Turning Ideas into Research

This unique research text begins and ends with respect for practitioners’ ideas and shows how they can be translated into practice-relevant knowledge.  It puts the practitioner into Practice-Research and makes a powerful contribution to a truly international Practice-Based Research Movement.

-- Irwin Epstein

Turning vague ideas into credible research that can influence policy and practice requires an understanding of both research methods and the requirements of stakeholders. In this innovative volume, Barbara Fawcett and Rosalie Pockett tackle these mysteries which too often confound novice researchers.

-- Professor Beth Crisp
Fawcett and Pockett’s book is designed to encourage practitioners to explore their important questions and create well-designed research projects. All the resources are here to help beginning researchers to get started. And best of all there is an emphasis on making an impact. -- Liz Beddoe
This new work by Fawcett and Pockett will inspire any practitioner who is wanting to engage in research but is unsure where and how to start. Its emphasis on working with core practice principles (respect and integrity in particular) throughout every step of the research process will encourage practitioners to engage in research. Both thinking about research, and doing it, are introduced in logical and accessible ways. Practitioners and research students will gain the confidence to translate their ′ideas into research′ by reading this excellent text. -- Lou Harms
The book has much to offer students of social research methods, higher degree students undertaking social research projects, and social work and human service practitioners contemplating a research project. It also contains useful material for critical reflection for more established researchers, who might benefit by pausing to take stock and reflect on the wider context and impact of their endeavours. Others engaged in service delivery, program and policy development may also find it a useful resource in thinking about evidence informed practice. -- Bruce Lord * Bruce Lord BSW (Hons), MSW, PhD, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney *
Turning Ideas into Research offers a bundle of ideas that can help a novice researcher in particular. This target group can mainly draw a lot of ideas from the chapters on how to develop research questions and for what purpose, which theoretical framework you can choose and - if you have chosen a theoretical framework - what data you need to collect, how to interpret it , and how to take care of impact. I think that social scientists - who are at the beginning of their (promotional) course - will recognize and benefit from the booklet and the specific dilemmas that the authors name. -- Astrid Molenveld
the benefit of not being encyclopedic about this [methods] is that Fawcett and Pockett are able to keep space for discussing pressing contextual issues in practitioner research [...] There’s a thoughtful critical tone here that reflects the contemporary neoliberal context but is not overwhelmed by it either.
[...]
An excellent introductory book that helps make research intelligible and do-able. Those new to research will enjoy it for that, and those who are not new will be impressed by the accessibility the book brings to the challenging contemporary complexities of knowledge-building.
-- Mark Brough * Australian Social Work *
Unlike so many other introductory research books this is not a book that deals only in the techniques of research. There is a clear narrative in the text that is reflective of contemporary social tensions in research.

It′s an excellent introductory book that helps make research intelligible and do-able. Those new to research will enjoy it for that, and those who are not new will be impressed by the accessibility the book brings to the challenging contemporary complexities of knowledge-building. -- Cathy Humphreys * Australian Social Work Journ