Comments on: My research in plain English http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/ Journeying towards a goal Tue, 22 May 2012 04:37:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Zb http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6312 Zb Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:14:50 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6312 Hello, First of all, I found your research quite challanging. The factor that seems to make it even more challanging is that you are going to present the system changes afterwards. Secondly, I enjoyed reading your explanation. In terms of English it seems to be clear and straightforward. The only thing I seemed to find missing was the explanation of your individual work towards this research. Perhaps it is because of a stage of this project. In future you might want to say more about yourself, your techniquest, approach, tools etc. It is just a though. PS> I have written twice as much portion of text as you can see now before but it's been erased due to missing email address :/ so this is just a shorter version of my message ;p Hello,

First of all, I found your research quite challanging. The factor that seems to make it even more challanging is that you are going to present the system changes afterwards.

Secondly, I enjoyed reading your explanation. In terms of English it seems to be clear and straightforward. The only thing I seemed to find missing was the explanation of your individual work towards this research. Perhaps it is because of a stage of this project. In future you might want to say more about yourself, your techniquest, approach, tools etc. It is just a though.

PS> I have written twice as much portion of text as you can see now before but it’s been erased due to missing email address :/ so this is just a shorter version of my message ;p

]]> By: Jenna http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6265 Jenna Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:53:32 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6265 Hi Liz, great post, what a good idea to do this...I am going to recommend writing research in plain English to everyone now as I got loads out of this. I think your post above is really clear. Agree with the comment about 'adversarial'. I'd really like to see some of your pictures to put them in context for me...I really like hearing about new, innovative and practical research methods being used. Jenna :) Hi Liz, great post, what a good idea to do this…I am going to recommend writing research in plain English to everyone now as I got loads out of this. I think your post above is really clear. Agree with the comment about ‘adversarial’. I’d really like to see some of your pictures to put them in context for me…I really like hearing about new, innovative and practical research methods being used.

Jenna :)

]]> By: lizit http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6143 lizit Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:16:43 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6143 Hi Ariana - SL slipped off the agenda some time back - this blog explains all http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/04/progress-check/. I am doing some mapping, but not exactly using a systems approach - you can see the diagrams here http://is.gd/iatvFE - the main methodology is narrative enquiry, but the mapping contextualises the domain (moving out of plain English!) How is your work going? Hi Ariana - SL slipped off the agenda some time back - this blog explains all http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/04/progress-check/.

I am doing some mapping, but not exactly using a systems approach - you can see the diagrams here http://is.gd/iatvFE - the main methodology is narrative enquiry, but the mapping contextualises the domain (moving out of plain English!)

How is your work going?

]]> By: Ariana http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6136 Ariana Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:30:45 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6136 Great idea to write your reserach in plain English! I always thought that you were using Second Life for the research but it appears not. I notice that you say you are drawing diagrams. So am I correct in assuming you are taking a Systems Thinking approach? Great idea to write your reserach in plain English! I always thought that you were using Second Life for the research but it appears not. I notice that you say you are drawing diagrams. So am I correct in assuming you are taking a Systems Thinking approach?

]]> By: lizit http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6134 lizit Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:36:40 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6134 Thinking about those diagrams again, I guess I could have given a link to my wiki http://is.gd/iatvFE where I've the draft diagrams, with request for feedback. My first attempt to map this stuff was years ago when I was teaching T205 and trying to make sense of the journey we were on with my son. Thinking about those diagrams again, I guess I could have given a link to my wiki http://is.gd/iatvFE where I’ve the draft diagrams, with request for feedback.

My first attempt to map this stuff was years ago when I was teaching T205 and trying to make sense of the journey we were on with my son.

]]> By: eLiz http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6133 eLiz Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:37:12 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6133 You could call it using diagrams, instead of drawing pictures. And would you in a future blog put up such a map, please because I can see things quicker with a good map than reading, especially when skim reading from a screen. I'm assuming you start your drawing by hand, and I find that seems to realise other ideas in me that I wouldn't have the words for initially. You make that point when you say if you put up a map then you have to describe it, and that's good, because then you've translated what you could see in a map into the words that others understand. BTW, I wouldn't have had my PhD contribution breakthrough if I hadn't drawn. You could call it using diagrams, instead of drawing pictures.
And would you in a future blog put up such a map, please because I can see things quicker with a good map than reading, especially when skim reading from a screen.

I’m assuming you start your drawing by hand, and I find that seems to realise other ideas in me that I wouldn’t have the words for initially. You make that point when you say if you put up a map then you have to describe it, and that’s good, because then you’ve translated what you could see in a map into the words that others understand.

BTW, I wouldn’t have had my PhD contribution breakthrough if I hadn’t drawn.

]]> By: Bex Hewett http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6132 Bex Hewett Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:05:32 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6132 As a non-expert Liz, I found your description easy to follow and understand. I like the points that you make about the application to practice/policy and how it links in with current affairs. Thinking with my PhD student hat on I wondered if you might want to add a sentence or two about your academic contribution - it might be obvious to someone who knows the topic I guess but I would be be interested to hear how this adds to the academic work in the area. Relaly interesting - you have inspired me! As a non-expert Liz, I found your description easy to follow and understand. I like the points that you make about the application to practice/policy and how it links in with current affairs. Thinking with my PhD student hat on I wondered if you might want to add a sentence or two about your academic contribution - it might be obvious to someone who knows the topic I guess but I would be be interested to hear how this adds to the academic work in the area.

Relaly interesting - you have inspired me!

]]> By: ailsa http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6128 ailsa Thu, 07 Apr 2011 03:37:39 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6128 Im really enticed Liz. I like how you describe a need for enquiry. I dont have a problem with learning through drawing the maps of what happens, I wonder if you have considered looking at some actor networking on this, not that i have seen explicit drawing there, but because of the mapping out of changes and a tolerance if not high regard for demonstrating knowledge beyond straight prose. Would be interested to see if people who are limited in articulating how they feel about something might express it in other ways , so some visual ethnography could be considered. Im really enticed Liz. I like how you describe a need for enquiry.
I dont have a problem with learning through drawing the maps of what happens, I wonder if you have considered looking at some actor networking on this, not that i have seen explicit drawing there, but because of the mapping out of changes and a tolerance if not high regard for demonstrating knowledge beyond straight prose.
Would be interested to see if people who are limited in articulating how they feel about something might express it in other ways , so some visual ethnography could be considered.

]]> By: Jeffrey Keefer http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6127 Jeffrey Keefer Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:10:57 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6127 Liz, I think this is a good exercise, and I am glad that the #phdchat led you along this path. In a way, it reminds me of your doing what you are asking your participants to do, namely to tell their stories. Kudos for seeing how challenging this can be all around!! One question about how you described it; you mentioned you were drawing pictures about this. Do you literally mean you are "drawing pictures," or do you mean you are metaphorically painting pictures with their stories to verbally illustrate what they as a group means? Keep up the great work, Liz. Nice to see your example here. Inspires me to keep up with my own blog (between the research itself!!). Jeffrey Liz, I think this is a good exercise, and I am glad that the #phdchat led you along this path. In a way, it reminds me of your doing what you are asking your participants to do, namely to tell their stories. Kudos for seeing how challenging this can be all around!!

One question about how you described it; you mentioned you were drawing pictures about this. Do you literally mean you are “drawing pictures,” or do you mean you are metaphorically painting pictures with their stories to verbally illustrate what they as a group means?

Keep up the great work, Liz. Nice to see your example here. Inspires me to keep up with my own blog (between the research itself!!).

Jeffrey

]]> By: lizit http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6123 lizit Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:00:13 +0000 http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english/#comment-6123 Thanks for the comments. Definitely a case of could do better :-) Just to clarify - no doubt what I should have done in the original - I'm looking at Aspergers and high functioning autism as a sub-set of the SEN (special educational needs) system, so I'm not looking at the conditions as such, but at the education, care and support systems. You're probably right about over-simplifying Katie. I did think of including a map of the system, but you then end up having to explain the map... Unfortunately, the system is confusing for those who work in it and those who have to use it. Possibly the changes in the green paper will help, but it will be up to 4 years before they get implemented, and they may well cause as many problems as they solve - the old law of unintended consequences. It's interesting how you end up seeing words as everyday because you encounter them so often that you forget they are perhaps not self-explanatory. The adversarial bit, is around the fight many parents describe themselves as engaging in to get the resources and support they believe their kids are entitled to - as a woman I saw last week was saying, why did her son have to be out of school for 18 months before the local authority could get its act together and sort out a place for him! OK that is an extreme, but the experience of fighting for children's rights is not uncommon. Interesting that the word 'adversarial' gets used in the press and elsewhere, no doubt communicating no better than me! Second Life disappeared some time back, partly for reasons beyond my control (ie the options for 3rd year undergrads were changed). I had several quite unsettling months, before getting into this following some advice about focusing on a domain I know well, and unfortunately I know the SEN domain far too well :-( but all the painful experience is coming in useful now. Thanks for the comments. Definitely a case of could do better :-)

Just to clarify - no doubt what I should have done in the original - I’m looking at Aspergers and high functioning autism as a sub-set of the SEN (special educational needs) system, so I’m not looking at the conditions as such, but at the education, care and support systems.

You’re probably right about over-simplifying Katie. I did think of including a map of the system, but you then end up having to explain the map… Unfortunately, the system is confusing for those who work in it and those who have to use it. Possibly the changes in the green paper will help, but it will be up to 4 years before they get implemented, and they may well cause as many problems as they solve - the old law of unintended consequences.

It’s interesting how you end up seeing words as everyday because you encounter them so often that you forget they are perhaps not self-explanatory. The adversarial bit, is around the fight many parents describe themselves as engaging in to get the resources and support they believe their kids are entitled to - as a woman I saw last week was saying, why did her son have to be out of school for 18 months before the local authority could get its act together and sort out a place for him! OK that is an extreme, but the experience of fighting for children’s rights is not uncommon. Interesting that the word ‘adversarial’ gets used in the press and elsewhere, no doubt communicating no better than me!

Second Life disappeared some time back, partly for reasons beyond my control (ie the options for 3rd year undergrads were changed). I had several quite unsettling months, before getting into this following some advice about focusing on a domain I know well, and unfortunately I know the SEN domain far too well :-( but all the painful experience is coming in useful now.

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