Research 202

Building momentum for research

Facilitated by:

Colleen Reid, PhDFaculty, Therapeutic Recreation

Formulating and operationalizing research questions in TR

Purpose of Workshop

• explore strategies for asking “answerable” research questions

• develop action plans for operationalizing our research questions

• get to know others in the field of TR who are interested in research (in some capacity)

You will leave with: a clear research question

tools for answering the research question

strategies for supporting your research interests, and

connections among other workshop participants to help nurture and advance their work.

Workshop Outcomes

• Reflection• Introductions• Overview of research and community based

research• Identifying research interests and questions• 5Ws and an H of the research question• Resources and next steps

The Plan for Today

5 min

page 8

Yes! No!

Engaged in Research?

Who am I?Do I have a research question?Have I done research? What do I hope to accomplish today? 30 s

3 minutes

Introducing Each Other

systematic approach

define question

define parameters

unclear outcome (at start)

acquire data

reject data

determine validity

analyze data

Doing research means gathering and making sense

of information in a systematic way and acting responsibly

with that information.

What is Research?

“CBR is conducted by, for, and with the participation of community members…. Community based research aims not merely to advance understanding, but also to ensure that knowledge contributes to making a concrete and constructive difference in the world” (The Loka Institute, 2002).

What is Community Based Research?

“CBR is conducted by, for, and with the participation of community members…. Community based research aims not merely to advance understanding, but also to ensure that knowledge contributes to making a concrete and constructive difference in the world” (The Loka Institute, 2002).

What is Community Based Research?

Research Question

Results of Research

academic literature

academic collaborators

academic literature

previous research

dire

ctive

rese

arch

pro

cess

academic literature /

grey literature

CBRResearch Question

Results of Research

service delivery question

community activists

academic/community collaborators

community needs

assessment

policy issue or question

previous research

policy change

community action

collaborativeresearch process

academic literature

increased research skills

best practices

grey literature

Traditional Research VS CBR

What do you want to know?

What do others know?

What’s involved in answering the question?

What kinds of responsibilities do I have as the researcher?

What information do I need to answer what I want to know?

How will I make sense of the information I gather?

What do I do with what I learn from the information?

Formulate a research question

Ethics

Data collection

Data management and analysis

Literature review

Operationalizingthe RQ

Dissemination, knowledge translationand taking action

Demystifying Research Language

Ritas, C. (2003). Speaking Truth, Creating Power: A Guide to Policy Work for Community-Based Participatory Research Practitioners. New York NY, Hunter College Center on AIDS, Drugs and Community Health For Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.

Reconsidering Relationships

Formulating the Research Question

Designing Research Methods

Data Collection

Data Analysis Dissemination and Action

Academic researchers

Practitioners

Policy makers (government)

Research participants

Example of Roles in CBR

Formulating the Research Question

Designing Research Methods

Data Collection

Data Analysis Dissemination and Action

Academic researchers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

PractitionersYes Rarely Sometimes Rarely Yes

Policy makers (government) Rarely Rarely Rarely Rarely Yes

Research participants Rarely Rarely Yes Sometimes Sometimes

What typically happens in CBR

Formulating the Research Question

Designing Research Methods

Data Collection

Data Analysis Dissemination and Action

Academic researchers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

PractitionersYes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Policy makers (government) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Research participants Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

What is possible in CBR

Formulating the Research Question

Designing Research Methods

Data Collection

Data Analysis Dissemination and Action

Academic researchers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

PractitionersYes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Policy makers (government) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Research participants Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

What is possible in CBR

Each partner has personal, professional, and organizational goals

If these diverse goals are not included in the common goals, then each partner will have less invested in the research

Take home message – so far

Research, particularly CBR, can help you answer important questions regarding service delivery and TR interventions. Research can also help build networks of like-minded people who are curious and want to learn more.

Regardless of what you do day-to-day or how much experience you have in research, EVERY PERSON has important and relevant expertise to contribute to a research project.

Approaches to CBR are vastly different than those of more traditional approaches to research.

Relationships and values of collaboration, empowerment, and social justice are key considerations in all stages of CBR.

How to build a research network?

Uncovering a question that excites you! (that you’re passionate about, that can make a real difference…)

Having a clear role and sense of contribution to a shared research enterprise.

Individual and Group Exercises

Reflection: Uncovering a Research Questionpage 17

page 17

Reflection: Uncovering a Research Question

page 18

Individual Exercise: What’s my Question?

15 min

Large Group Discussion

1. What insights did you have?

2. Do you feel clearer about your question?

3. Who has a question(s) that are similar to yours?

4. Whose question(s) interest you?

5. Who do you want to talk to?

Group Work

Find the person / people you want to talk to, who have similar interests.

Group Work

RESEARCH QUESTION

TOPIC PROBLEMS

PURPOSE

Group Work

RESEARCH QUESTION

What factors are most important in career

satisfaction and fulfillment for recreation therapists in British

Columbia?

TOPIC

Career trajectories in TR

PROBLEMS

TRs are reporting low job satisfaction, job instability, and

high turn-over

PURPOSE

To better understand the factors that lead to job dissatisfaction and job

satisfaction in the field of TR

15 min

WHY

WHAT

WHO

WHERE

WHEN

HOW

What’s our question?

Operationalizing the Research Question

WHY • WHY bother? Why is this worth everyone’s time? So what? • Has the community already identified a priority? What excites the group and moves it to action?

WHAT • WHAT is the research question? Who identified the research question, and for what reasons? • What are the community's strengths? What expertise do members of the group have? • What health issues are pressing? How big is the problem under study?

WHO • WHO is involved and in what capacities? (e.g. research participants, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, other?)

• What does each group require to do their part? • Who “owns” the knowledge?

WHERE • WHERE is the project taking place? How is the research community named? What are its boundaries? • What are the factors in favour of change? What are the factors against change?

WHEN • WHEN do we want to reach our milestones?• What are the short, medium and long term time frames? • What is known about the political time frames relevant to the research?

HOW • HOW will we do the research? • How are ethical issues identified, discussed, and managed? • Are there rules and regulations for being involved?• How will people work together? How will decisions be made? What are the dominant decision-making

processes? Do they typify unilateral or more collaborative approaches? • How will successes and milestones be identified, appreciated and celebrated?

Operationalizing the Research Question

WHY • WHY bother? Why is this worth everyone’s time? So what? • Has the community already identified a priority? What excites the group and moves it to action?

WHAT • WHAT is the research question? Who identified the research question, and for what reasons? • What are the community's strengths? What expertise do members of the group have? • What health issues are pressing? How big is the problem under study?

WHO • WHO is involved and in what capacities? (e.g. research participants, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, other?)

• What does each group require to do their part? • Who “owns” the knowledge?

WHERE • WHERE is the project taking place? How is the research community named? What are its boundaries? • What are the factors in favour of change? What are the factors against change?

WHEN • WHEN do we want to reach our milestones?• What are the short, medium and long term time frames? • What is known about the political time frames relevant to the research?

HOW • HOW will we do the research? • How are ethical issues identified, discussed, and managed? • Are there rules and regulations for being involved?• How will people work together? How will decisions be made? What are the dominant decision-making

processes? Do they typify unilateral or more collaborative approaches? • How will successes and milestones be identified, appreciated and celebrated?

Operationalizing the Research Question

40 min

Instructions

In your group work through the worksheet. You can start wherever you want. Start where it feels easiest or most clear.

For some boxes you will make “best guesses”. That’s OK! Get the ideas down.

You have 40 minutes for this exercise. You will be asked to spend the last 5 minutes of your group work discussing “next steps.”

Afterwards, you will share your ideas with the larger group.

• What will you do to move forward? (staying in touch, talking to people at work, finding information, etc)

• What are the missing pieces?

• Where do you need help and support? Where might you find the help and support you need?

• Who has the energy to figure this out and stick with it? Who wants a more peripheral role?

“Next Steps” Discussion

Debriefing: 5Ws & an H worksheet

• What is your research question? Why are you excited about it?

• Which parts of the worksheet were very clear? Which parts remain unclear?

• What came from the “next steps” discussion? What will you do next?

Colleen Reid, PhD604-777-6235

reidc@douglas.bc.ca