Saturday 12th October 2013
I have just read an interesting blog by BAPP student Melanie Brown: http://melaniebrown10.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/campus-session-reviewing-module-2-where.html?showComment=1381591164369
I wanted to pick the following words from her entry: "Reviewing module 2 I have realised how important it is to be aware that you have strong opinions about your topic and to carry this thought with you from the beginning to the end. Keep questioning the ideas and the way you are reading things. This point that Adesola mentioned to me has really stuck out. I have my own opinion already in mind but I shouldn't let this hinder how I read or interpret any of the information. Make yourself ask questions that you wouldn't necessarily ask to try and get a different point of view ." (Melanie Brown, 2013)
I completely agree with this statement and will be bearing it in mind myself. It can be so easy to get entirely wrapped up and focused on our own research and ideas that we never look outside the box or beyond our own thoughts. It is essential to view other ideas and opinions, see the other side of the story. Debating and arguing certain thoughts allows us to explore further and think about things in a different light. We must not be blinded by our own ideas that we let important information and help slip away right in front of us.
Thanks Melanie for making me aware of this!
opinion versus evidence - the academic argument means that you need to convince others of your point of view... will have a look at Melanie's blog bw
ReplyDeleteHi Emily & Paula,
ReplyDeleteI can see the need to look beyond the immediate and to be open to new ideas/ knowledge, however I can also see that the inquiry will have to have a personal connection - a starting point, if you will - that has been developed through your own morality, personality and past experiences; a subjective reasoning for your choice of inquiry topic.
Can you remove the researcher completely from the research? From the literature I've been/ am reading and the reflecting I've been doing, I would now be incined to say, "no!" - I can be open-minded enough to engage in the unknown aspect of my research, i.e. not drawing conclusions in advance or 'fitting the evidence to the theory' (CSI, ????) but, by its very creation, my inquiry is personally connected to how I think, feel, experience and practice. Isn't it?...
I can also agree, though, that, for example, to be of use to others, there must be something worthwhile to any inquiry, and a certain ethical, empirical and honesty standard to be maintained: First, do no harm (Hippocratic Oath, BC), etc. However, it is also the honesty with which the inquiry is presented to the reader that I think determines the validity of the research, and to deny the audience the 'self' that is involved in my research feels like the most damaging omission possible.
S
Hi Sarah,
DeleteI agree with the idea that an inquiry should have personal connections - mine certainly does. That way we are in touch with what we are researching and able to relate to our findings, however it can make us feel biased towards our own opinion. Saying this, as Paula stated, it is good to convince others of our point of view, voice our thoughts and let them become part of a bigger discussion.
I like what you say about honesty within an inquiry. I feel I am being open in my discussion and thoughts and I want people to realise how passionate I am on the topic. The sense of 'self' shows through with my own previous training and I want to compare these to other students experiences. As you say, it is important to have the 'self' involved.. otherwise, I feel that maybe the inquiry wouldn't be fully believable?
Emily
Hi Emily, Paula & Sarah (re post from my blog so that Sarah could see)
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog 'Wise Words' and both Sarah and Paula's comments, I believe that as well as opening up our thoughts and looking outside the box with other theories and research, it is also vital that we stay strong in our own thoughts and opinions to give a personal approach. I agree strongly with the comment Sarah Robinson makes 'I can be open-minded enough to engage in the unknown aspect of my research, i.e. not drawing conclusions in advance or 'fitting the evidence to the theory' (CSI, ????) but, by its very creation, my inquiry is personally connected to how I think, feel, experience and practice. Isn't it?' (Sarah Robinson blogspot 14/10/2013) I believe being both open minded to research and also staying strong to my own experiences and beliefs is a great combination for my inquiry. We can then look to see if there are conflicting arguments or even similarities between all our data. That's when it gets interesting because we have looked from as many angles as well can!
thanks for the comments :)!
Hi Melanie,
DeleteI agree. We must be open minded but also focus on what we want. Our inquiry is to discover something, prove to people why we chose our particular topics. Using our own voices and opinions will do this, however I feel it is essential to provide information from various sources to allow room for argument, comparisons etc. Without looking beyond our own thoughts, we will not give ourselves the opportunity to raise questions, learn more and certainly not have the background knowledge and research that we need!
Emily