First Monthly Learning Community Colloquia

*On Thursday, September  10th, we had our first monthly learning community colloquia in Cramton Auditorium. I only got to see a portion of the presentation because I had my Intro to Psych class form 3:40 to 5. But the presenter, Dr. Carr, was a really cool guy. He posted his Powerpoint on the Internet for us, and even posed for a picture with us after he spoke. The discussion was about the group research projects that we are soon going to have to complete.*

The Five Basic Steps in the Research Process

Step 1: Identify and Develop Your Topic

In this first step, the researcher tries to develop a question about their topic that can be answered through their intended research. The question should be such that the answer will be supportable by fact and narrow enough that the researcher can plausibly solve their piece of the puzzle and leave a clear place for others to continue from.

Step 2: State Your Research Methodology and Method

This step mostly involve identifying the academic field that will be useful in answering the question set out in Step 1. The researcher must decide what tools he or she needs to successfully complete their intended course of study and which academic field can most aptly supply them with those tools. In the case of our research projects, and many times in real life, a research question can and needs to be answered by combining knowledge from several areas of study. In that case, this step also involve figuring out how to effectively the tools available from each to serve the desired result.

Step 3: Look for Previous Research

This step ties in with Dr. Carr's first ground rule, which is to be present, meaning don't just be here, play an active role in your community and your education. Know your surroundings and your history. When doing research, the researcher should take notes and cite their sources (to avoid plagiarism) in the proper MLA or APA form. There are many kinds of sources: the various libraries, electronics databases; primary secondary and tertiary. The work that others have done is an excellent aid in new research, no matter what the topic because it can provide at least the background, and sometimes more, for the answers to the guiding questions.

Step 4: Evaluate Sources, Think, and Articulate Your Findings

The African word that Dr. Carr gave us for this step is hatata, which means "sifting". This step ties in with his second ground rule which is to read and write. At this point the researcher has all the information they need and must process it and present it in a coherent way. Their findings should try to create new knowledge, they should be searching for answers that have not yet been found or filling in missing links in the research surrounding their topic. Once they have figured all this out, they should write it in a clear and concise manner so that researchers that come later can use their new discoveries in further studies.

Step 5: Imagine What is Left for Others to Do?

This step ties in to Dr. Carr's third ground rule, called mekhet, which is speaking to the future. At the end, the researcher should include a small section where they explain where their findings end and another can begin. To do this, they should think of the ramifications of their research and future questions that it could help answer. They should also consider how this research will help them be remembered in their field.