Research and Epistemology Part 1

What we mean by research

• Research informs our practice, and out practice informs our research
• Process (research of a project) is more important than outcome
• If we focus on the end point, we are focusing on what we already know
• "Everyone is a genius at least once a year. Success comes from having brighter ideas closer together"
• Reflective, experimental, creative process
• Process of finding facts
• Collecting information from a variety of sources

Ideas

Research impacts ideas with either a:

• Stimulated approach - Looking at external things and developing associations with what I am trying to achieve
• Systematic approach - Taking what you've found and adjusting it
• Intuitive approach - Generating ideas from nothing (eureka moments)

Types of Research:

• Primary - It hasn't existed before, targeted at the problem
• Secondary - Already existent. Analysis of that information
• Quantitative - Facts/stats or numerical measures OBJECTIVE
• Qualitative - Un-quantifiable. Peoples beliefs or opinions SUBJECTIVE

What is information?

Processing and manipulating facts/date you've collected. Information should be sufficient, competent, relevant and useful.

• Phase 1 - Assimilation- organising relevant information
• Phase 2 - General Study - what are the aspects of the problem
• Phase 3 - Development - refining solutions to the problem
• Phase 4 - Communication - delivering information to improve knowledge

Analysis (it is a cyclical process- not linear)

STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN : Where I will start and how I will move forward

• What is the problem/brief/question about?
• What is there and what am I meant to do?
• KEY: Generate loads of stuff
• Solutions: Compromising 

Paradigm Position

• Ontology: What is out there to study? Analysis of what can be known.
• Epistemology: How we can know about things, how we can justify and validate them.

Conclusion

• Start with what you know
• Identify what you want to know more about
• Plan how you're going to find out about it