Researching the Role of the VRE in Social Science Research Processes
Research Design
The research design has involved the development of a series of comparative ‘chronological case studies’. The examples are of projects organized in different ways, with different deployment of staff and employing different research methods, including case studies; surveys; interventions and action research. The entire project, with its emphasis on understanding and managing change, and on theory-building as well as theory–testing, also has much in common with Lewin’s model of action research, albeit informed by Elliott’s critical reworking of action research for educational contexts. In particular, the presence of a series of diagnostic activities designed to build a predictive model later to be reviewed by respondents and researchers is characteristic of action research approaches.
Data Collection
The activities of each participating project has been documented using a range of data collection techniques:- Initial Project Director interviews and needs analysis
- Field visits and other observations
- Routine data collection
- Content analysis and workflow analysis
- A series of 'data mirroring' activities in which selected routine data and workflow models are used as the focus for semi-structured interviews
The Use of Video Diaries within the Project
The range of data presented above has, in four projects, additionally be complemented by the collection of video data. A series of structured and semi-structured tasks have allowed researchers to understand better the nature of the 'day-to-day' activities of project members, as well as providing a basis for discussion with members of the developer team as they work to understand and operationalise the needs of diverse groups of VRE users.
Emerging Findings
Project participants were able to identify a number of key workflows and patterns of collaboation which they flt the VRE would support:
- Collection and analysis of qualitative data
- Iteration between qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Collaborative analysis of case studies
- Student and Practitioner involvement in and with research
- Communication with users
- Cross-site management of tasks
- Collaborative writing of reports and other publications
It is important to recognise that some participants' views on the importance of collaboration have a basis not only in the management of complex tasks, but also in commitments to engage users both in and with research and to undertake participatory and transformative research activities.
For further discussion of these findings, see the conference papers and publications here.
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