How I think about "Research"

I am a trained Social Scientist who deeply believes in clarifying the messiness of research on humans through the alignment of quantitative and qualitative data.  

I am first and foremost a practitioner and my students’ experience and academic outcomes are my highest priority therefore, my research questions stem from their needs and data collection and analysis have to happen cyclically, therefore I primarily use Grounded Theory Research.  My overall goal is student outcomes and therefore every research project is intended to urgently address an identified student need and ensure that the impact of our work is equitable and sustainable.  

My process is:

• Listen deeply and to everyone

• Code / Group data

• Change adult input

• Measure / Iterate / Refine / Sustain

As I began thinking about how to best share what I’ve learned as a research practitioner, I was hesitant to use the word “research” to describe my work because my education told me that in order for my research to be of value, it must be published or peer reviewed.

I have now realized that those two boundaries are just another part of the historical gatekeeping of academia.  I am confident that my practice based research would stand up to any peer-reviewed, published, or otherwise “approved” research and therefore am sharing my work with the world. 

If you have feedback on my methodology, reach out! Let’s talk.