Dr Helen Kara has been an independent social researcher and writer since 1999, and is also Associate Research Fellow at the Third Sector Research Centre, Birmingham University. Her background is in social care and the third sector, and she works with third sector organisations and social care and health partnerships. While working full-time, she obtained both her MSc in Social Research Methods and her PhD. She also teaches research methods to practitioners and students, and loves to demystify the processes of writing and research.

Data collection is often the first thing people think of in connection with research. Preparing a questionnaire, or doing some interviews, can seem straightforward - but there's much else to consider. This e-book outlines some of the key issues and offers lots of short-cuts to save you time and stress.