Any committee is only as good as the most knowledgeable, determined and vigorous person on it. There must be somebody who provides the flame.

--Claudia Lady Bird Johnson


  


Parliamentary Committees Module: Unit 4: Research Services for Parliamentary Committees
 

Unit 4 Questions

Please answer each of the following questions.  If you are taking this course in a group you may then meet to discuss your answers, or join the discussion forum on these questions here.

  1. How important is research to a parliamentary committee?
  2. List the general tools for effective research.
  3. What basic skills are required by parliamentary staff to conduct research?
  4. What are the key ingredients of legislative research?

 

Select Bibliography

Bailey, K. D. (1994) Methods of Social Research The Free Press: New York

 

Relevant Internet Resources

Verrier, J (1995) The Future of Parliamentary Research Services: To Lead or to Follow?

Available at: http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla61/61-verj.htm Accessed February 2007.

US Congressional Research Service [Online] Available at:  http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/ Accessed February 2007

 

Suggested Additional Reading

Parliamentary Centre (2005) Virtual Resources For Parliamentary Researchers: Perspectives And Experience From Around The World.  Available at http://www.parlcent.ca/publications/pdf/Virtual%20Resources_en.pdf.  Accessed January 2007

Verrier, J. R. (2000).  How to establish a parliamentary research service: does one size fit all? 66th IFLA Council and General Conference Jerusalem, Israel, 13-18 August [Online] [Available at: http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla66/papers/079-098e.htm. Accessed: January 2007

Lawrence, S. (1981) What Counts as Research? British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Jun., 1981), pp. 103-114

 

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