Developing A Research Pipeline:Increasing The Special Education Knowledge Base

William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

Professor

PhD Program in Educational Leadership

Prairie View A&M University

The Texas A&M University System

Author: Robert B. Cooter, Jr.The University of Memphis

(Article Review)

National Forum of Teacher Education JournalVolume 17, Numbers 1&2 2007

Purpose

• The purpose of this article is to outline a sequentially useful method in identifying and successfully implementing a productive, pragmatic, and publishable writing and research agenda.

Content

1. The importance of professional writing and research for educators

2. Define research pipeline?

3. Six steps to create individual “Cylinders”

4. The spigot: Publication

5. Some final thoughts

Introdution• The academic triad: Teaching, Scholarship,

and Service.

• Educators who do not succeed in professional writing and cannot establish an ongoing research may (1) stifle the professional growth, (2) influence the opportunity of the tenure and promotion, or even (3) end their careers.

Research Pipeline Concept• It begins with the creation of a reservoir

of researchable ideas

• Flows into the selection of a worthwhile problem to investigate

• Continues on to the various stages of designing a study

• Exits through a spigot of publishing activities.

Six Steps to Create Individual Cylinders

C1: Enter through the classroom

C2: Problem identification & Validity Screen

C3: Literature Review

C4: Select Research Design

C5: Implement Experiment; Data Analysis

C6: Present paper to a learned society

Publication

Cylinder I Enter the pipeline through the classroom

• The way to identify worthy researchable topics is to immerse oneself in the life of the classroom.

• Living within a classroom culture will cause ideas to ferment.

Cylinder II Problem Identification using a “Validity Screen”

• Maintain a consistent theme – Focus.

• The best way to choose a researchable topic is to use practicing teachers as a kind of validity screen.

• Master teachers have a ability to help the researcher discern what is germane to classroom realities and, conversely.

Cylinder III The literature review• The purpose of the literature review is to

locate and summarize all related to the topic in your investigation.

• Function: Inform readers about prior research, contributions of the new study being reported to the knowledge base, and suggest future avenues for research.

Cylinder IV Research design selection

• It is difficult to have expertise in the research field and be equally well-versed in quantitative (qualitative) research design and statistics at the same time.

• Solution: cooperate with outsource.

Cylinder V Study implementation and data analysis

• Three steps:

1. Collected

2. Collated

3. Analyzed

• Rich description tempered by the power of statistical analysis is an effective modus operandi to use as one’s basic formula.

Cylinder VI Paper presentation to a learned society

• Present finding to peers and record their feedback.

• How to get the feedback—write your email on the cover sheet.

• Ask for help, even strangers.

The Spigot: Publication

• Find a fit journal

• Draft the article using the prescribed form which is available online or upon request form the journal editor

• Follow the guidelines

Some Final Thoughts

• No one-size-fits-all formula for professional writing

• Organize common elements used by many social science research into a cogent paradigm

• A research pipeline has the potential of helping scholars develop insightful research