ABSTRACT
An important issue which faces the researcher at the start of their research is obtaining necessary resources to conduct the research. If the researcher works within an institution of higher education research probably be considered an integral part of their job specification; as a result they can expect to receive resources from their own institution. The decision to be made is to decide whether one should approach one of the larger 'general' funding agencies within countries such as the Economic and Social Research Council, Leverhulme or Nuffield, or one of the more specialist foundations. These latter may specialize in particular geographical areas or particular research foci. In the USA the decision comes down to whether one should seek funding from federal, state or other non-federal sources such as foundations, some of which are private and some are public. Finally, do bear in mind that various regional organizations have projects and sources of income available for suitable projects.
