Making Research Work: Research Policy and Practice in Child Care

"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 books 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.