Brief Overview of Research

Research generally refers to a systematic inquiry on a given topic, with an aim to expand our knowledge on that topic. The outcome can describe a phenomena or state of affairs, or try to either predict or change behaviours/outcomes, among other things. Typically, a researcher has a research question to guide their inquiry (e.g., “How are students studying for my test?” or “Do my students’ grades improve when I spend some time in class reviewing for the test?”). They then collect data to try to answer their research question(s). Sometimes, the researchers have a hypothesis they are examining, which they form based on previously published inquiry (e.g., “I think my students are using mostly surface-level study behaviours and not engaging deeply with the material.”) In research, data can be collected in a number of ways including surveys and interviews, archival data, and following experimental manipulations.

A great way to begin thinking about research is to complete the TCPS2 core certificate which is an online research ethics training that is required in order to complete research in Canada. Create an account and begin working through the content. At the end, you will receive a certificate of completion which you must submit with any Research Ethics Board application.

Although the research process may feel overwhelming at first, there are many resources on campus to support you:

·      Peers/colleagues with research experience

·      Research Coordinator

·      Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE)

·      Research Ethics Board (REB)

·      For scholarship of teaching and learning research (SoTL): Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL; formerly CAFÉ)

Last year, I received a few questions asking why colleges are even bothering with research at all. I will be addressing this question in the next newsletter.

If there is anything I can do to support your research or if you have suggestions for me in my role as Research Coordinator, please reach out via email or pop into my "office hours" on Fridays from 12:30-1:30 on Whereby.

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Tips for Completing the REB Form for Secondary Use (Part 2 of 2)

Last time, I began to go through the Secondary Use of Data Research Ethics Board form (which is on ICE: Teams – Academic – Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Research Ethics Board, then click on “Related Forms” on the left hand side; or click here ). Remember that the secondary use of data form is only to be used when the data are already available either publicly (Statistics Canada) or privately (your previous semester students’ performance). This week, I’ll be reviewing the rest of the sections of the form, beginning with Section 4.0. In the first sub-section (4.1), you’ll explain your research question, why it’s important and what you think the outcome will be (if you have a hypothesis). Then, you’ll explain where the data came from (who the participants were) and the purpose for the original (primary) data collection. For example, if you’d like to examine a previous semester’s student outcomes, the data were originally collected to provide feedback/grades to...

Conferences!

With things returning to pre-pandemic normalcy more and more, you may have taken some time to think about PD again. Although you may find an amazing conference in a location you’d love to visit, location should not be something you look for when making your initial list (though you may need to eliminate some amazing conferences if they’re too far away and will be too expensive to attend). So, what should you be looking for? I have some suggestions! First, find some conferences that might be relevant to your professional development goals or teaching practice. Search for terms like “conference” and whatever your interests are (e.g., “teaching and learning”) and location (e.g., “Ontario” or “Canada”). That should bring up at least a few conferences for you to consider. Or, search for specific conferences you have previously attended (and found valuable). Then, determine if you’re planning to present something at the conference (e.g., sharing a teaching te...

Tips for planning your research dissemination

The next couple of topics will relate to publishing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) articles (though it will also apply to most other forms of research publishing). So, I thought I would give some brief info about publishing research articles in general. Here are some things to consider for disseminating research. The publishing process actually begins well before the project itself, especially if you have any co-authors (if you’re doing everything yourself and have nobody else in your research team, then you can skip this paragraph). Determining authorship order and who will contribute in which way (and how much each will contribute) to the writing is an important step. Why does the order of the authors matter? In most fields, the author in the first position is the one who made the most substantial contribution to the project (though not necessarily to the writing, but often that is also the case). Additionally, the first author won’t get truncated when being cite...

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