Responses due by Saturday Jan. 30, 2016

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts (Note: 2 of my colleague’s responses are copied below, I need one response for each person) in at least one of the following ways:

• ·         Explaining how and why you see things differently
• ·         Validating an idea with your own experience
• ·         Expanding on your colleague’s posting
• ·         Building on something your colleague posted

Laquanda’s Post:

Said best by Zora Neale Hurston: “Research is a formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” With that said, the tool organizer for research is one that I plan to use throughout the time that I am in this program to poke and pry most effectively.  Research requires organization, and with the extent of research that will be done throughout the course of this program, organization is definitely needed.  The tool had many elements that I knew were important to understanding published information. In modifying this tool, I would like to keep the categories that are already created, but I would like to modify it so that it fits the needs of my research.  The impact of the article on my views. I could do this by adding categories that ask these questions.  I think this category will be important because it will allow me to rate the categories based on the needs, my needs, of the research. Does it support my stand on the topic?  If it does not, how will I be able to use this work within the final stages of the research? Could I use this information as a form of procatalepsis so as to offer a rebuttal?  How will this information be used is a very important question to the research process.  I would add some more personal categories to this organizer in order to assure that I am able to use this information most effectively. Many institutions have found the need to refine the research process and to ensure that the research process is an effective, progressive one (Huong, 2015).  As an individual researching a subject matter pertaining to higher education, I want to be able to benefit from the research as well.  Research is not just for those who read it after publication, but it is also for the researcher.  Therefore, the outcome of the research and the benefit of this research to myself is important, and I want to be familiar with the research from different perspectives so as to be able to comment on all possible outcomes of the research. Although this is so, I have to explore this research from my perspective first.  Adding this part to the organizer would give me a chance to begin this process.  I do question whether or not the perspectives found on certain text will change as the research continues.  I could even add a category to add this information, especially since much of the articles and documents will be explored several times before actually used.

Huong Nguyen, T. L., & Meek, V. L. (2015). Key Considerations in Organizing and Structuring University Research. Journal of Research Administration, 46(1), 41-62.

Samantha’s Post:

I have to admit, that at first glance I found myself becoming anxious at the idea of using an execl document.  At the very minimum, I am able to function with simple rules and commands, but nothing else.  So upon previewing this document, I instantly knew that this document would serve no real purpose for me and that I needed to configure a Microsoft word version quickly.  As it relates to the Literature Review, this planning tool was very well organized and explicit detailed in identifying specific information regarding each individual article.  This is uniquely genius for a learner like myself because I would have naturally created a more complex document to keep a running record of all of this information.  In addition, to the structure, the template allows room to sequentially and logically develop a skeleton for a research paper.

If I can suggest any modifications to this existing document, to prevent student research from becoming overwhelming, I would remove the column “notes about the article” form the template.  I think it would be more beneficial to take anecdotal notes within the research article itself.  By doing such, this helps to make more connection between the text and the reader.  In addition, I would probably insert another column entitled “possible solutions and outcomes” directly next to the “problem” column.  Apart of analyze a topic/research problem, progressive thinkers are problem solving on how they can realistically be solution-oriented and be actively apart of change.