ABSTRACT
This chapter emphasizes that research is simply a tool that helps us answer important questions about early childhood, questions that would remain unanswered were it not for the willingness of practitioners and academics alike to engage in the research process. While most research, including early childhood research, is undertaken by people working in or associated with universities or educational institutions, quality research is not the sole province of university-based academics with doctoral degrees. Many people are able to do research that can make a valuable contribution to practice, provided that they have access to sufficient financial and human resources. ‘Good’ research does not rely on one particular method or paradigm. However, researchers’ views on what is a good research method will be determined by the research paradigm they espouse. There is lively debate among early childhood researchers about the different ways of approaching and doing research involving, among other things, discussion of research agendas, research assumptions, methods and objectives.
