In Conclusion…

JOURNAL #TWELVE [RES701]

In Conclusion...

I’ll start with my journals which, to be honest, I often find to be somewhat of a distraction from what I consider to be the ‘main’ material work. However, as these formed a part of the gradable mark I could no longer diminish their impact.

This class made me realise that by viewing the journals differently, I could increase their value and make them a more worthwhile exercise. So instead, I now consider them as if they were a mini-report, that could be useful to others whilst also building my online profile in a way that may be beneficial moving on from this degree - also I now find them a useful reference point to refer back to and honestly, I genuinely enjoyed writing them.

Secondly, I have gained a far greater ability to source, identify, and critically analyse research papers by using quite logical processes, much in the same way I did with information and data to strategically review a business proposal. I have recognised that it can often be the case that if research supports our pre-conceived conclusions, we far too easily accept the validity of what we are reviewing, and subsequently cite it to support our arguments. Understanding and appreciating that not all research is created equal is a useful tool to hold.

Thirdly, I have a more concise understanding of the research process, specifically how our approaches and paradigms might affect our research and the conclusions we draw. I enjoyed looking at the differences between the paradigms however, I am still very conflicted with post-modernism. On the one hand, it can make perfect sense in certain applications, particularly when scepticism is required, but on the other, I’m unclear as to how it can help when considering the applications of truth in science and technology, so I tend to go around in circles - as Christopher Hitchens said “The Postmodernists’ tyranny wears people down by boredom and semi-literate prose.”

I take the view, that for the time being at least, positivism resembling the classic science and social science approaches has more value for society. This course has affirmed what I guessed at the start, that I tend to prefer quantitative research over qualitative research, which I often find less helpful. I will continue to use qualitative research however in an attempt to continue to improve my ability to get the best out of it.

Finally, the greatest benefit gained from this course is the opportunity to think about my perspectives and attempt to understand where they come from, and why as a result, I take certain approaches to research. This has been incredibly important. Without this it is difficult to see that there are other options available that could provide more useful conclusions, this is particularly true when considering methodologies and methods.

I have found myself more reassured than ever that I know what is true and what I know, whilst simultaneously questioning it, which is an odd but exciting position to be in. One certainty is that my research will be more considered in the future and as a result, be significantly more valuable.

Lar’s, it’s been a pleasure as always, your calm deminer and relax attitude is a joy, you run a very thought-provoking class - Will Tuesday afternoons ever be the same again?. I will leave it with a message for future students, this is an incredibly beneficial course leading into projects, don’t miss it!! - 10/10.