Aiming the volume at undergraduate and graduate students involved in development theory and practice, Desai (geography, U. of London, UK) and Potter (geography, U. of Reading, UK) present 31 chapters that together are intended to provide a comprehensive introduction to the process of undertaking research in the field. The volume begins by addressing the strategic issues in planning and executing sound research, such as ethical practices, working in different cultures, dealing with conflicts and emergency situations, and working with educational and governmental organizations. The remainder of the work is devoted information and data collection methods and is organized into sections dealing methods of social research and associated forms of analysis, use of existing knowledge and records, and disseminating findings. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)