As A Researcher...

Research is one of the most important aspects of the scientific paradigm. As we know, it validates scientific thinking and 'creates' scientific knowledge. But what exactly is research? What is 'good research'? For years I have considered these questions while working with other researchers. There are different types of research, different fields to perform research on, and differences in the quality of this research.

Let's start by trying to define what research is and should be. First off, researchers come in different types. There are some that, to keep comparisons simple, are biased and don’t mind it, and there are some who try not to be biased. With objectivity being probably the most important aspect of research this becomes then a big issue, potentially being the main reason to determine if a particular research study is 'good', or valid, or not so. Researchers should try to be objective and fair, a task that is nearly impossible since we all have our particular ways of seeing life the way we have come to see it through our development into adults. It is important for all researchers then to find strategies that limit our biases and judgments to a minimum. Even though we all see through our own eyes, we know that if we wear glasses with designs in the lenses things will look very different since our perception is altered. Similar thing may happen with research: even though our perception on a given topic is determined by what we've come to accept and understand throughout our upbringing as acceptable, normal or expected, we can put on our 'researcher's glasses' and see beyond our preconceptions. How? By using strategies that provide more than one point of view, or collecting data from various sources, or having different populations in our studies, or any other strategy that has been proven to bring objectivity to the top of our priorities; by triangulating; by having others review our work; by working in collaboration with researchers who not necessarily share our view of the world; by making sure that all efforts are aimed at accomplishing valid results that push forward the creation of knowledge for the advancement of humanity. By being honest, open, transparent, and reflective at the time of conducting the research. By being honest again at the time of delivering results even if they don't benefit us. In all, by being as close to the 'truth' as possible, as we understand it, we as researchers can guarantee that our contribution to the field of knowledge we are working on is solid and can advance, as others would use it as a foundation for their own research, the improvement of our quality of life.

Research is fascinating. The ability to put out a thought, make it real in front of others, share my vision of how to ‘understand’ a social problem is what keeps me hooked, particularly to action research. Being able to say ‘it might work if we try this under these conditions’ and give it a try in real life leaves me with the biggest sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It is also potentially dangerous, especially when research is in the fields of living things, where the quality of the study and the veracity of the results can potentially lead a human group to make big changes in the way they conduct social life. Here is where bias is present, when particular interests influence the researcher’s work. The process of research, as mentioned before, must be transparent so it can be truly validated. Manipulated results, which we unfortunately see so often, can lead people to believe that a particular is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. In the field of education, for example, we have seen how even in the area of technology the competition between products and strategies can have an impact in the way we design future learning environments. Therefore, if a particular researcher is hired by a particular company to validate their product and the researcher doesn’t protect the integrity of the study, then a product that not necessarily would be the best option may end up being favored by the system to receive the much desired national contract and shape the future of our students. Think standardized testing, is it really the best option or is it ruining schools as some say?

The considerations of a researcher are many. What is important to me is that the results or findings of the research provokes me to question critically something close to my life. A researcher is effectively fulfilling its purpose when it tackles the norm, even if it ends up validating what is was questioning. Research should challenge conventionality. The established ways of doing things are failing us in schools, the students are leaving and the ones staying are not as interested as they should be. The answers to why they’re leaving are there in those who quit because they have no place in the system. Good research in this field is important for the future of our students. More than one million students drop out of high school every year. They continue to be part of the city that failed them, or of the town that couldn’t accommodate them as learners, but their place is generally under strenuous conditions, affecting the quality of life of them and of all other members. It is more than just the fact that their income will not be as that of someone with a college degree, but as a human the access to enjoy the benefits of our social life are diminished. There is no fairness in not finding a way urgently to incorporate all learners into the creation of knowledge.