joe valacich washington state university august 3, 2003 jsv@wsu.edu developing a research stream
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Joe ValacichWashington State UniversityAugust 3, 2003
jsv@wsu.edu
Developing a Research Stream
Agenda
Some General Career AdviceThe Research ProcessDeveloping a Research StreamDeveloping TheoryDesigning Studies – Getting the Most from
Your Data Collection Effort!Writing It UpTop-Ten Ways to be RejectedSome words to live by
Some General Career Advice
Lessons I learned…
Attend conferences, be proactive, get to know the “players” – IS disciple is dominated by a small number of people
Hit the ground running!!! – tenure is a 4 to 5 year process, not 7!
Have a sense of urgency!!! Become “known” for something – focus Always work on the paper closest to being
published Make it a family effort – celebrate success, find
balance! Research should be fun!
How to Become Valuable to Your School
Work hard / be availableFocus your research Become a good teacher / advisor / colleagueVolunteer for hard assignmentsVolunteer to review Involve yourself in curricula developmentWork with senior colleagues (take the lead)Develop / Talk / Listen / Involve Industry
Contacts
How to Become Valuable to Some Other School
DO EVERYTHING LISTED ON THE PRIOR SLIDE!!!
In general…
Work hardFind a balanceJuggle multiple projects at the same
timeBe proactiveDELIVER
The Research Process
The Research Process
… a series of interlocking choices in which we try simultaneously to maximize several
conflicting choices…
Key choices generalizability with respect to populations realism for the participants precision in control and measurement of variables
McGrath, 1982
The Research Process
Unfortunately, the very choices used to maximize generalizability, realism, or control will reduce the other two…
In other words, all research strategies and methods are seriously flawed…
Thus, every research strategy is a three-horned dilemma…
The Three-Horned Dilemma
…every research strategy either avoids two horns by an uneasy compromise but gets impaled, to the hilt, on the third horn...
or it grabs the dilemma boldly by one horn, maximizing on it, but at the same time “sitting down” (with some pain) on the
other two horns...
Eg., Laboratory Experiments and the Three-Horned Dilemma
Generalizability Very low (typically) controlled and selected population
Realism Very low (typically) deliberately contrived setting
Precision high (the whole idea behind a lab experiment!)
Play to a method’s strength
Laboratory experiment: precisionSurvey: generalizabilityField study: realism
Developing a Research Stream
Key Skills
Research requires three skills: Conceptualizing Theory Research Design Writing
Build a Team with all Three
What is a Good Research Project?
Asks new questions or old questions in a new way or in a new situation leading to different answers
Has a story with a message that is interesting to the AE, reviewers, and readers
Is the first step/next step in a research stream
Fits your research risk/return portfolio
What is a Good Research Project?
Do research that is funDo research to be publishedDo research that addresses a
fundamental issueDo research that is interesting
whatever the result
From a Personal Level:
What is a Good Research Project?
Write to be read
Write to be cited
Write to change practice
Publishing the Results:
What is a Good Research Project?
The definition of a Nobel prize in Physics: “Oh shit, why didn’t I think of that?”
Simple ideas are ideal
Scientific discovery does not start with the word “Eureka.” It starts with the words “That’s funny.”
Investigate anomalies
Sources of Research Projects(Garbage Can Model of Research)
Theory
Methods
Personal Experience
Resources
Previous Research
Developing Theory
What is a Good Theory
Theory is the why of the study
Theory is not a summary of prior research
What is a Good Theory
A good theory explains the relationships among a set of constructs
And explains why those relationships exist
Big “T” theory vs. Little “t” theory
Classic Approach
Theory is conceptual, abstract and tentative; based on prior theory and empirical results.
Three steps… define concepts and write propositions that
state the relationship between them devise testable hypotheses and methods to
measure concepts gather and analyze data in an attempt to
verify hypotheses
Designing Studies
Getting the Most from Your Data Collection Effort
Think 1, 2, … n studies aheadStick to a theme (don’t change
topics until you’ve played it out) reusability: theory, measures, learning
Share Cells Example...
Study 1: Individuals vs. Face-to-Face Groups
IndividualFace-to-Face Group
Baseline
ObjectiveDevil’s Adv.
DialecticalInquiry
Study 2: Face-to-Face vs. CMC Groups
Face-to-Face Group
CMC Group
Baseline
ObjectiveDevil’s Adv.
DialecticalInquiry
Study 3: Objective vs. Carping Devil’s Advocacy
IndividualFace-to-Face Group
CMC Group
ObjectiveDevil’s Adv.
CarpingDevil’s Adv.
Sharing Cells
1 1, 2 2
IndividualFace-to-Face Group
CMC Group
Baseline
ObjectiveDevil’s Adv.
1 1, 2 2
1, 3 1, 2, 3 2, 3
3 3 3
DialecticalInquiry
CarpingDevil’s Adv.
Designing for Statistical Significance (MaxMinCon)
Maximize the difference of the treatment means
(Kerlinger, 1986)
t = X1 - X2
s / n
Minimize the error variance
Control systematic variance
Executing Studies
Pilot Test, Pilot Test, Pilot Test Measures Manipulations
Recruiting Subjects Incentives Overbooking
Random Assignment to TreatmentsConfiguring the Environment
Double check everything
Writing It Up
Standard Structure
(be innovative in content not style)
Introduction: 1-2 pagesTheory: 7-10 pagesMethod: 3-5 pagesResults: 2-3 pagesDiscussion: 7-12 pages
50-60%
40-50%
Spin
(the data never speak for themselves)
Find the message (“unique selling
proposition”)Find new theory if necessaryFind metaphors for key ideas
Presentation
(writing sells ideas)
Find exemplar paper(s)Know your audience (reviewers)Stay “on point” (discard good ideas
that are not essential)No surprises (you’re not writing a
mystery novel)Avoid amateur style (quotes,
strawmen, exaggeration, negativism, old papers, dissertations)
Implications
(go beyond your data)
Present implications for practice (what would you tell your class to do
or not do?)Speculate for future research
(why did these results occur, boundary conditions, next studies needed)
Cultivation
(no paper is final until it is in print)
Solicit opinions widely“Test market” and refine the
message at conferencesWork with the reviewers and AEs
to improve the paper
Top-Ten Ways to Be Rejected
Top-Ten Ways to be Rejected(Theory Development)
1. Avoid theory in favor of empirical results
2. Miss key papers in your literature review and theory development
3. Include many red herrings4. Plagiarize from the reviewers’
articles
Top-Ten Ways to be Rejected(Study Design)
5. Openly and directly criticize the work of others.
6. Theorize one set of constructs and measure another
7. Describe your methodology in vague terms8. Fail to admit the faults of your research.9. Forget the lessons of the three-horned
dilemma! In other words, try to design one study that has high realism, generalizability, and control… This cannot be done!
Top-Ten Ways to be Rejected(Writing it Up)
10. Draw conclusions that differ from your results11. Submit a paper longer than 35 pages12. Include numerous typographical errors and
fail to format your paper to the journal’s editorial standards
13. Write obscurely and repetitively14. Avoid sharing your ideas with colleagues15. Respond to the reviewers with a one page “We did what you said”16. Have 16 items in your top ten list
Words to Live (work) By
“Your career is a marathon, not a sprint race.”
Terry Connolly, 1988
“In this career, it is OUTCOMES, not PROCESS, that matters.”
E.W. Martin, 1990
“It is far easier to MAINTAIN a reputation than it is to GAIN a reputation.”
J.F. Nunamaker, 1989
Words to Live (work) By
“For tenure decisions… if it is close… it is NO!”
Dan Dalton, 1994
“Your publication record is you primary PORTABLE wealth…”
Paul Gray, 1995
“Every paper that is not fundamentally flawed can find a home.”
Joe Valacich, 2000
Conclusion
Focus, focus, focusGet the theory right, first!Pilot testReuse, reuse, reuse…Have Fun!
For more information…
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