Sunday 16 September 2012
The first "so what?"
In class (and the first chapter exercise in Luker) we were asked to take 15 minutes and write what we would most like to research. I found the question startling - I hadn't really thought about it and 15 minutes certainly seemed insufficient to come up with an answer that I could be reasonably convinced of.
We discussed how a key part of research is answering "so what?" - in defending its worth to other researchers, peer-review, etc. But it seems that "so what?" can also be tough to answer to oneself when getting started - when faced with a wealth of areas of potential interest, and the uncertainty of a new project, how can I narrow down a question and be reasonably assured that it will turn up something valuable and interesting? Luker seems to be directing the book at students with a question, looking for answers, but takes the formulation of the question itself for granted. Does the question itself matter, or is it more important to start with *a* question?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I haven't done the Luker readings, that will be how I spend the rest of my Sunday evening. I just wanted to comment on your post solely based on past experience.
ReplyDeleteIn Art History, it is easy to fall into the trap of the "descriptive essay". From the very beginning of my undergrad the "so what?" (or some variant of the question) has been asked by my professors. For me, it is hard to just start off with a the question (which I read as thesis statement). I fyou begin by looking at something I am interested in and then ask a series of "so whats?", eventually you will find something worth investigating/researching. It is a tough question, but once you've reached a satisfactory answer, you can be "reasonably assured" that you will have something worthwhile. So, with my limited research experience, the question itself (so what?) does matter and it can help develop your question.
I like your question, Mike. Like you, I came to class absolutely certain that there's nothing I want to research. I'm not the researching type, I just want to do my job well, and go home. In the 15 minutes I wasn't able to formulate exactly what I wanted to research. However, this exercise jolted my brain a bit. Also, the reference workbook that I had to do for a different class, "Introduction to Reference", asked me to search for literature on a particular topic of interest. Suddenly I realized that there seems to be a "hole" in the research exactly where my question would fit! The next thing I know, I'm planning out in my head the various steps I would take to conduct this research project.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that we cannot be reasonably assured that our question will turn up anything interesting. However, in the process of writing down your thoughs, as both authors suggest, you might discover that you do have something particular to inquire about, and further research into the available literature on the topic might reveal a gaping hole.
The number of panic attacks I had while completing my MA trying to answer 'so what,' and trying to find 'truth' was far too much for my liking. I am very much the researching type, but trying to find something important, relevant, interesting, and different seemed nearly impossible. The best way I knew how was to research, research, and more research.
ReplyDeletePaulina, I think that "further research into the available research is extremely important. One of my favourite things to do while researching is to 'footnote chase': meaning to look at the bibliography and footnotes to see what the major players in the field were arguing. I also found looking at book reviews on the subject was really helpful. Often, I found that the reviews asked questions that were actually holes in the literature about the topic. This is where I think that Knight (2002) is spot on when he writes about literature reviews (p. 13-15).
The jolt is definitely what the exercise is designed for - very few people can come up with a brand new, totally original, awesome research question in 15 minutes, but I'm always fascinated to see how these types of activities can get ideas flowing :)
ReplyDeleteNow that I have read the first chapter I think I may have misunderstood your question, Mike. It is not the question of "so what?" you were curious about, but whether the question vs any question was important. Correct me if I am wrong...again.
ReplyDeleteEven still, I think that my previous post may still be relevant (if we forgive the typos). For the most part, I start off with a question that is just too broad and go deeper until I find something compelling. And when I say I am going through a series of so whats, I mean I am doing research (as Laura mentioned in her post).
Granted, I have never done research independently, it has always been conducted within the confines of a course and that broad question is usually given to me, perhaps that is why I think it is important.