Getting started: developing Getting started: developing research ideasresearch ideas

Associate Professor Bruce JohnsonAssociate Professor Bruce JohnsonDean: Research EducationDean: Research Education

Division Research Skills Day – 9th March 2007

OverviewOverview

What is research?What is research? What should we research? Why?What should we research? Why? What are good research questions?What are good research questions? Mapping a research topic – how to do itMapping a research topic – how to do it

Workshop methodsWorkshop methods

What is researchWhat is research

Research is an active, diligent and Research is an active, diligent and systematic process of inquiry that is systematic process of inquiry that is undertaken to gain deeper understanding of undertaken to gain deeper understanding of or knowledge about things, events, or knowledge about things, events, behaviours, and ideas.behaviours, and ideas.

What is research?What is research?

Research is an active, diligent and Research is an active, diligent and systematic process of inquiry that is systematic process of inquiry that is undertaken to gain deeper understanding of undertaken to gain deeper understanding of or knowledge about things, events, or knowledge about things, events, behaviours, and ideas.behaviours, and ideas.

What is research?What is research?

ActiveActive DiligentDiligent SystematicSystematic Process of inquiryProcess of inquiry UnderstandingUnderstanding KnowledgeKnowledge ThingsThings

Events

Behaviours

Ideas

What should we research?What should we research?

Something in your everyday world that Something in your everyday world that catches your interest and then ask BIG and catches your interest and then ask BIG and DEEP questions about it.DEEP questions about it.

What should we research?What should we research?

Something in your everyday world that Something in your everyday world that catches your interest and then ask BIG and catches your interest and then ask BIG and DEEP questions about it.DEEP questions about it.

Example: BystandersExample: Bystanders

BystandersBystanders

What should we research?What should we research?

Answer the question: ‘If I decide to do this Answer the question: ‘If I decide to do this research and someone then asks, “so research and someone then asks, “so what?”, will I be able to give a credible what?”, will I be able to give a credible answer?’answer?’

What should we research?What should we research?

Answer the question: ‘If I decide to do this Answer the question: ‘If I decide to do this research and someone then asks, “so research and someone then asks, “so what?”, will I be able to give a credible what?”, will I be able to give a credible answer?’answer?’

Avoid the totally parochial.Avoid the totally parochial. Avoid the truly trivial.Avoid the truly trivial.

2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

AcousticsAcoustics: for conducting experiments to : for conducting experiments to learn why people dislike the sound of learn why people dislike the sound of fingernails scraping on a scraping on a blackboard. .

2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

AcousticsAcoustics: for conducting experiments to : for conducting experiments to learn why people dislike the sound of learn why people dislike the sound of fingernails scraping on a scraping on a blackboard. .

BiologyBiology: for showing that the female : for showing that the female malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae is attracted is attracted equally to the smell of equally to the smell of limburger cheese and and to the smell of human feet. to the smell of human feet.

2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

OrnithologyOrnithology: for exploring and explaining : for exploring and explaining why woodpeckers don't get headaches. why woodpeckers don't get headaches.

2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

OrnithologyOrnithology: for exploring and explaining : for exploring and explaining why woodpeckers don't get headaches.why woodpeckers don't get headaches.

MedicineMedicine: for the medical case report : for the medical case report "Termination of Intractable Hiccups with "Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage“. Digital Rectal Massage“.

2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

PeacePeace: for inventing an electromechanical : for inventing an electromechanical teenager repellant - a device that makes teenager repellant - a device that makes annoying high-pitched noise designed to be annoying high-pitched noise designed to be audible to teenagers but not to adults; and audible to teenagers but not to adults; and for later using that same technology to make for later using that same technology to make telephone ringtones that are audible to telephone ringtones that are audible to teenagers but probably not to their teachers. teenagers but probably not to their teachers.

Quiet self reflectionQuiet self reflection

What are my motivations for doing What are my motivations for doing research? Are they positive and will they research? Are they positive and will they sustain me?sustain me?

Where do my research ideas come from? Where do my research ideas come from? Are they things that I genuinely find Are they things that I genuinely find fascinating and absorbing?fascinating and absorbing?

Is my research idea capable of passing the Is my research idea capable of passing the ‘so what?’ test?‘so what?’ test?

What are good research questions?What are good research questions?

They don’t invite yes/no answers.They don’t invite yes/no answers. They are answerable through investigation.They are answerable through investigation. They should be brief.They should be brief. They have a demonstrable relationship with They have a demonstrable relationship with

existing literature in the area.existing literature in the area. They lead to projects that are achievable within They lead to projects that are achievable within

time and other constraints.time and other constraints. They will show how you have been selective about They will show how you have been selective about

what to look at – they will make this transparent.what to look at – they will make this transparent.

ConclusionsConclusions

What is research?What is research? What should we research? Why?What should we research? Why? What are good research questions?What are good research questions? Mapping a research topic – how to do itMapping a research topic – how to do it

Had some fun too!!Had some fun too!!