Andrew Chris, Hildebrand Peter. Applied Agricultural Research: Foundations and Methodology

Routledge, 1993. — 238 p.This book is based on Planning and Conducting Applied Agricultural Research by the same authors. Revisions of all of the chapters and inclusion of four new chapters prompted a new title. The first book (published in Spanish by ICTA, Guatemala, 1977; in English by MSS Information Corporation, New York, 1976; and in English by Westview Press, Boulder, 1982) was the culmination of a group effort to eliminate a deficiency made evident during the organization of a graduate course in research methodology at the UN-ICA Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences in Bogota, Colombia. 1 The deficiency involved the difficulties in organizing research projects oriented toward real world problems and formulated so that (1) the research could be completed within the available period of time, and (2) the results would be useful in helping to resolve the problem toward which the study was directed. It became obvious to the agricultural economists2 working with the graduate program that many approaches to the presentation of research methodology were not successful in helping students become efficient researchers consistently able to make meaningful contributions to the resolution of agricultural and related problems of their country.Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Applied Research
The Book
Foundations And Applied Research
Creative Applied Research and You, the Researcher Enriching the Research/Learning Environment
YOU Management
Capturing Creativity
Summary
Theory and Applied Research: An Interactive Relationship
Functions of Theory
Evolution of Theory
Theory and Knowledge
Application of Theory
Summary
Planning Applied Research
Effects of Resource Availability on Applied Research
Information Resources
Human Resources
Physical Resources
Financial Resources
Time Constraints
Research Resource Planning
Summary
Sources of Information for Initial Problem Specification
Open-Ended Information Gathering Approaches
Rapid Information Gathering
Extended Information Gathering
Information Retrieval from Secondary Sources
Summary
Orientation and Focus of Projects: Researchable Problems, Hypotheses and Objectives
A Conceptual Model
Specification of a Researchable Problem
Formulation of the Hypotheses
Delineation of the Objectives
Summary
Conducting Applied Research
The Orientation to Observation
Experimental and Non-experimental
Degree of Subject Interaction
Conclusion: Descriptive, Predictive or Prescriptive Research?
Agricultural Research Based in Experimentation Experimental Design
Secondary Experimental Data
Multipurpose, Multidisciplinary, and Multilocation Experimentation
Summary
Behavioral Research Based in Interviews
Conventional Interviews from Questionnaires
Personal, Telephone and Mail Interviews
Summary
Data Utilization and Information Synthesis - What Does It All Mean?
Flexibility in Interpretation
Presentation of the Results
Summary
A Recap
References Cited
Appendix: Applied Research Project Proposals
Case One: Market Organization by Jose Alvarez
Case Two: Macro Economics and Finance by Linda LaForest
Case Three: Production and Management by William O. Odenya
Case Four: Resource Management by Lee Bouchelle
Case Five: Theory and International Competitiveness by Patrick Antoine
Index