Summary
Highlights
The lecture introduces Chapter 3 on technical research, covering research at work, secondary data sources, and source evaluation. It differentiates between work and academic research and outlines reasons for conducting research in a professional setting, such as new product development or problem-solving.
The speaker defines primary sources as firsthand knowledge and secondary sources as accounts based on primary sources. It also covers where to find secondary data, such as emails, reports, and library catalogs, emphasizing the importance of proper documentation to avoid plagiarism.
Plagiarism is defined as using ideas or words without credit, with severe consequences in the workplace. The lecture stresses documenting all borrowed material—phrases, sentences, ideas, summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotations. It advises using field-specific style manuals like APA for citations, which include internal citations and a reference page.
To ensure credibility, sources must be chosen carefully. Key evaluation criteria include publication date (preferably within 3-5 years), author credentials (subject matter expertise, reputation), methods, depth of coverage, and tone/objectivity. Warnings are given about internet sources and 'scam' journals lacking review processes.
Further guidelines for evaluating sources include checking for bias, credibility of sponsoring groups, and safe electronic addresses (.edu, .org, .gov). It's also important to look for cited references, balanced content, careful design, and current publication dates.
The second part of the chapter focuses on note-taking. Researchers take notes to remember information and sources. While electronic methods are common, some prefer manual note-taking. It's crucial to understand the material before taking notes, with each note containing one idea, topic, source, and page number.
Notes can be summaries, paraphrases, or direct quotes. Summaries condense material, keeping essential ideas while using one's own words and being shorter than the original. Paraphrasing presents others' ideas in one's own words, usually maintaining a similar length. Direct quotes use original wording, requiring quotation marks and proper citation, and should be used sparingly.
Primary data is gathered through field research for unique or current problems. Methods include surveys, interviews, observations, and experimentation. For surveys, one must define needs, target population, survey method, and carefully plan questions. Questions should be logical, necessary, non-leading, and focused on facts, not opinions.
Interviews involve defining purpose, scheduling appointments, and preparing questions. Interviewers should be competent and professional. Interview results should include all meaningful information, accurate quotes, and introduce the interviewee by name and credentials. The typical format presents questions followed by answers, either direct quotes or paraphrases.
Observation (like focus groups) requires training observers on what and how to record systematically. Experimentation involves causing an event to test a hypothesis, requiring careful planning to avoid invalid results and objective data interpretation.
Regardless of the method, primary data must be valid (accurate representation) and reliable (reproducible). When reporting primary data results, it can be done simply or formally (e.g., lab reports) using a passive voice to keep the focus on the data.