Despite the growing consensus that poverty is multi-dimensional and complex, a lot of research is based on using approaches and methods that cannot capture a full picture. To deepen the understanding of poverty, much research needs to be multi-disciplinary and involve a mix of quantitative, qualitative and participatory approaches.
This toolbox provides a guide to the variety of approaches and methods available and how they can be mixed to produce both rigorous and policy relevant research. Through identifying further resources (and especially websites) where you can explore methodological tools and issues in greater detail, the toolbox allows researchers to check that their research designs reflect ‘good practice’.
The toolbox also discusses cases in which the nature of chronic poverty has a bearing on the methodological approach chosen and the way in which it is employed.
Who is the toolbox for?
- Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) research partners and their associates.
- Other poverty researchers, including those working in NGOs and CBOs; donor agencies; and universities and research institutions.
- Development studies students hoping to undertake poverty-related research.
How to use the toolbox
The toolbox should be considered as a set of resources to draw upon within the context of particular research requirements. While the toolbox isn't designed to be read through from beginning to end, we have included short sections that introduce each topic such that readers are able to get a sense of the materials and approaches included.