Development Theory and Practice

Online Databases and "Virtual Libraries" of Current Development Research

• Agridea: Rural Development News, rural development magazine.  Articles from 2000-present.
• Changemakers Library, a community of action collaborating on solutions.
• The Development Gateway, World Bank.
• ELDIS, comprehensive database of information from IDS and other development agencies.
• Ford Foundation Library, reports of projects funded by Ford.
• Human Development Resource Network (HDRNet) is an information gateway on human development and international co-operation.
• ICTs for Development, the Communication Initiative Network.
• IDS Knowledge Services Guide to finding development information online
• Impact Alliance Resource Centre contains capacity building related resources.
• International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) serves co-operatives worldwide by promoting the co-operative identity and ensuring its ability to compete in the marketplace.
• Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) strives for global change by working with scholars, practitioners and governments on the desired reforms to governance issues.
• The Microfinance Gateway
• New Zealand Digital Library, development collections on agriculture, health, environment and social issues.
• OneWorld.net contains the latest news from organizations promoting human rights awareness and fighting poverty worldwide.
• World Bank e-Library, access ebooks, journal articles and working papers on international development.

Conferences

• Rethinking Development Conference Papers, June 20-24, 2005, Antigonish.

Country-Specific Resources

• ELDIS Country Profiles
• Kidon Media-Link links to newspaper and radio from most countries.
• Library of Congress Country Studies, description and analysis of most countries.
• UNDP Human Development Report 2010, past years back to 1990 also available on this site.

Journals

• Canadian Journal of Development Studies, (STFX only), issues available: 18(1997)-current.

Networks

• CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
• Commonwealth of Learning (COL), encourages the development of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies.
• Directory of Development Organizations is a resource guide to development organizations and the internet.
• Global Development Network promotes policy of multidisciplinary knowledge for the purpose of development.
• Kabissa, a network of African civil society organizations.
• The NGO Café contains links to various NGO resources on the internet.
• Pambazuka News is a forum for social justice in Africa.
• PASCAL promotes the exchange of best practice research, ideas and policies about place management, social capital and learning regions.
• South Asian Women's Network (SAWNET) is a medium of communication by and for South Asian women.
• Third World Network is a network of organisations and individuals involved in issues relating to development, Third World and North-South affairs.

Organisations & Research Institutes

• BRIDGE supports gender advocacy and mainstreaming efforts by bridging the gaps between theory, policy and practice.
• CEDPA: Centre for Development and Population Activities works with women by giving them the tools they need to improve their lives, families and communities.
• Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University.
• Institute for Development Policy and Management promotes development by enhancing the capabilities of individuals and organisations through education, training, consultancy, research and policy analysis.
• INTRAC (International NGO Training and Research Centre) designs training, consultancy and research services to organizations involved in international development.
• Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) is building an economic framework for reducing poverty grounded in people's experiences and values.
• PANOS London promotes the participation of poor and marginalized people through media and communication projects.
• United Nations System of Organizations, official website locator for UN agencies.
• Young Lives: An International Study of Childhood Poverty tracks childhood poverty through the lives of children in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam over a 15-year period. Publications include working papers, technical notes, policy briefs and country reports.

Statistics

• Colin, D., et al. (2010). 2010 Latin America and the Caribbean selected economic and social data. Washington, DC: USAID. (5.49 Mb pdf)
• Genuine Progress Index for Atlantic Canada.
• Arundel, C. & et al. (2009). How are Canadians really doing? A closer look at select groups. Institute of Wellbeing. (2.62 Mb pdf)
• The World Bank Open Data catalog provides free access to thousands of indicators from World Bank data sets.

Thematic Areas

• Indigenous Knowledge

Tools, Methods and Issues

• Arts for Global Development, resources on the use of visual and performance arts in development.
• BC Healthy Communities, toolkits and articles.
• Community Problem-Solving Project provides tools useful for problem-solving in the community or field. It is part of an ongoing project launched at Harvard University and now based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
• The Faces of Exclusion is a micro-documentary series that uses audiovisual technologies and film documentary resources to illustrate situations of social exclusion.
• Follow the money: A resource book for trainers on public expenditure tracking in Tanzania. (2.75 Mb pdf). Created by Hakikazi Catalyst, Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) & Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), (2008). With this toolkit local communities can track the inputs, outputs, and outcomes of particular government services, and determine the gender-specific distribution of benefits from those services.
• IFAD. (2009). Good practices in participatory mapping: A review prepared for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). (1.83 Mb pdf)
• Measuring Human Development: A Primer is a tool for those working on sub-national, national and regional Human Development Reports. Its guidelines and tools support the production of reports that support policy making and advocacy.
• Monitoring and Evaluation News focuses on developments in monitoring and evaluation methods related to development projects and programs pertaining to social development.
• The Story of Stuff, a video developed by Annie Leonard. This 20-minute film examines the real cost of our consumer driven culture.
• Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO). (2009). VSO Facilitator Guide to Participatory Approaches. The guide is divided into three sections: Methods, principles, and tools.

Internet and Communications Technologies (ICTs)

• Background paper on ICT-for-Development in Africa for the United Nations ICT Task Force, J. Okpaku, (2002). (447K pdf)
• Better connected: empowering people through communications technology, Panos Media Toolkit on Communicating Research - No. 5, (2008).
• CIDA. (n.d.). CIDA's Strategy on Knowledge for Development through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). (804K pdf)
• Digital Opportunity Channel provides education on the use of ICT as a tool for promoting digital opportunity for all.
• Free and Open Source Software Portal is a gateway to resources related to free software and the Open Source Technology movement.
• Chapman, R. & Slaymaker, T. (2002). ICTs and rural development: Review of the literature, current interventions and opportunities for action. (ODI Working Paper 192). (262K pdf)
• ICTS for development, Eldis' resource guide.
• ICTs for Development in Africa, Soul Beat, no. 69.
• Information and Communication Technologies for Development in Africa: Volume 2: The experience with community telecentres, edited by F. Etta and S. Parvyn-Wamahiu, (2003). Book is available for download. 
• ItrainOnline provides computer and Internet training resources for development and social change.

Funding Sources and Fundraising Strategies

• Association of Fundraising Professionals, news releases, directories, and a resource center.
• Charity Village, Canadian site for the nonprofit sector. It contains news, jobs, information and resources.
• Directory of Development Organizations lists organizations working in international development by country.
• Foundation Center works to strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy.
• Foundations & Grantmakers Directory, alphabetical listing of foundations and grantmakers based in the United States.
• Global Fund for Women. (2007). Fundraising for change: A practical guide for women's rights organizations. This handbook describes the preparation and strategies for fundraising available to women's organizations.
• Fundraising for NGOs, manuals and toolkits from Eldis.
• Fundsnet Services: International Grants and Funders
• Grants for libraries, from the United Nations Library Network.
• Guide for writing a funding proposal, features a selection of recommended books to help with the preparation of a funding proposal.
• How to write Logical Framework Analysis (LFA) in grant proposals: A simple guide for NGOs provides simple explanations to assist NGOs and other development professionals to understand and develop this framework.
• Imagine Canada, Canadian Directory to Foundations and Corporations.
• International Grant Resource Guide, directory of organizations concerned with providing grants.
• Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund provides scholarships to women from developing countries who are enrolled in academic programs in North America.
• The Resource Alliance builds the capacity of not-for-profit organisations to mobilise funds and local resources for their causes.
• Scherer, L., with Raaber, N. (2009). WITM's compilation of Resource Mobilization tools. AWID's Where is the money for women's rights initiative has reviewed existing online resources and produced this document. (91K pdf)
• Urgent Action Fund, for women's human rights. The organization provides grants that enable strategic interventions and participate in advocacy and research.
• The Virtual Foundation provides space for community development organizations seeking funding to post project proposals on the website for potential donors to read. 

Other Handy Websites

• Babel Fish Translation - translate blocks of text and webpages into various languages.
• Commitment to Development (CDI) Index rates rich countries on how much they help poor countries via aid, trade, investment, migration, environment, security and technology.
• DevelopmentArt, a website for copyright-free drawings, created by professional artists in Asia and Africa.
• Images of the social and economic world - world maps with social and economic aspects applied.
• Loband, access websites in text-only format.
• Maplecroft Maps analyzes global risks and issues to provide a collection of interactive maps, reports and other resources.
• Maps and Geographic Information Resources, United Nations site containing a wide range of regional, country, thematic, and political maps.
• New York Public Library (NYPL) Digital Gallery, free access to thousands of digital images.
• World Time Zones and calender information
• Xpeditions Atlas, National Geographic. Customize maps for printing and copying.