There are various approaches that we can use for research. Sometimes, however, we re not sure, which type of research is most appropriate for the task on hand.
It is important to consider the time you have available for interviews for example, where a questionnaire might be more appropriate. But if we need more detailed information about something to solve a particular problem the interview might work better. Your task or project will also need to be completed at a certain time, for example observations may take a large amount of it. Some observations are appropriate for one hour, sometimes for 12 months or some, even years. We need to be practical here
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We also need to consider the costs of the entire operation.
What, why and how
When planning any project, you need to define what you are going to do and why, to explain the rationale for your actions. Generally, the intent contains the whole methodology within itself. One you think of something, you can imagine the project steps to be taken to achieve the desired result. The actions need to be taken in a purposeful way. This means, also, doing a solid research where you give rationale fractions as well as defining them. Two questions need to be answered here: "why" and "how". These are grounded in our values and we will explore the "whys" and "hows" of a research below.
Why you take action
Your choice of ideas and concepts are informed by the values you hold, which give meaning to your identity in relation to others. In real sense, your values translate to the conceptual frameworks you take actions and make your decisions. Using the frameworks we judge. For example, if you value, kindness, freedom or justice they will set your standard of judgement. In the process of living, clarifying and communicating the meaning of our values we argue, reflect and revise them.
If you are involved in project, you will be able to explain to your readers that you know why you are doing your research, that relates to your values.
Think about what gives meaning to your professional and personal life. Possibly you value proactive and strong in personal commitment work. These comes to your standards of judgement and personal criteria. You can justify your claim in the changes you are making by the work that you see.
However, frequently in life, we do not manage to realise our values. This is because we experience dissonance between the beliefs and actions. Some of our values are neglected either by us or by others. This can be called as a conflict of values, by believing in one thing and experiencing another. Many people are also often persuaded to change their actions even against their values. We might also fool ourselves, at times, that we cannot life in harmony with our values by believing we are fully dependent on something.
Therefore, we need to exercise personal reflection and critique and explain it within our work.
How you take action
Individual people enquire into their own practices in a systematic way so that they can show that they keep themselves accountable for what they are doing. Traditional research however, stand from an outsider perspective and does not foreground personal accountability in doing research or taking action. You need to demonstrate your capacity to ask critical questions and come to the conclusion in the form of definite answers and to see the end-point of one part as a start of another. You need to communicate the openness to new possibilities and continual critique.
It involves a cyclic process of acting, reflecting on the action and taking another. You need to review your practices, identify areas for improvement, imagine the way forward, trial it, modify, evaluate again and reconsider your position.
Research is about identifying what we want to achieve in the light of the values we hold, offer justification and being prepared to ask awkward questions and solve problems.
We need to ask ourselves first what we want to investigate that concerns us. The focus can be narrow or wide, but it is important to focus on one thing at a time, even if other issues are pressing. Sometimes we can fell overwhelmed by the complexities of our situation as one problem brings another. Your keywords are to keep your project small enough for your resources, stay focused and keep it manageable.
It is also important on focusing on research and not work of others. You should not investigate them as it is their responsibility, you might, however, investigate the ways to influence them.
You also need to be clear why you want to get involved in the area of research. Action research generally involves in improving the quality of life or process. We need to be aware of our values and often deconstructing them ,which can be difficult. We must also be aware of a possibility of us living in contradiction if our values are denied. For example, certain institutional constraints may prevent us from exercising the values.
One of the most important steps in research is to define the research question. The question will lead the entire action we take. We will need to translate the question into the knowledge claim by producing evidence that we have engaged with the question. We also need to be realistic and ask ourselves whether we can actually do anything about the situation. We need to keep it small, focused and manageable.
We cannot change the entire world, but we can always take small steps to influence the situation.
It is also important to show your current situation as it is so that you have a baseline for evidencing progress. At this point we generally gather data and generating evidence. You may need to gather a lot of data before your main issue emerges. It may be also difficult to decide which data to use for which purpose. Try to gather your data and store in one place and in accordance in what you wish to show.
We also need to be selective to whom we involve in the research. Try to indentify a small group of people who will let you to generate the kind of data to make judgements to developing work together. It is perfectly reasonable working with one person on research.
We are not trying to find solution in the example of "If you do this, you will achieve this". What we are trying to do, is to show improvement with your research and show the influence. You can produce an evidence that you are acting with honesty for their benefit. You will share records and ideas, negotiate them and come to a collective agreement.
You also need to identify the criteria and standards of judgements whether you are achieving your goals. Your values will be your criteria.
Gathering evidence
Evidence refers to those pieces of data that relate directly to your research question and claim to knowledge. It is also possible to show how the transformation happen. You may also gather a lot of data, much of which may seem irrelevant. But the relevant data will become your evidence. Sometimes the data may show things that are not going according to plan, but disconfirming data still gives a powerful steer to check you are on a right track or need to change the course of actions. You may need to rethink what ou are doing and at times, start again.
Data also can be interpreted in different ways. Sometimes it might feel like we cannot immediately solve an issue and we have failed because we have not achieved expected results. Things do not often work anticipated. Even if you can show that you have developed your thinking to improve further it is enough. Your improved thinking might be the outcome of your research.
In order to show the situation as it develops, try to gather data on regular basis. Keep records of your monitoring and evaluation. It is not exactly "before" and "after" data, because you should be able to show the progression of events that include your own changing of understandings and reevaluation of the position.
Your data gathered throughout the research may be using the same method or you can mix and match the methods as applicable. You may use quantitive or qualitative data. It is also important to get others to validate your claims to knowledge.
The question of the production of evidence to show validity of the processes can become complex. Some evidence may be gathered easily, and some not, but it is a good practice to get feedback and ask others.
Evaluate what you are doing
Evaluation accounts for making judgements to establish what is good about it. The values should be as subjective as possible. There are generally two forms of evaluation:
- self evaluation, where a person makes their own judgement about the things in question using both externally recognised criteria and their own criteria, where permitted.
- external evaluation, where external observer makes judgements about something typically using a specified criteria and standards.
Research generally will encourage to use self-evaluation using our own assessment criteria and present to others for objective assessment.
In order to ensure that judgements and evaluation is fair and accurate you can simply test your knowledge. If your evidence is not sufficiently robust you can always strengthen it, possibly by re-analysing the data. And secondly, you can use third party validation. You can ask others for feedback or test the validity.
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