The Process of Gathering Information

· Key Points: Advancement of Knowledge; Exploratory; Curiosity; Open Mind; Reflexive (aware of own bias)
· Students may be using a combination of several methods and even hybrids of methods
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Methods
Correlation (Comparative): comparing two or more things to with a view to discover something new about one or both. This method is often interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary.
Space and time are often used and cross-national comparisons are most common.

Survey: Questions presented to individual or groups. Surveys can be handed out and response is written. Questions can be given orally to people, face to face, over phone over internet (email, Skype, etc.).

Interview: Structured with questions, or can be narrative, free flowing.

Case study: Extensive observations of a few individuals. Data collection may include watching behavior, interviews and “library” or internet research.

Observation (with field notes)
Direct and unobtrusive are two types. Direct is when they know you are watching. Unobtrusive is when they may not know when you are watching. Here’s a handy website with tutorial (through Brown University):
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Brown/lauratp.htm

Historical
Interpretation of the past. Often used to inform us of the present and future relating to the topic. Gives context.

Web Definition: The process of systematically examining past events to give an account; may involve interpretation to recapture the nuances, personalities, and ideas that influenced these events; to communicate an understanding of past events.

Ethnography--Use of fieldwork to provide descriptive study of human societies. Holistic (re: method often used by travel writers and cultural anthropologists)

Internet Research: practice of using the internet, websites, web tools to gather information about a topic. Knowledge is both documented and created on the internet. New emerging field is research about the Internet. Things to consider: credibility and ethics of internet research.

*Also, remember there is also old fashioned library research.

Other Definitions
Literature Review
Review of information (usually published work) about a topic. May also be a review of research in progress about the topic.
Primary sources Original documents and other original materials such as photos, drawings, letters, diaries, documents, books, films, posters, play scripts, speeches, songs, sheet music, and first-person accounts.
Secondary sources Information created about a topic such as journal articles about a topic.

Ways of interpreting and presenting your discoveries

Performative (via composition and Viewpoints method J)

Writing and blogging

Film, Video Clips, still photography, music, poetry, painting, etc.

Use Field Notebook (transfer notes to the above)