My research question has definitely changed over the course of the semester. I have changed and re-changed subjects so often that it has been difficult to keep track. I have had to be a little more introspective about my interests in order to decide on a research topic. Taking a deep look at your interests and thinking how to undertake a detailed exploration of them is actually a more difficult task than you would expect.
I have definitely learned how to take a new approach to research, as I have had to think of new approaches and methods to tackle different subject areas. Not having any research background, I had a fairly stereotypical view of research (labcoats and scientists), so it took some time for me to adjust to the different types of research that can be done with different methods.
I am still wrestling with my research question in that I am not sure where to place my focus on my topic. I can think of broad questions like "how does this work?" or "where did this come from?", but it is difficult to focus a research question to a specific issue or interest in my topic area. And though I might come up with some sub-questions for my topic, but I am never confident that each question is as interesting as the topic as a whole. You want to really explore the entirety of a subject and a feasible research question can sometimes feel limiting.
Hi Paul! Thanks for your encouraging comment on my previous post. It gave me the push I needed to edit my introduction one last time and then leave it alone. I sympathize with your struggle to create a good research question. Maybe if you can summarize your project a little, the other group members and I could suggest some ways to phrase your research question? No pressure, just wanted to offer some help if you still need it.
ReplyDeleteI am glad I was able to help. For my own work, I am still trying to refine my research question. I have been able to move forward on my project by justifying it as "discovery" type research (that is, I do not have a very specific question in mind to answer, but a topic to explore and define). My proposal is regarding keyboard layouts and their impact and origins. In particular I am interested in the QWERTY layout as the conventional keyboard design. I want to understand how it came to be, how it has endured and what the impact of the keyboard layout has on society. So, it is not a very focused question, but the research might lead to something interesting. It is a bit late for the to make any changes to my proposal, but do you have any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that a fixed question can be limiting. I think of the question as a flashlight directed out at the territory of research. However, what one discovers may change the question.
ReplyDeleteI completely see your dilemma Paul. Everything about your project that you describe sounds really interesting, and if I were you I would also have trouble narrowing it down! The only thing I can suggest would be to re-phrase your research in the form of an open-ended, exploratory question. Maybe something like: "What understanding of society's relationship to technology can be gained through an examination and analysis of the QWERTY keyboard?" (or some kind of variation on that). I realize that it's probably too late to make any big changes to your project, but maybe approaching it through the lens of material culture or object studies would be helpful (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_culture). I don't know what your academic background is, or if you already know about these disciplines, but they provide all kinds of points of entry into the study of the relationship between people and objects. Anyway, I hope that this might be helpful in some way, and good luck!
ReplyDeleteEven though the course blog and my paper are both finished and submitted, I wanted to thank you for your advice. The link to material cultural studies was something that I was not aware of, but it seems like it is very interesting and very relevant to my research. It is too late to implement it into my paper, but I will definitely keep it in mind for any future explorations in my research. Thanks!
DeleteI think this is an important problem. It might be a good idea to ask Prof. Galey. I agree with Lauren, that an active question that leads in to the territory might be a good idea.
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