COP2 - Research Paradigms (What is research? Part 2) notes

Process is more important than outcome.

An incomplete manifesto for growth -
"When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there" - Bruce Mau Design In 2006. Ideas are essential, the context in which the practice exists. Coming up with an idea and then experimenting and developing is research. You are trying out new ideas to inform your understanding. Control the research that you undertake, have a clear idea of what you could possibly want to produce. A process of formalising and identifying - more efficient and more confident in these processes. Not knowing something you need to know about is research, you are looking at new knowledge. How do we identify and expand things that we already know?
How, Why, What if? Ask questions - Possibilities, we identify that there is something we don't know about. Analysis - talking to people. Primary Research is collected for a specific use, data that has not been used before. Secondary Research is data that exists from another source, has been researched by another individual. Quantitative Research is a measurable amount of research, statistical data. Qualitative Research is how people interact with surroundings and environments, it is not based on a objectively or statistical data. How is researched gathered, what form of information is it? What is information? 'Any communication or representation of knowledge such as facts, data, or opinions in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audio / visual forms'

It needs to be relevant, it needs a function. How do we identify on essay research, how do we take a range of research approaches? It needs to add to peoples knowledge with practicality and theoretically. The process of finding facts, looking at what is already known and challenging this. Theoretical - Knowing that Practical - Knowing how } Knowledge Contextual - Knowing where Linking the theoretical, knowing that and the practice - knowing how = Synthesis. 
Broader sense of research - what is useful to you in terms of the rest of the knowledge? What do I want to know and what do I need to know? - being able to distinguish the two - how do things connect, link and relate? Research is what is already known - thinking outside the box - a different outlook on what research is already out there. Interpreting - Becoming an individual.

Paradigm Position - Paradigm, who does it effect? Your view on the world. A shift of your perception on the world - A paradigm shift.
What is there to study? whats out there and what you have learnt so far, your own personal experiences. Some experiences may be common but your understanding is individual and unique, ontology. How can we know about it? Shaped by personality, what you already know, epistemology. 

Ontology - A philosophical analysis of what is or can be known. Certain thinfs that we just cannot know therefore it is about what exists. If it exists, what is it?

Epistemology - A philosophical analysis of the scope and nature of knowledge and how we can know something. This distinguishes between how we know knowledge. Using knowing how we research, looking at practical knowledge, rather than theoretical knowledge.

Investigation, truth, belief and justification - we know something for a fact - we can prove or evidence the terms. Once we know this we start to gain an opinion shifting from truth.

Objective - Facts and Truths
Opinions - Beliefs

How would you justify your opinion? How would you prove this? Broadening research - Market research - gain more opinions that relate, agree and disagree with your own. Propositional knowledge is objective and subjective = Fact and Opinion

We research for inspiration, knowledge is not knowing.

Initial Research - can change your opinion you initially thought in the early process as you discover more research, more information informs your idea generation - Revisited Research - another route towards the initial knowledge you wanted to find out.

Methodology, Ontology and Epistemology = Paradigm

Methodology - refers to how you will find this information. Specifics - how you will turn this data you have found into something to use for knowledge, how it is relevant. Methodology approaches - what do I do? Research Activities, e.g mindmap - word associations - secondary research. Techniques - how do I do it? Research tools.

You know if you use a certain process you can predict where  it could lead you. Once you have decided on a method, this source material can be turned into data, something that can be turned into fact or knowledge - before you can process this, analysis of this, need justification, evaluation and communication. Relate to the source material that you have gathered - other data that people have collected - similarities, the interpretation process.

'What does it show' - analysis
'What does it mean?' - interpretational  

How can this link? Outside of the box - small similarities that can aid your research further, a different aspect on the outcome you have gained so far - context on background, themes of theories, hypothesis, leading to reflection. You are at the centre of your research, all of these different elements are one aspect of how you see the world.

Knowledge, Analysis, Comprehension, Application, Evaluation and Synthesis. It is not a linear way of working. At some point you have to stop researching - need to make a decision to stop researching.

Advice - write big when you are going to stop researching - and start writing. Research needs a purpose, you need some form of purpose for your research.

Proposals - start with what you already know, identify what it is, what you want to know more about, plan how you are going to find out more about it.