Practical Research Methods for Nonprofit and Public Administrators

Practical Research Methods for Nonprofit and Public Administrators, Second Edition, covers basic principles of research design, data collection, data analysis, reporting and ethical principles of research. The discussion describes the skills as they would be used in practice in a not-for-profit or public administration environment.

The book gives pragmatic instructions for designing research to ensure that results will be accurate and administrators can have confidence in them. It covers techniques to assure that researchers are measuring what they intend to measure and in a way that will be useful and manageable. Sampling methods to find out about larger populations are discussed as are survey, interview, and focus group data collection procedures. The book describes how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to obtain information on the locations of service needs and providers and to draw maps showing these. Participatory research methods including community needs assessments and asset mapping are discussed. The book includes chapters on statistical analysis, visual displays of data, reporting of results and evaluation of programs. The use of computer programs for analyzing data is detailed and illustrated by examples. The appropriate software for analysis and mapping is discussed. A chapter updates the ethics and government requirements for research. Each chapter includes examples and exercises to enhance learning.

The book is intended for administrators in not-for-profit and public administration organizations, providing practical skills that can be used in many situations. It is also intended for use as a text in academic programs in administration and management.

Gary R. Rassel has a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He taught and held administrative positions at North Carolina State University, University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA. He was program manager in the North Carolina Division of Health Services. He is co-author of a textbook, Research Methods for Public Administrators (Routledge, 2021), now in its seventh edition, journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers.

Jocelyn DeVance Taliaferro has a Ph.D. from University of Delaware and an MSW from Howard University. She is a Professor of Social Work at NC State University. Her teaching and research interests include teaching using contemporary television, social work lobbying, and Black women’s mental health. She has authored books, articles, and reports about capacity building for individuals, organizations, and communities.

Stacy M. Rassel has a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota―Twin Cities, USA. She is the Director of Consulting at The Improve Group, a research and evaluation consulting firm based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her work focuses on conducting external evaluations and building the evaluation capacity of organizations and individuals.

Elizabethann O'Sullivan, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, USA, passed away in 2014.