Research methodology textbooks and materials

Reviewed by Heidi Prozesky, Department of Sociology, University of Stellenbosch, MATIELAND, 7602.

Publisher: Prentice Hall South Africa (Pty) Ltd, 1999
Description: 123 pp.
Language: English
Price: R100.00
ISBN number: 1-8689-016-4

Although Participatory Research: A Primer comprises 123 pages, it lives up to its status as a primer with its physical attributes being those of a relatively small, introductory textbook. No illustrations are included, but tables are used primarily to visually and succinctly represent comparisons discussed in the text. Some statistical information in research examples are also presented in a tabular format. Creative use is made of icons placed in the margins to highlight, among others, important points and examples, which make for accessible reading and easy revision for students. The text is not dense to read, as the font is relatively large and the text as a whole appears uncluttered. Variety of format is achieved by alternating typing fonts, incorporating activities or questions for the reader in the text - as opposed to at the beginning or end of a chapter - and inserting examples in boxes set apart from the main text. Instead of chapters, the PR is divided into ten study units, each covering a specific topic in a consecutive manner. In addition to the above-mentioned activities and questions for the reader, study objectives and revision of the reader's understanding of PR are included at the onset and conclusion of each unit, respectively. No appendices or index are included, but answers to questions are placed after the final study unit, followed by a short reference list (one page).

In Participatory Research: A Primer the author proceeds from the assumption that research is a term most students find intimidating. In the introduction, and throughout the textbook as a whole, she aims to remove any trepidation in this regard. Study unit one introduces the reader to the nature of participatory research (henceforth abbreviated as PR), by providing a definition (termed "meaning") of research, as well as a short discussion of what the adjective "participatory" denotes in this context. An important issue concerning the definition of PR is also covered, namely the terminological overlap between labels such as "action research", "participatory action research" and PR. To further explicate the meaning of PR, a short description of so-called "traditional research" (primarily conceptualised as deductive theory construction) is also provided. The major part of study unit one is, however, dedicated to unfolding the "value base" of PR, primarily by relating the origins of PR. Relevant issues in contemporary development theory as well as a comparison between Afrocentric versus Ethnocentric philosophy and values are useful in this regard.

The context and structure of PR is the theme of the following study unit. This theme continues to inform the reader as to the nature of PR. PR is usually not associated with specific disciplines, but it is useful to identify, as the author has done, certain contexts in which PR could be especially appropriate and relevant, such as community development, health and education. A lengthy case study comprises more than half of this chapter. It is useful in illustrating the above-mentioned contexts of PR, but such a comprehensive case study begs more discussion as is the case here, where the reader is left to his/her own devices to link it to the rest of the text in study unit two. It is also not clear what the author implies by the use of the term "structure" in the heading of study unit two, as this term is never mentioned again.

Study unit three proposes to place PR in the context of scientific research in general, as its heading "The Scientific Foundation of Participatory Research" implies. This is in itself problematic, as scholars are divided on the issue of whether PR should be discussed in terms of "scientific foundations" at all. The author ignores this issue and proceeds to list and discuss selected "rules" for research in general, which were mainly gleaned from reputable secondary sources on research methodology. What is interesting and useful, however, is the creative adaptation of these rules to PR research examples, but the author repeatedly falls into a trap already created in the introduction by the stating that "The burden of research is eased by the participatory approach". This is, unfortunately, belied by numerous PR reports compiled by experienced researchers who consider PR to be one of the most difficult research methodologies to employ successfully, as it requires a researcher to be well trained in traditional research methodologies, as well as those necessary for PR. In this light, study unit three's attempt to provide a non-threatening coverage of the scientific foundations of research is therefore cursory at best, and creates the false impression that social research is a matter of following a few basic rules. This is illustrated no better by the fact that theory formulation is reduced to five steps, whereafter it is exclaimed "By the end of this you will have formulated your theory!" Experience in teaching any social science research methodologies has shown that much more is required to teach students theory formulation.

Study unit four, which delves deeper into the phases in research, alleviates the above-mentioned problems to a certain degree, but is still prone to the paradox inherent in teaching traditional research methodologies as a basis for doing PR. Once again, the author's attempt to integrate PR examples into phases of traditional research is commendable, but this only reinforces the impression that PR is an adaptation of traditional research, or even worse, a mere combination of participatory principles with traditional research methodologies. The author refers to this issue only in passing (in a question), when she states that "PR is distinct from social scientific research which has a top-down or positivist approach...". This statement creates the impression that the author is either ignorant of certain crucial issues regarding the methodological status of PR, or chooses to ignore them. First, the non-positivist and "bottom-up" characteristics of PR are not the only differences between PR and social scientific research (sic) (see Prozesky, 1998). Secondly, surely non-positivist, bottom-up research can still be considered social scientific research. And if it is not considered to be as such, why should a student then have to study the scientific foundation of research in study unit three?

What does make study unit four worthwhile, is (i) the discussion of the reflection-action cycle so unique to PR (which is discussed in more detail in study unit 6); and (ii) the crucial recognition that the feasibility of PR is dependent on the level of co-operation that may be attained. The latter is an exception, however, as further problems or disadvantages associated with practising PR are not sufficiently brought to the readers attention throughout the textbook as a whole. A more useful approach would have been to at least mention the difficulties uniquely associated with PR during each of the research stages distinguished in study unit four.

From study unit five onwards, the focus in almost exclusively on practising PR, and it is here that the book comes into its own right as an in-depth exploration of the research methodology. The author's extensive experience of 30 years as a researcher-practitioner in the helping professions in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States comes to the fore in her discussion of "how to get going" when practising PR. Study unit five includes what are probably the most challenging aspects of PR, such as facilitation of human interaction, and approaches these issues in a uniquely stimulating and informative way. In addition, an example of non-participation sensitises to the reader to the potential difficulties involved in this regard. Study unit six focuses exclusively on the action and reflection phases of PR, and how to link these. This cycle of action and reflection is a central feature of PR which often does not receive enough attention in literature on PR. The fact that a whole study unit is devoted to this issue, and above all in a hands-on manner with South African examples, makes for indispensable reading for any would-be participatory researcher.

Critical thinking in PR is the theme of the following study unit. Here, as in the previous study unit, one finds that the textbook fills certain gaps which are normally found in other research methodology textbooks. It is often wrongfully assumed by such textbooks that students are already skilled in critical thinking. This study unit could therefore be even useful for any course in research methodology, to ensure that a full understanding of this crucial aspect of research is developed. In addition, the use of intriguing exercises allows the reader to engage in the process of learning problem-solving skills in a creative way.

Study unit eight recognises the importance of traditional measuring instruments in PR, and - contrary to study units three and four - discusses the subject matter more comprehensively. However, as PR is non-positivist in nature, the extensive discussion of methods to safeguard reliability and validity is not justified, as these criteria for measurement quality underlie positivist research methodologies, especially experiments. It is especially the unique meaning of validity in PR which has received much attention in the literature, but this is not recognised in the textbook. The study unit concludes with a discussion on sampling, which is helpful, but would even be more so if non-probability sampling methods, which are most often used in PR, received proportionally more attention than probability sampling methods.

Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) is often considered by scholars to be distinct from PR - some even consider it as a research methodology in its own right, as it comprises unique research methods and techniques. The author's decision to incorporate it in the book in study unit nine is justified, though, as PRA is of immense relevance to the South African context - a context which increasingly demands of both academics and non-academics alike to focus creative research efforts on rural communities. It is unfortunate, though, that a very small portion of the book (five pages) is eventually dedicated to this research methodology. The book concludes with study unit ten on report writing in PR. The fact that the nature of report writing in PR is a co-operative exercise and therefore very different from traditional report writing, is more than adequately addressed by the author.

In general, the author manages to detail all the various stages involved in setting up and completing PR projects, while reiterating the basic principles of PR throughout the textbook. This ensures that the reader has a clear understanding of what PR entails. The author acknowledges the difficulty many students have in acquiring the skills for, as well as developing a positive attitude towards, research. She has therefore approached the subject matter in a non-intimidating, hands-on and creative way. The style of writing supports this approach, as it is predominantly clear, simple and therefore easily readable. Unfortunately, this style is not maintained consistently throughout the text, as sophisticated academic terms are sometimes incorporated without offering an explaining as to their meaning. The most outstanding positive feature of the book is, to my mind, its relevance to the South African context. Research methodology textbooks which incorporate actual South African examples to the great extent this textbook does, are rare and immensely valuable. Students' own positive as well as negative experiences in practising PR serve as the source of these numerous examples, and in the exercises the reader is expected to apply knowledge gained in the text, on the South African situation. All these features contribute to the textbook's accessibility and relevance to South African researcher-practitioners on the ground.

Where the book - as a primer - touches only the surface of certain important issues, the reader is referred to additional sources which discuss these issues in more depth. However, the fact that the textbook is defined as a primer, does not justify that concepts such as "scientific" and "positivist" are used without discretion, nor that very little recognition is given to the meta-theoretical concerns underlying the differences and similarities between quantitative, qualitative and PR methodologies. In this regard it seems as if the author has not made up her own mind as to what PR's relationship with these traditional research methodologies is. This sometimes leads to an artificial and sometimes inappropriate merging of aspects of positivist research methods with PR skills. The attempt to cover both in this short textbook places a limitation on its target audience. In the introduction, the target audience is identified as "students, novice practitioners and more experienced practitioners in the field of human service, who would like to learn more about the concerns of people they work with and for, but don't know how to do this in any systematic way". In the light of the shortcomings of the textbook described above and its introductory nature, this textbook would have to be accompanied by supplementary material when prescribed for any undergraduate student or community practitioner who has not previously been adequately exposed to the principles of social science research methods. With regard to prescribing it to post-graduate students, the writing style and overall approach might be too simplistic and even patronising. This point aside, the textbook does manage to meet its own goal, formulated in the introduction as explaining "how to promote the participation of the people themselves, to jointly explore, to come to conclusions and to take action regarding their concerns". As such, by means of this primer an interest in and sensitivity to PR as an alternative research methodology to those usually taught in undergraduate courses can be cultivated and basic hands-on skills in PR developed.