Library time!
I am glad we wrapped up our “lead-in” to our Spring Break with a visit to Craig Anderson at the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons at Kean (aka the library). As you may have gathered, a good reference librarian (like Kean’s Craig Anderson or Linda Ciffelli or Chrisler Pitts, …or the newly hired Academic Specialist staff at our Learning Commons) possess specialized expertise in accessing and evaluating diverse information sources. They assist all of us (students, faculty, all researchers) in formulating research queries, utilizing our vast online databases, and employing advanced search techniques. My recommendation is to be sure to work with (and better yet, befriend) your reference librarian throughout a course of degree study (especially in grad school). These folks are the ones that can help you most directly with your specific research inquiries. They have many “tricks up their sleeve” in knowing the ways in which an information search might be approached effectively. And the more you know about what it is you are looking for, the more they can help strategize and target your investigation and/or exploration. I also want to remind you that the library offers many workshops that can assist you with research and your overall academic work at Kean.
Actor Theory Network (ANT)
In Part 2 of our class this week we were able to explore actor–network theory (aka “ANT”) – another methodological approach to social theory. With actor network theory, social forces do not exist in a vaccum, in and of themselves. Rather, a strictly empirical analysis should be undertaken to “describe” rather than “explain” social activity. In other words, everything in our social and natural worlds exists in constantly shifting networks of relationships. And it is the job of a ANT researcher to observe and identify the relevant factors that make up a social situation.
In the case of this week’s reading from Leander & Lovvorn – Literacy Networks: Following the Circulation of Texts, Bodies, and Objects in the Schooling and Online Gaming of One Youth – we have an example of the approach. This study mapped/tracked the literacy network of a young learner called Brian. Daniel did a great job at demystifying this discursively dense academic study, breaking down the article by highlighting Brian’s interactions in a shifting network of relationships by pinpointing the 5 “dimensions of displacement” in the case of Brian’s literacy acquisitions and traversals. It was an effective way to synthesize this methodology when Daniel asked us to consider using the five dimensions of displacement by asking us to compare 2-3 “networks” in our own lives. When we turn the lens on our own traversals we can start to imagine how to see/label objects, ideas, processes, and any other relevant factors that comprise our own social situations.
Our class slides:
Research Ethics
As a researcher, you are required to complete some training in research ethics as part of your Masters degree professionalization. Kean University supports research as an integral element of its mission to advance and disseminate knowledge. The University’s practices and policies in support of research firmly uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity and comply with all federal and state regulations and guidelines. To help fulfill this mission, Kean University has established an Institutional Review Board who review all human subjects research applications according to federal and state regulations and university policies. All faculty, students, and employees who conduct research involving human subjects must comply with University Policy and Procedures for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research.
Institutional Review Board & CITI Program for Research Ethics Training
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is charged with the review of proposed research protocols to ensure that the rights of human subjects are protected and that the risk of harm to subjects is minimized. The framework for the protection of human subjects is set in Federal regulation. To learn more about the ethical issues that encompass human subject research, we (Kean University) partner with CITI Program to offer online training for all university researchers.
Your to-do list
Please read: Cho, J. Y., & Lee, E. (2014). Reducing Confusion about Grounded Theory and Qualitative Content Analysis: Similarities and Differences. The Qualitative Report, 19(32), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1028
Your seventh blog is due 3/21 (after Spring Break). **Please write a reflection on our GroundedTheory article for discussion by 3/21. Rachel will lead our discussion in class after Spring Break.
Please remember you must complete your CITI/IRB Training online before March 28th. ***You are required to take two online “courses” in the CITI program portal as part of your progress towards your MA degree at Kean University. Please complete both the “Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, & Arts” course, as well as the “Social-Behavioral-Educational Researchers” course. Please read here for more clarity about how you to proceed with your Research Ethics Training.
…and have a great Spring Break!!!!
