Craft of Research, 1

Use of research, pubic & private From the researcher’s point of view - a craft Research is carefully planned: – May not know precisely what one’s looking for, but know in general the kinds of materials needed – How to find them – How to use them – Assemble them into an acceptable, cogent whole From the researcher’s point of view - a craft Research is carefully planned: – May not know precisely what one’s looking for, but know in general the kinds of materials needed – How to find them – How to use them – Assemble them into an acceptable, cogent whole

Value of Research For the neophyte researcher, helps one understand the material More distantly, skills of research & of writing will help you in your career … – As a (very modest) researcher, – Helping others gather resources (reference), – Organize them into a cogent whole (BI) – Report reliably and persuasively (as librarian) For the neophyte researcher, helps one understand the material More distantly, skills of research & of writing will help you in your career … – As a (very modest) researcher, – Helping others gather resources (reference), – Organize them into a cogent whole (BI) – Report reliably and persuasively (as librarian)

Your multiple roles Understand the production of research: – Writing, research techniques, statistical methods, argumentation, interpretations and alternatives – The referee process – Printed and online versions Understand the production of research: – Writing, research techniques, statistical methods, argumentation, interpretations and alternatives – The referee process – Printed and online versions

Your multiple roles As a librarian (or other info professional) you should be aware of the physical traits of resource documents on retrieval: – Surrogates, controlled vocabularies, thesauri – Full-text retrieval (“IR”) – Abstracts and abstracting services – How these issues affect one’s ability to retrieval relevant documents – Novel trends in some fields (e.g., bioinformatics, bibliomining) As a librarian (or other info professional) you should be aware of the physical traits of resource documents on retrieval: – Surrogates, controlled vocabularies, thesauri – Full-text retrieval (“IR”) – Abstracts and abstracting services – How these issues affect one’s ability to retrieval relevant documents – Novel trends in some fields (e.g., bioinformatics, bibliomining)

Your multiple roles Communication: impact of – Writing styles (on consumer research, recommending research reports, IR) – Expectations by domain (scientific research techniques vs. humanities techniques) – Graphic communication – Statistical communication Communication: impact of – Writing styles (on consumer research, recommending research reports, IR) – Expectations by domain (scientific research techniques vs. humanities techniques) – Graphic communication – Statistical communication

Your multiple roles Learn to critique research: establish a base of perspective and rationale … Yet be sensitive to the influences & pressures on researchers Look for alternative interpretations Encourage others to do the same. Learn to critique research: establish a base of perspective and rationale … Yet be sensitive to the influences & pressures on researchers Look for alternative interpretations Encourage others to do the same.

Your multiple roles: Understand the various applications of research, depending on role and location (and whether the activity really is “research”) – Library administrators – Librarians as faculty – Librarians as practitioners – Other info professionals’ needs – Public (non-academic) – Students (academic libraries) Understand the various applications of research, depending on role and location (and whether the activity really is “research”) – Library administrators – Librarians as faculty – Librarians as practitioners – Other info professionals’ needs – Public (non-academic) – Students (academic libraries)

Thinking in Print (chapter 1) Why conduct research? – Reliable published research – Write to remember – Write to understand – Write to gain perspective What do you think? Why conduct research? – Reliable published research – Write to remember – Write to understand – Write to gain perspective What do you think?

Connecting with the Reader Conversations among researchers: – Precise writing reflects the researchers’ judgment about the reader [compare this with the editors’ p.o.v] – Intended audience – Social roles (cf. The library applications mentioned above) Conversations among researchers: – Precise writing reflects the researchers’ judgment about the reader [compare this with the editors’ p.o.v] – Intended audience – Social roles (cf. The library applications mentioned above)

Connecting with the reader Researchers create their own role (research activities, writer, intentions in sharing the work) Understand the intended reader: choice of journal to publish the work – Prestige – Intended audience – Expectations of readers’ knowledge Researchers create their own role (research activities, writer, intentions in sharing the work) Understand the intended reader: choice of journal to publish the work – Prestige – Intended audience – Expectations of readers’ knowledge

Reader concerns Readers will want to know the significance of the problem (the “so what” factor) You want them to accept new knowledge And to change their beliefs about the issue Booth provides a checklist for understanding your reader (pp ) Readers will want to know the significance of the problem (the “so what” factor) You want them to accept new knowledge And to change their beliefs about the issue Booth provides a checklist for understanding your reader (pp )

Asking Questions, Finding Answers From Topics to Questions - we’ll return to this theme several times Researchers try to answer a significant question Actually trying to pose and then solve a problem that others recognize as worth solving Narrowing the topic to a “researchable problem” is not easy! See pp But research requires an actual question, not a topic From Topics to Questions - we’ll return to this theme several times Researchers try to answer a significant question Actually trying to pose and then solve a problem that others recognize as worth solving Narrowing the topic to a “researchable problem” is not easy! See pp But research requires an actual question, not a topic

From topics to questions When reading an article, can you fill in the blanks [p. 44] The author is studying _______. Because s/he wants to find out who/how/why ______. In order to understand how/why/what _____. When reading an article, can you fill in the blanks [p. 44] The author is studying _______. Because s/he wants to find out who/how/why ______. In order to understand how/why/what _____.

From questions to problems Research should discover, show, explain, and convince. Turning practical problems into research problems Is the problem actually significant? There are two types of research: pure and applied. Research should discover, show, explain, and convince. Turning practical problems into research problems Is the problem actually significant? There are two types of research: pure and applied.

Before continuing … We’ll continue our look at research from the “developing researchers’” perspective; Keep in mind these points addressed to researchers-as-authors when we examine them as part of the fountainhead of research: reflective inquiry We’ll continue our look at research from the “developing researchers’” perspective; Keep in mind these points addressed to researchers-as-authors when we examine them as part of the fountainhead of research: reflective inquiry

From Questions to Sources Review Ch. 5 and the Appendix - finding resources in libraries. Sources: Reference librarians General encyclopedia and dictionaries Bibliographic guides Online catalogues (cards for historical collections) Domain specific encyclopedia & dictionaries Specialized bibliographies Guides Review Ch. 5 and the Appendix - finding resources in libraries. Sources: Reference librarians General encyclopedia and dictionaries Bibliographic guides Online catalogues (cards for historical collections) Domain specific encyclopedia & dictionaries Specialized bibliographies Guides

From questions to sources Assignment 1 emphasizes finding resources in libraries - getting to know the lay of the land

From questions to sources Librarians Experts Other people [subjects] Printed resources: – Primary – Secondary – Tertiary – [Which has more research ‘value’ and why?] Librarians Experts Other people [subjects] Printed resources: – Primary – Secondary – Tertiary – [Which has more research ‘value’ and why?]

Using sources Careful notes! [bibliographic data] Careful notes, redux! – For accurate summaries and abstracts Get the context right: – A work cited out of context is suspect Anticipate claims, supporting claims, warrants, biases & assumptions Careful notes! [bibliographic data] Careful notes, redux! – For accurate summaries and abstracts Get the context right: – A work cited out of context is suspect Anticipate claims, supporting claims, warrants, biases & assumptions

Claims & supporting them Making good arguments – Part of a strategy of persuasion – “good” research makes explicit the cause- and-effect: [you claim x caused y because …] Consider the readers’ questions (or the librarian patrons’ questions) and how the expression of the claim can be interpreted by human judges & by IR systems Making good arguments – Part of a strategy of persuasion – “good” research makes explicit the cause- and-effect: [you claim x caused y because …] Consider the readers’ questions (or the librarian patrons’ questions) and how the expression of the claim can be interpreted by human judges & by IR systems

Claims & supporting them Making good arguments – The warrant – Key to persuasion – Great opportunity to mislead by accident or design – Is the warrant somehow qualified ? Should it be? – Does the qualification affect interpretation? Making good arguments – The warrant – Key to persuasion – Great opportunity to mislead by accident or design – Is the warrant somehow qualified ? Should it be? – Does the qualification affect interpretation?

Warrants Quality of the warrant: – False – Unclear – Inappropriate – Inapplicable – Discuss examples Quality of the warrant: – False – Unclear – Inappropriate – Inapplicable – Discuss examples

Qualifications Does the research qualify the claim? If so, is there a complete, accurate, fair explanation of the: – Rebuttals: Complete review of all relevant aspects of the problem? Does the author pick-and-choose evidence? – Concessions: Updated research on the problem Corrected by other researchers acknowledge? Does the research qualify the claim? If so, is there a complete, accurate, fair explanation of the: – Rebuttals: Complete review of all relevant aspects of the problem? Does the author pick-and-choose evidence? – Concessions: Updated research on the problem Corrected by other researchers acknowledge?

Qualifications Limiting conditions – Qualifications affect the generalizability of the research results. – Is the scope of the work also limited? Limiting conditions – Qualifications affect the generalizability of the research results. – Is the scope of the work also limited?

Preparing to draft, drafting & revising Before writing, authors try to gather all the evidence: – Warrants – Objections to rebut [The literature review] – What are your preliminary interpretations? – What are your alternative interpretations? – More importantly, does the research question get answered?! Before writing, authors try to gather all the evidence: – Warrants – Objections to rebut [The literature review] – What are your preliminary interpretations? – What are your alternative interpretations? – More importantly, does the research question get answered?!

Preparing to draft, drafting & revising Main points: – Are the quotes, &c., accurate – Is there a logical structdure to the argument – Don’t be afraid to draft and revise a lot! – Because researchers construct carefully, we can deconstruct carefully. Main points: – Are the quotes, &c., accurate – Is there a logical structdure to the argument – Don’t be afraid to draft and revise a lot! – Because researchers construct carefully, we can deconstruct carefully.

Communicating visually (We’ll return to this theme again.) Visual evidence is intended – To be accurate – To be interpreted quickly Common, tho, for some outlets to manipulate graphics to lie – See Tufte’s works – More examples to follow from the literature and during the SPSS demo (We’ll return to this theme again.) Visual evidence is intended – To be accurate – To be interpreted quickly Common, tho, for some outlets to manipulate graphics to lie – See Tufte’s works – More examples to follow from the literature and during the SPSS demo

Recap and conclusions What’s the main points from the perspective of the: – Researchers – Librarian (as facilitator) – Consumers of research (public and other researchers) What’s the main points from the perspective of the: – Researchers – Librarian (as facilitator) – Consumers of research (public and other researchers)