Be a Courageous Researcher!
Be relevant! The overarching focus for 2022 is on research relevance. In these changing times, what problems should we study, why and with whom? How do we reach readers who can put our findings to use? In January we tried to understand relevance from the perspectives of journal editors, and how to evaluate research outside our usual sources. In February we built on these ideas with an exploration of research that crosses boundaries including disciplinary, town-gown, faculty-student. We considered design thinking as a way to step outside of familiar patterns.
In the next month-long focus for March 2022 we encourage you to Be courageous: Studying sensitive, political, or hot-button issues. How can we understand difficult problems if we don’t study them? We’ll look at challenges at the initial design stages, for approval of research proposals, engaging with participants, and then getting potentially controversial research published.
As researchers, how can we:
Consider positions as an insider or outsider in relation to the issue, address researcher bias?
Find appropriate, reliable sources of data?
Be sensitive when interacting with traumatized participants?
Address resistance to studying potentially controversial issues?
Practice self-care when facing risks to physical safety and emotional well-being?
Mitigate risks to career disruption?
We will offer practical suggestions from experienced researchers. Dr. Sharon Ravitch will serve as Mentor in Residence. To bring in the voices of emerging researchers, she is generating a series of posts in collaboration with a diverse group of current and former students. Dr. Nathan Durdella, author of the new Conducting Research with Human Participants, will discuss issues for researchers who study vulnerable populations and need approval from an IRB or ethics board. The March webinar, Understanding cultural issues in research design, will offer a panel discussion with experienced researchers.
Follow @SAGE_Methods on Twitter or check back throughout the month to access video interviews, original posts, and open-access resources!