EDIT 7320

1
What IS Research Anyway?

• EDIT 7320
• Borrowed from M. Fitzgerald

2

• The purpose of this slideshow is to set the
  context for the research discussions we will be
  having in this class.

3
Everybody does research.

• Everyone faces problems in everyday life, often
  solved by trial and error
• Here is a simple example
• I used to have trouble opening jars, like pickle
  jars. No matter how hard I tried, I couldnt
  open them manually. My mother taught me to run
  hot water over the lid or to hit the edge sharply
  with a knife handle. Still, I had trouble. One
  of my school friends described how she would
  whack the lid on the edge of the bathtub. The
  first time I tried this, I hurt my thumb. The
  next time, it worked! I have used this strategy
  ever since.

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So, to solve my problem

• I used these strategies
• Information seeking (from other people)
• Trial and error
• Experimentation
• In order to survive, we all must solve problems
  and we usually do some form of research to do so.
• Discussion point What about our context?
• Think and hold your thoughts for later.

5
As a student, have you -

• written reports (single-source information
  dumps)?
• written term papers (multi-source
  investigations of single topics)?
• This literature-based type of research is
  important, buy only a part of the work in this
  course. We are talking about something bigger.

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The word Research has several connotations

• something you do in the library with books and
  journals
• scientist in the white coat
• drug trials, mice, monkeys
• market research
• space exploration
• Common thread gathering information

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Related idea Inquiry

• Especially in science
• Researchers actively ask questions, find known
  information, gather data, and draw conclusions
• They learn lots of content information as they go
  along
• The I-Search uses this approach, applied to any
  topic of interest (EDIT 6360)

8
Another related idea Problem Solving

• In any field, there is a problem to be solved,
  and the investigator uses a disciplined approach
  to find answers.
• Example you have a child in your class who cant
  read on grade level. As the teacher, you try to
  diagnose the problem, and search for known
  approaches that might work (like Reading
  Recovery). Then, you apply the approaches one by
  one until the child begins to make progress.

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Closely related

• journalism
• forensic investigation

Think about what are the differences between
these 2 professional activities and research?
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When you need to know something --

• sometimes the information is already there, and
  you simply must find it
• other times, no one knows the answer

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Your research project

• Should discover new information AND/OR
• Should involve a specific context (like your
  school, media center, or computer lab) about
  which you will be discovering new information
• Especially for the purpose of solving a problem
  OR evaluating progress toward a goal.

12
What good does research do?

• According to some - none. What good does it
  really do for man to be able to walk on the moon?
• On the other hand as NASA figured out how to get
  us to the moon, inventions were made like Tang.
• Research is a disciplined way of gaining new
  knowledge. Its a form of human development.

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Some obvious benefits of research and development

• sticky note was supposed to be a new adhesive,
  but it wouldnt stay stuck
• the computer revolution
• cures, treatments, and preventatives for
  diseases polio, bacterial infections, heart
  disease
• relationship between smoking and cancer (not
  cause and effect, but strong statistical
  correlation)

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Problems with research

• Sometimes it seems like EVERYTHING causes cancer
  and/or high cholesterol
• Open classrooms a failed innovation
• Hormone Replacement Therapy once thought
  helpful, now considered slightly harmful

15
In education

• Educational research and LIS research falls under
  the category of social science
• Social science tends to be messy and inexact. You
  cant easily control factors. Imagine treating
  children like lab rats wouldnt work, would it?
• Anytime humans are involved, research is a
  challenge.

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A matter of perspective

• In education, we have serious problems. Or do
  we? Our educational system is failing. Or is it?
  It depends on how you look at it.
• For example this year, Georgia ranks 50 in SAT
  scores. Does this mean that we have almost the
  poorest educational system in the country? What
  does this statistic REALLY mean?

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So why bother?

• Each of us wants the best for our students and
  patrons. We each see things about our educational
  system that dont work well. How can we help
  students learn better?
• This is the purpose of educational research.

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When you do a research project based in your own
professional practice -

• Your practice improves.
• You learn a great deal.

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And...

• Ideally, your learning spreads in your location.
• Ideally, you discover and apply improvements that
  help students learn better.
• Ideally, you share your discovery with a wide
  audience, so that others may benefit as well.

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Start watching out for these terms

• applied versus basic
• epistemology
• problems, questions, hypotheses
• methodology
• design
• technique

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Extension

• Start thinking about problems in school library
  media, school and educational technology,
  libraries, and even in schools in general.
• Research should start out with a problem in mind,
  or at least a strong curiosity!