In The Name Of God eResearch Kianoosh Mokhtarian

In The Name Of God

e-Research Kianoosh Mokhtarian Ali Jafari Amir Reza Khosroshahi Mostafa Amiri

e-Research Methods, Strategies, and Issues

Introduction Our anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s job with yesterday’s tool n The Net changes everything n Research n n Detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding. (Cambridge International Dictionary of English)

What Does The e Mean? n A few years ago e meant a tool n Primarily text based n Operated on a relatively unsecure communication link n A wide variation in performance and qulaity of service n E-applications in education n Students and faculty could access the contents easily

What Does The e Mean? (cont’d) n Audio, video and multimedia channels in Netbased platoforms n Also changed our connotations of the Net or the e-world n Generally: the activity takes place on a highspeed, digital network, available “anytime/anywhere” n Today that network is the internet

Tips For Finding Useful Information Begin the search by analyzing your needs n Isolate your keywords n Select a search tool that matches your needs n Experiment with a variety of search engines n Most researchers’ favorite engine, http: //www. google. com , general, fast and effective n

Some Search Tools n http: //www. mednet. com n devoted to medical information n http: //www. searchenginecolossus. com n Focused on particular regions and countries n http: //www. noodlequest. com/noodlequest/ n To find appropriate search engines, or what engines are available n Generates a list of engines, based on your Internet skills and your search needs

Research Design Encompasses the procedures a researcher use to study a (set of) question(s) or hypothesis n e-research design is almost like the design process for non-Net-based reasearch n Purpose of developing a research design n clearly express a solvable, important problem n Structure the research by illustraiting how the major parts of the project (measures, treatments, programs, etc) address the objective of the research n

Research Design (cont’d) n Typically includes: n A research methodology paradigm n The use of related and relevant literature n The purpose and/or objectives of the study n A problem statement (research questions) n An acknowledgment of limitations n A statement of the significance of the study n A plan for data collection and analysis

Asking The Answerable One of the most difficult tasks: decide on a problem in need of investigation n The question must be asked in a researchable manner n Example: n n Should researchers learn how to use the Internet for more efficient and effective research?

Asking The Answerable (cont’d) n Unanswerable n asks whether should or should not n Impossible in empirical referents n Rarely “yes/no” answerable events worthy of study n Something may be shown to be effective in one setting, but not to many other settings n Implies that the Internet supports “more efficient and effective research” n This assumption is itself a research question n Should not be given in the research problem statement

Asking The Answerable (cont’d) n Should researchers learn how to use the Iternet for more efficient and effective research? n Must be answerable and have clarity n How does the use of the Internet for research influence research effectiveness? n Still needs further clarification through n subquestions that narrow the focus of the study n definitions of key-words in more precise term (e. g. , influence and effectiveness)

Research Methods n Different ways of arriving at the knowledge n Literature review n Involves a synthesis of existing researches n A search which results in a list of references to books, other materials on the topic n Action research n Involves a partnership between the researcher and those in a situation n Focuses on solutions to real problems in daily life

Research Methods (cont’d) n Critical theory n Involves the deconstruction of systems, unfold hidden agendas n Historical research n Attempts to detail the objective reconstruction of historical events n Mixed method n Combines a number of methods n Provides views from different perspectives on a problem

Quantitative Research Associated with study of natural phenomena n Concerned with the tabulation or numeric relevance of various kinds of behaviour n Oriented towards the quantity of facts, what the statistical evidence tells us n • Laboratory experiments • Formal methods (e. g. econometrics) • Numerical methods such as mathematical modeling

Qualitative Research Associated with study of social phenomena n Concerned with understanding the processes, which underlie various behavioural patterns n Focuses on quality of the subject under study n Qualitative data sources n n Observation and participant observation (fieldwork) n Interviews and questionnaires n Documents and texts n The researcher’s impressions and reactions

The Language And The Method n e-Reasearch questions should be worded in language that is compatible with the focus of the study n the research method n Qualitative research n Quantitative research n

Qualitative Research n The research question is often presented in the form of a grand tour question n Constructed through the use of nondirectional wording n Ensures unlimited inquiry n discover, explain, explore, describe the experience, … n How is social presence established in Webbased learning activities? (Ethnography)

Quantitative research The research question is often presented with a narrow focus n Use of directive wording n n affect, compare, determine, lead to, cause, relate, … n Does the integration of the Internet into the highschool curriculum lead to increased selfdirected learning skills when compared with curriculum that does not integrate the Internet?

Ethics & The e-Researcher Necessary to build certain rule n Virtual word n Lack of referee n Important item in e-research n

How The Net Complicates Ethics Virtual world & too many culture n Chat room n E-Shopping n E-banking n E-government n Network security n

Privacy, Confidentiality, Autonomy, And The Respect For Persons n n Limitation for others to reach the research Securing the information for others & for researchers Important data out of reach of members Using of privation program

Obtaining Consent From Online Participant Give consent to gain the trust of researcher & other members n Research must have identity, targets, rolls n Obtaining explicit permission n Seeking ways to connect between participant n

Obtaining Consent Electronically n Verify by public keys infrastructure firms such as verisign. com

When Is Consent Needed? The Public Versus Private Dilemma It ‘s not too necessary to get consent in public mode n We must obtain satisfaction of private research n n Reducing the potential to harm

Tips For Ethical e-Research Understand & interpret ethics principle to developed for offline word n Make new rules by ethics base n Research to improve ethic rules n Recognize any possible risk before during & after research n

The Golden Rule n The golden rule: “do unto others as you would have them unto you”

Collaborative e-Research Big project n Disbursed & long-time project n net' strengths for communications & sharing data to improve the project n peer to peer networks can increase & help eresearch n

Collaboration Tools Communication tools n Data & document tools n Application tools n Project management tools n Community management tools n

Types Of e-Research Collaborations So many type & level of process n communities of practice share three characteristics 1. the domain 2. the community of the e-researcher 3. the practice of the community n

Challenges Of e-Research Collaboration Time n Hardware & communications bandwidth n Third word countries & lack of infrastructure n A failed example in Canada universities n

Applications Of Collaborative Software e-Researchers Microsoft’s sharepoint team service n Communityzero n Timecracking n

Methods Of Research n Interviews Structured n Semi-structured n Unstructured interviews n Focus groups n Surveys n Consensus n

Interview n Data is gathered through direct communication between individuals

Structured Interviews Generally referred to as a surveys n Same sequenced and preestablished questions n Fixed response categories n A large carefully selected sample n Data is analyzed numerically using statistics n Generalizable n

Semi-Structured And Unstructured Interviews Conducted one-on-one n Face-to-face verbal interchange n Increasing opportunity to be conducted on the Net n

Unstructured Vs. Semi-structured Unstructured interviews: n Undertaken in natural settings n Small number of loosely defined questions n No precise order n Broad and open-ended questions n Reflective comment, and follow-up questions

Unstructured Vs. Semi-structured (Cont’d) Semi-structured interviews: n Preplanned and ordered questions n May have follow-up questions n It is both structured and unstructured

More In The Book Interviewing skills n Initiating the process n Asking the questions n Analyzing the data n

Focus Groups Used to define research topics and questions n Draws data from a number of people n Non-quantitative n Not indented to reach a consensus n Quality control mechanism n

Focus Groups (Cont’d) Allows respondents to react and build on responses n Results not collected in individual interviews n Results should not be generalized n

Why “Focus”? Participants are similar in some way n Gather data about a single topic or narrow a range of topics n

Net-based Vs. Face-to-face Focus Groups Time n Expenses n Need to involve individuals from different geographic areas n

Net-based Focus Groups Synchronous asynchronous Text-based ICQ Email Groups Audio-and/or video based Net. Meeting Centra

In The Book The process n Group size n Participant characteristics n Organization n The moderator n Analyzing data n

Why Consensus? Creates useful results on a consensus by experts in the field n Arrive at a agreed upon statement n Achieving a single best answer n Reveal the extent of disagreement n

Consensus Vs. Focus Groups n In consensus the goal is: Achieving a single best answer n Or statically reveal the extent of disagreement n n In Focus groups: Qualitative research n Open-ended n

Consensus Techniques Delphi method n Nominal group technique n WIKI system n

Delphi Method Common root with Internet (ARPANET) n Participants remain anonymous to each other n Easily adapted to the Net n

Process Of Delphi Method Sending letters of invitation n Questions are provided n Results, together with reasons, are analyzed and returned n Repeated two to five times until the group reaches a consensus n

Nominal Group Technique Interaction occurs in real time n Traditionally face-to-face n

Nominal Group Process A facilitator introduces the issue, and a question n Allowing time for participants to write down individual opinions n The facilitator asks each participant in turn to provide his or her answer n No discussion is allowed during this time n Next, they are invited to discuss n

Nominal Group Process (Cont’d) Followed by one or more rounds of individual estimates n Ends with consensus or an “agree to disagree” n

Nominal Groups On The Net Text chat n Audio or video conferencing n Computers can be used to calculate and display the degree of consensus n

WIKI System Designed by Ward Cunningham n Native to the Net n Allows users to jointly edit HTM documents n Any user can alter the page n

Consensus In WIKI Systems The output of the group is a series of documents n Consensus is reached when all participants are satisfied n

Net-Based dissemination of E-research results

Net-based dissemination of E-research results Why it is important? n What network tools is best? n Tips for effectively & efficiently dissemination. n

Why publish your results? Because I have to. n Because I want to get ahead. n Because I need to learn from others. n Because I need to clarify my own thoughts. n Because I can be satisfying. n

Creating quality content Difference between ways of process from the screen & from the text. n Use the techniques of newspaper editor , rather than novelists. n Using the inverted pyramid style of presentation. n

Creating quality content For example a site that designed to assist researchers in publishing their results must ask author the following question : 1 - who are the intended readers ? 2 - what did you do ? 3 - Why did you do it ? 4 - what happened? 5 - what do the results mean in theory ? 6 - what do the results mean in practice ? 7 - what is the key benefit for your readers ? 8 - what remains unresolved ?

Network tools for dissemination of Eresearch results 1. 2. 3. 4. Peer-reviewed articles. Popular press. Email lists of usenet groups. Virtual conference.

Dissemination through peerreviewed articles First filter : the editor of the selected peerreview journal. n Journal’s editorial review committee : review the research. n • Usually the reviewers send their publishing recommendation and ideas for improvement to the author and ….

Weakness of peer-reviewed article 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. It can be very lengthy. Being narrow (only two to three reviewers see the work). Secretive (only the editor knows all the actors). Arbitrary (the editor have a limited number of reviewers to choose from , none of whom may have the necessary knowledge). expensive

advantages of peer-reviewed article n n n Increased accessibility. Improved capacity for search and retrieval. Capacity to link to additional content including source data. Capacity to publish whenever the review is finished , rather than waiting for a publication data. Increase speed of distribution. The ability to insert hyperlinks and multimedia into the publication.

Dissemination through the popular press n n It dose not have the academic prestige of peerreviewed publication. The review process is generally faster and often consist of only proofreading for grammatical errors by an editor. Your production may get much wider distribution. You may be paid for your efforts !

Dissemination through a Web site n Are e-researchers able to dissemination their own articles via their own site ?

Dissemination through email lists or usenet groups message must consist of a short abstract of result and at least one method for further information. n The subject of message must be short & must grab the attention of potential readers. n

Dissemination through virtual conference n n n n Availability : anytime , anyplace or both. Interactive. Structured. Limited in time. Cost saving. More accessible. Self-documenting. Networked.

Tips for disseminations Package the ideas in more than one of the format. n Post short announcement. n Participate and/or present in a virtual conferences. n

References E-research strategies, methods , issues terry Anderson, heather kanuka www. e-research. ca n

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