Demystifying

Research

Dr Clare Atkins, Research Leader

NMIT,Nelsoncatkins@nmit.ac.nz

Structure• Look at what you think

research is• Look at what you do• Look at what ‘Research’ is• Look at how to turn

research into Research• Look at how you can turn

your research into Research

Purpose: Show that Research is not so scary!Hidden Agenda:Have

some fun!

What is research?

What are your ideas? Suggestions……

• Finding out about something

• Solving a problem• Answering a difficult

question • Discovering

patterns/trends in things• Identifying problems that

need solving

For Example

• Finding out about something? – What do cats eat ?

• Solving a problem– Why won’t my cat eat chicken

necks?• Answering a difficult question?

– What will she eat (will it sustain her,can I afford it)?

• Discovering patterns/trends in things– Why does she sometimes want

fish not liver?• Identifying problems that need

solving– Why is she more neurotic than

next-door’s.

Everyday StuffThink of an example of one

of those things that you have done recently…..– Buying a new

car/computer/house……– Finding out what your students

need…..– Deciding where to go on

holiday…..– Deciding whether to take your

cat to the vet!!!…

Share one with your neighbour and identify the process you went through….

Everyday Stuff

So what were the processes you used?Asked others casually or formallyGathered information - net search, reading magazines etc.Observed , used past experience as a guideDecided and acted on itTold others about it and explained to anyone who would listen, why you made that decisionOthers…………..?

This is all research but……

What is Research?

“A search or investigation undertaken to discover facts and reach new conclusions by the critical study of a subject or by a course of scientific enquiry”

Shorter Oxford Dictionary (1993)

“Systematic investigation into and study of materials, sources etc., to establish facts, collate information etc..”

Shorter Oxford Dictionary (1993)

How is this different?Critical: involving careful judgment or

observation

Scientific: valid according to the objective principles of scientific method (consisting of systematic observation, measurement and experiment with the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses) i.e. repeatable

Systematic: arranged or conducted according to a system, plan or organised method….

Shorter Oxford Dictionary (1993)

What are the implications?

We need to be systematic about• what we want to know• what process we are going to follow• how we are going to discover this

knowledge

We need to be able to • describe the whole thing so someone

else can do it again with same or similar result

• explain how we arrived at our conclusions

• explain how what we have done fits with whatever is already known

General Research Process1. Identity research focus

– general area of interest– What do I want to know ?

(the more specific the better)

2. Identify type of research– e.g pattern discovery, problem

solving etc….– define the ‘question’ tightly and

clearly as possible

3. Identify type of research design – survey, observations, experiment…..

4. Discover what is already known– gather as much info as you can– use as many sources as you can– identify which ones are ‘reliable’ i.e.

which do you believe? Why?

General Research Process

5. Do what you’ve planned/collect results– test it out first, if appropriate– check you’re asking the right questions

6. Collate, analyse, integrate results – the fun bit! – take time out to reflect on what it all means

7. Draw conclusions and summarise– what didn’t you discover?– did it confirm what you had thought would

be the case?– Were you biased in any way?

8. Link your findings to what’s known– how does this ‘new’ stuff compare to what

others have done?

9. Reflect on what else could be done– what if I had asked this….– what if I had observed for longer

General Research Process

10. Put your knowledge into the sharable pool

– PRESENT IT

• to anyone who will listen!

• to your group, your department, your institute

• to your interest group, your students, your advisory group

• to your conference!

– PUBLISH IT

• in a newsletter, local newspaper, local radio,

• in a specialist magazine or academic journal

• write a book…..!

How do we turn our research into Research?

• Think carefully about what we want to know

• Plan carefully how we are going to find out

• Try to be objective (or at least recognise our bias) in our doing and rationalising

• Discuss with others - often!• Get it out there for others to

criticise, think about, work from….• Constantly wonder - how could I

make this more useful?

Back to the cat!

1. Cat nutrition and psychology - why will my cat only eat fish sometimes?

2. Pattern Discovery

3. Observation and Experiment

4. Search net, talk to vet, get books

5. Watch/note closely for 2 weeks

6. Write up notes and think

7. She only eats fish on Fridays!

8. Have others found this? Some say only eat fish if…..

9. What if I had watched for 2 months?

10. Put it all up on my web-page (good idea?)

Your turn now

With your neighbour…..

Decide on what you would like to know

Sketch out ideas for the first 4 steps

Conclusion• Research is fun, exciting

and very rewarding• There is no mystery to it -

just a more formal approach than we generally use

• Research is not always about winning a Nobel prize, just about gradually adding to the general pool of knowledge….

• You can do it!

My promise to you

When you see that first piece of published research with

your name on it

You’ll be the cat who finally got the cream!