Research and Research Methods for Youth Practitioners

Rigorous research is crucial to effective work with young people and increasingly youth practitioners need to be able to develop, review and evidence their work using a variety of research and assessment tools. This text equips students and practitioners with a thorough understanding of research design, practice and dissemination, as well as approaches to evidence-based practice. A clear practice framework informs the book, outlining the significance of research to youth work, especially in relation to designing and developing services for young people. Research and Research Methods for Youth Practitioners: Analyses the research/practitioner role Explores the ethical context of research in youth work Offers a thorough analysis of key methodological questions in research in practice Provides a guide to data collection and analysis Presents five principal research strategies for youth work: ethnographic work and visual methods; interviewing and evaluation; surveys and evaluation; the use of secondary data and documentary analysis; and researching virtual and online settings Discusses the implications of research for work with young people as well as its dissemination. Written by experienced researchers and practitioner-researchers, each chapter in this accessible textbook includes an overview, a critical discussion of the pros and cons of the particular method or approach, a case study, a practice-based task, a summary and suggestions for further reading. This textbook is invaluable for student and practising youth workers. It is also a useful reference for other practitioners working with young people.

‘A terrific collection, addressed directly to the practitioner-researcher in youth work who intends to conduct their own small-scale research or needs to use research in their professional practice. The book is both accessible and sophisticated and provides a ‘state-of-the-art’ overview of the field that is characterised by a clear ethical commitment to social justice and participation. A gem!’ – Rachel Thomson, Professor of Social Research, The Open University, UK.

Simon Bradford is Reader in Social Sciences in the School of Health Sciences and Social Care at Brunel University, UK. His research interests include youth and youth cultures, social policy as it affects young people and communities, and professionalisation and professional identities of those who work with young people. He is Director of the Centre for Youth Work Studies at Brunel University.Fin Cullen is Lecturer in Youth and Community Studies in the School of Health Sciences and Social Care at Brunel University, UK. Since 1997, Fin has been involved in youth work and research projects across the UK. Her research interests include participatory action research, youth sexualities, girls' drinking cultures, visual methods and youth geographies.