Monthly Focus 2023

January - March: Design Research

What will you study? What research will advance knowledge in your field and make a difference in the world?

We will start at the beginning and discuss issues associated with selecting and defining a research problem. We’ll work through steps involved with designing and planning an ethical research project.

April - June: Collect Data

Who or what can help answer the questions or prove the hypothesis?

Data is central to any qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods study. We will look at approaches for collecting and generating data from human participants as well as strategies for collecting secondary data from archives, datasets and other sources.

July - September: Analyze Data

What does it mean?

With data in hand, the next steps involve analysis and interpretation. We will examine methods for analyzing different forms of data, including oral or written, visual or numerical.

October - December: Write and Disseminate Findings

Who needs to know about you have discovered? How can you reach them?

Academic Writing Month, November, is the centerpiece for the fourth quarter. In addition to academic writing, we will explore ways to communicate findings to professionals, practitioners, policy-makers, and the general public.

2022 – Research Relevance

The overarching focus for 2022 was research relevance. In these changing times, what problems should we study, why and with whom? With what methodologies and methods and with attention to what ethical issues? With what intentions for impact and change and why is empirical research relevant in an era of disinformation and what are our responsibilities as researchers?

January: Be relevant in 2022

February: Cross boundaries with multi/inter/trans/disciplinary research

March: Be courageous: Studying sensitive, political, or hot-button issues

April: Be expansive: Research outside academia

May: Evaluate success: Real-world research

June: Stay current with research trends & emerging methods

July: Studying generations: Research with children, youth, or elderly participants

August: Be an ethical researcher

September: Be inclusive, aware and culturally competent

October: Be collaborative: Research & write collaboratively

November: Make a contribution: Academic Writing Month

December: Be creative