As funding for agricultural research becomes scarcer, effective planning of programmes and resources becomes an even more important issue. In recent years progress has been made in understanding the institutional processes involved in planning as well as sharpening the planning tools developed to improve such processes. This book summarizes the main approaches and experiences in agricultural research planning, focusing on recent developments in the planning field, the new issues and concerns in agricultural development and research and future challenges. In addition it help clarify and contribute to the standardization of the terminology used in research planning.