OUGD601 | Context of Practice 03 | Lecture 02 : Organising your Research Project : Integrating Theory & Practice

Context of Practice 03 | Lecture 02
Organising your Research Project : Integrating Theory & Practice

'Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.' - Zora Neale Hurston

Integrating Practical Research

Practical Response:

• Your practical research should develop alongside and in relation to your written response. 
• It can be content, process or product lead and can be resolve through product and/or proposal. 
• Practical investigation can and should inform theoretical research and your written response. 
• Documenting your practical and written response on your blog should help with and highlight the process of synthesis. 
• Will be discussed and reviewed primarily during Peer Review sessions.

 

 


'Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.' - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

METHODOLOGY

• Refers to how you will find out what you are looking for. (Approaches)
• Identifies who will be involved and how. (Techniques) 
• Specifies how you will turn source material (data) in to evidence. (Analysis) 
• Considers how you will generate meaning from your evidence. (Interpretation) 
• Refers what processes you will use to investigate your project. (Approaches) 
• Identifies how you will apply skills to investigate your project (Techniques) 
• Specifies how you will evaluate and practically develop your source material into concepts & ideas. (Analysis) 
• Considers how you will generate practical outcomes from your findings. (Interpretation)  

 

CHAPTER 2 – Context & Themes (2000 words)

• Identify and focus on 5 main sources of theory/information/source material. 
• Use them to show that you understand a focused historical, contextual, social, cultural political or aesthetic theories relating to your theme and subject 
• Focus on 10 key quotes to and 5 examples to start with. 
• Critically Analyse them to see if they support or contradict each other 
• Triangulate your quotes/source material to demonstrate that you understand the theories/content 
• Use additional references where appropriate. 
• Briefly conclude your findings 
• KEY SKILL: Critical Analysis 

CHAPTER 2 – Context & Themes (2000 words)

• Use this chapter to demonstrate that you know your subject 
• Show us that you can select appropriate references from a breadth of research and sources 
• Any research that you don’t use should be on your blog and so it will be assessed 
• KEY SKILL: Research Skills

CHAPTER 3 – Case Studies of Practice (1500 words)

• Identify and focus on 3 to 5 (contemporary) examples. 
• Show how you apply your knowledge and understanding from Chapter 2 to the examples you have identified. 
• Compare the examples to the statements that you have made in Chapter 2 
• Critically Evaluate them to see if they support or contradict your argument or opinions 
• Compare your examples to strengthen your views or challenge theories 
• Briefly conclude your findings 
• KEY SKILL: Critical Evaluation 

CHAPTER 4 – Reflective Practice

• Tell us how you have applied what you have learned in your written response to your practical response (and vice versa) 
• Explain the connection between theory, content process and product 
• Critically Evaluate the success / failings of the connection between theory, content process and product 
• Critically Evaluate the success of the project. 
• Tell us how the project relates to your practice. 
• Suggest how the project could be extended further, used in other contexts 
• KEY SKILL: Critical Reflection

1. In order to gain knowledge your research should have a PURPOSE. 
2. The PURPOSE of your research should be formulated into a RESEARCH QUESTION. 
3. Both the PURPOSE of your research and your RESEARCH QUESTION can -and will- change and develop as you find out more about your subject

DEVELOPING RESEARCH PROPOSALS 

• Start with what you already know. 
• Identify what you want to know more about. 
• Plan how you are going to find out about it.

Planning the Project

• Write down all questions that you want to investigate 
• Consider each on their merits and focus on two (primary & secondary) 
• Write an A4 ‘first thoughts’ sheet for each: What is the purpose of the study? Is your question researchable? 
• Working title 

CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE

• Ideally, the title should provide a thesis, or an answerable assertion. 
• You might opt for a Title and Subtitle. 
• Make notes of the key questions that your research raises as you go along. Try to encapsulate all of these in the overarching title. 
• No more than 15-20 words. 
• Choose the appropriate tone. 
• Discuss this with your tutor at the first tutorial. 
• This can be revised before submission, but shouldn’t be radically different to your ideas at this stage. 

Project Outline

• Consider timings 
• DEADLINE- 15 WEEKS 
• Consider holidays / work / life 
• Think about your working title and the different component parts that need researching. 
• Allocate timings to each 
• Draw up a project outline based on the above 
• Allow generous time for initial reading and writing up 
• Factor in tutorials 
• Don’t forget to include targets / milestones for the written and practical components of the project. 
• CONSULT WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT THIS

Literature Search

• Reading takes more time than you think 
• How much can you actually read in 100 hrs? 
• Start by trying to find out all the key texts on your chosen topic. 
• Focus your reading based on an initial assessment of this survey 
• Find key texts and plan time to read these 
• Find secondary sources / criticisms of key texts (triangulation) 
• Use journals (www.jstor.org) 

Referencing

• Start compiling a bibliography at the beginning of the project 
• Reference as you go along 
• Include all details (name,forename,date,place, publisher, page) 
• Use Harvard : Miles,R. (2015) ‘Dissertation’, Leeds, LCA publishing. 

Ethics

• If a student’s CoP3 research involves human subjects (1) and/or data not in the public domain (2) then ethical approval must be granted by their supervisor / programme leader. 
• If the researcher is interviewing or observing participants then that counts as ‘involving human subjects’. 'Interviewing' means that you are recording the person's words, by writing, tape or any other means, and using them in your work. 
• ‘Data not in the public domain’ means data (or objects) which are still in copyright, or are in private collections, and for which written permission for use must be obtained. 

Approaches to Research

1. Quantitative – – Surveys 
2. Data Collection / Market Research 
3. Qualitative – – Interviews 
4. Participant Observation – Reflective Journal
5. Action Research. 

Questionnaires

• Is a questionnaire the best way of investigating your topic? 
• If so, begin to word questions and discuss with your supervisor 
• Avoid ambiguity, imprecision or assumption. 
• Also avoid double, leading, presuming or offensive questions 
• Question Type?
• Think about format / appearance 
• Always pilot your questionnaire 
• Decide on sample size 
• Specify a return deadline (factor this into your project outline) 
• Record responses as soon as complete 

Interviews

• Is an interview the best way of investigating your topic? 
• If so,begin to word questions and discuss with your supervisor 
• Structured or unstructured interview? 
• How will you analyse questions? 
• Watch for bias 
• Plan the interview/prepare the room 
• Introduce yourself 
• Tape record the interview (permission required) 
• Agree the accuracy of notes with interviewer

Critical diaries / reflective blogs

• Make sure you are clear about the purpose? 
• Be disciplined, and stick to a clear schedule. 
• Update regularly, perhaps even daily. 
• Try and summarise / evaluate the contents near the end of the project. 

CHECKLIST
✓Don’t procrastinate
✓Plan research methods carefully
✓Select the most appropriate research methods for the project
✓Document all stages of the process carefully 

✓Produce a detailed project outline, with timings, and stick to it
✓Get the most from your supervision

Next Lecture 3: Resolving & Presenting your Research Project

• Academic Conventions 
• Presentation Formats 
• Writing conclusions & introductions 
• Bibliographies 
• Draft Submissions 
• Binding your Essay 
• Submission Formats.