Saturday, January 12, 2008

What is (Good) Research? Reply Four

Rory, Tony, and Tiffany

Braddock-work with topic sentences
This work has influenced personal writing in that it makes me less concerned with it during the invention process. Pedagogically is provides supports that writing teachers can teach writing as a process and not a formula.

Red cars get in more car accidents than other colored cars. There are way too many variables to prove this claim. There is a huge difference between correlation and causation. Who was driving the car?

Good research
Context-grounded in a specific context
Accounting for variables-acknowledging limitations
Apply findings cautiously while knowing that findings might be inconclusive
Use of credible sources
Sufficient data depending on methods used
So what factor

1 comment:

tiffany said...

Adding to our awesome (Thank you Rory!) list:

Researchers should acknowledge that the question/purpose determines the methods.

A good researcher should also have a clear purpose and well-articulated question.

When designing a research project, money and time should also be considered. If you don't have the time (or money), don't design a longitudinal study!

Devising a clear coding scheme is a requirement for "good" research. When analyzing your data, remember to consider multiple lenses. Convergence begets confidence.

A diligent researcher must make their biases known.

A wise researcher will value the response and feedback of peers.