Methods for Social Researchers in Developing Countries





Introduction

Your initial
research
question

Reviewing
the
literature

Preparing references

Searching
Internet
sources

Deciding on
the final
research
question

Aids
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The most important information you will want to record on your note cards are the findings or conclusions of the reports you read. You will also need to copy information for preparing a reference for each publication you will cite in your final report. A reference includes the names of the authors, the date and title of the publication, and other information we describe later in this chapter. Other information you may need in writing your report includes the statement of the problem or the research question included in the publications you select, and a brief description of the design used (survey, experiment, observational study), the kind and size of the sample used, and other points that may interest you.

Box 4.3, below, illustrates use of a note card. The categories for recording information are shown in bold. These categories are to remind you that information on these points is important and to help you get consistent information for all publications you read. To illustrate use of a note card, we have entered notes we took for a publication we used in reviewing literature for writing this book.

Box 4.3. Example of a note card

Reference: Rahama, A. (1997). Gender roles in crises situation: the case of the famine of 1985/85. The Ahfad Journal: Women and Change. 14:2, 4-15.

Problem/question: What coping strategies were used by individual households in northern Kordafan for surviving the famine of 1984/85?

Design: A multimethod approach was used, including a survey supplemented by information obtained from participant observation and from the analysis of available records and secondary data.

Sample: The survey was based on a sample of 120 women selected from three ecologically different areas of northern Kordafan; women living in their villages, women who had migrated to shanty towns, and those who had migrated to relief camps.

Findings/conclusions: The overall conclusion was that women's roles were crucial to the survival of their families; also, roles changed greatly for both men and women. In the initial stages of the crisis, women used their knowledge of local plant species to supplement the food supply for their families; women also prepared only two meals a day, used cereals to supplement other food, and rationed what food was available; men migrated with their animals and began selling animals to get money for food. As the crisis continued, selling assets by both men (animals and handicrafts) and women (gold and handicrafts) became more common; migration continued. In the final stages of the crisis, migration was combined with entry of females in the labour market, resulting in changed roles for men and women; women engaged for the first time in paid labor while men stayed home and cared for the children. A final effect of the crisis was that 63% of the women became household heads.

Finding information and taking notes

In the process of identifying potentially useful sources of information, you will discover articles, material in books and research reports, and possibly information on Web sites. As you start the actual review process, your first task is to decide which sources to examine in detail. We offer the following guidelines for getting the most useful information in the least amount of time:

  • Focus on material directly related to your research question
  • Learn to read critically: look for materials that tell you something new about the topic you are investigating
  • Take careful, comprehensive notes
  • Prepare a complete, accurate reference for each source used

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