As we noted in chapter 1, there are few truly comparative studies of Third World urban development and we regard this as an important feature of our work. However, as we quickly discovered, comparative analysis of several cities undertaken by a group of researchers is not easy, and generates a whole host of methodological problems that the lone researcher working in a single context does not have to face. Therefore, we feel justified in including here a detailed account of our methodology in the hope that the staff of future projects might learn from our experience and from our mistakes.

Levels of field-work analysis

The team was formed in April 1978 and worked together until September 1980, when funding of the project formally ended. The first four months were spent in London making revisions to our methodology, refining our research questions and propositions, and in agreeing an outline questionnaire. In August, Ward and Raymond went to Mexico City where they stayed for one year, while Gilbert and Murray left for Bogotá where they spent seven months before moving to Valencia for their final five months. Midway during the period of field work a two-week meeting was arranged in Mexico City to allow the teams to discuss progress and to make whatever revisions and adjustments were necessary and practical at that stage of the programme.