ABSTRACT
This chapter describes or to enter into any of unusual for debates, but to begin to discusses the emergence of feminist research in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The emergence of empirical research that is informed by a feminist analysis, must surely set challenges for all social researchers to contemplate their research practice and research design if only to explore if it will help them to do better research. M. Eichler provides a detailed critique of how sexist assumptions have been built into traditional social research. Although feminists argue that there are characteristics within feminist research which provide it with a distinctiveness from other forms of social research, there is no common definition or understanding of what actually constitutes feminist research. The emergence of contemporary social movements presents a range of challenges for the praxis of feminist social research. When research happens, there is a danger of creating artificial boundaries within discussions of the research process.
