Ei-iE

This toolkit was produced by Education International to support education unions in developing their research activity.

For whom is this toolkit?

This toolkit addresses education unions planning to do their own research and those who are planning to commission research. Furthermore, the information outlined below provides the reader with a good basis for discussing a research project with an academic, especially when he/she is not familiar with the union context.

What is in the toolkit?

This toolkit provides insights for preparing, conducting and disseminating research. The first chapters provide important guidance on how to identify and shape a research topic, where to find already existing research and what else to consider early on in the research process. In the following chapters, you will find more information on gathering and analysing data for different qualitative (e.g., interviews, field observations, case studies) and quantitative (e.g., surveys) research methods. The last two chapters introduce how to write effective research reports and what to consider when developing a communications and disseminations strategy for the final report.

How to use this toolkit?

In order to successfully conduct your own research project we recommend following the research guidelines as outlined in chapter 1, including the preparation of a request for proposals (RFP). In the following chapters you can find more guidance on how to define the purpose, aims and methodology part of the RFP and/or how to conduct research yourself.