increased their focus on ethics, values, and theory. New and revised illustrative studies highlight more than ever the connection between effective research and improved social functioning among individuals and groups. The collection continues to feature scholars and practitioners who have shaped the social work research practice canon for more than twenty years, while also adding the innovative work of up-and-coming talent.