Next Elluminate date for Research Methods

The next Elluminate meeting for Research Methods - Monday 11th May 3 - 5pm.
More about the topics for this session after Easter!!!
By then the 4th Blog spot will be done... yeah!!
FM

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Due to time constraints, the tasks for this week will be sent out via email, then posted at a later date to this blog.

The title of the email will be qualitative and quantitative research.

Information quality

Hi all,

Thanks for your various communications

As regards the second blog - you are to describe how information from different sources might vary in quality - and how to differentiate good quality from poor. Although this has not previously been formally assessed in your course work, from the ways you have been encouraged to reference previously you will be able to make comment about sourcing quality material for research purposes.

I encourage you to extend yourselves beyond Wikipedia - because it is an evolving "library" of information - its quality is variable/ in draft.. etc. Much of the information is good and useful - its just that you might make it your first port of call to expand your preliminary ideas - but KEEP SEARCHING...

So (moving on!) - Much of the debate about poor to quality reference sources has been covered - but to help support you in this second blog, here is a refresher /random exercise for you to attempt. We can go through this on Monday as well.

1. Google search - http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/Quality.pdf

2. Open up this references and make a note of what you are looking at - basically a bunch of references about quality assurance of references!

3. Select six references which sound like they have something to do with your blog topic. Select 3 qualitative authors and 3 quantitative authors

e.g. Barbour - good/ relevant qualitative title and Healey & Perry for a good/ relevant quantitative.

4. Open up two of these articles - read em!

5. While you are reading make a list of reasons why you think this is a good source for research purposes?

6. Be prepared to discuss this on Monday at our Elluminate session.
Elluminate session - Monday - 3-5pm
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Academic structure (using Unravelling the mystery of fascial unwinding)

By the way I am using the term "random exercise" or - activity - to stimulate ways for you to practice your understanding before completing your assessment task. This is a slightly more sophisticated approach to drafts, which you learnt about in Study Skills.

And

I want you to keep in mind we have entered a vast territory here - the display of your skills - through the assessment tasks is demonstrating your understanding and being succinct about that. Don't worry if it takes a couple of goes - get help if you need to. Email me!

And

I think the dates you received for these blog tasks are a week out. Either way your effort to get them in is recorded and becuase I recognise that your responses in the various group situations supports your learning and is also measurable in the marking rubrics, I am happy to continue negotiating your actual date received. Don't let this be an incentive to slow down : ) We are early days and there is a lot to do...

Happy studying - I love it!

Kind regards

Felicity Molloy