Do you need to conduct some research to plan a project or to design a program?  Do you need data for planning or evalution purposes? Or are you studying for your bachelor, master or PhD?

"Methods for Social Researchers in Developing Countries" is both a website and a 625-page PDF book, at www.srmdc.net. The Ahfad University for Women, where the book was originally published, wanted to make the contents available to researchers in developing countries where  books are too expensive for faculty, students, or even libraries to buy. All material may be freely downloaded or copied.

The book contains five main chapters: Thinking like a Researcher, Planning Research, Creating Data, Analyzing Data and Writing your report, as such covering the whole process from planning to reporting. Particpatory methods to collect data are also explained. Throughout the book the important roles of decision-making and creativity in research are emphasized, as the author is convinced that the direction and success of any research project depends on the decisions you make at each step in your project.

The table of contents provides direct links to the subjects. The book is easy to read, practically oriented and all steps, like for example finding data or information on the web, are extensively explained. Examples and references made stem mostly from developing countries.