This brief guide has been designed to help community and voluntary organisations to research what works in relation to their service-users i.e. what has been shown nationally and internationally to be most effective in producing the desired outcomes for the people they work with. It should enable organisations in the voluntary and community sector to make better and more informed decisions both about what they are doing and the impact of what they are doing. This document is not a comprehensive guide to research or evaluation, but serves to highlight a number of key aspects of the research process which organisations may wish to consider. In addition, this document signposts sources of more detailed information and guidance.

Contents:
1.Introduction p1
2 Internal process for carrying our research into what works p10
3 How to commission and manage research into what works, carried out by external researchers or research bodies p18
4 Where to find out what works for children, young people and families? p24
5 Jargon Buster p34
6 Funding for research p44
7 Summary - Enablers and Barriers to Effective Research into what works p47