To be honest, my research question hasn't quite
"evolved" since my first SSHRC Outline Assignment (oops). What the rest of
the course material and blog posts did provide however, were various opportunities
for me to prepare for the five sections of my Final Research Proposal. It really
helped in this final stretch when I had to hammer everything down and make
sure I met all the requirements, that some of my blog
posts and comments had all the answers I needed and something of a roadmap for the rest of paper.
I also found myself enjoying the idea of using the participant observation approach - really embedding yourself into a culture in order to find the
answers you're looking for. It feels like such an honest research method which
really gets to the heart of things. You're not simply a passive observer or
reading various papers to figure out what's going on, you're actually in the
"line of fire" so to speak (especially in relation to my research
topic). I am grateful that this course has given me the opportunity to explore
this method further.
Unfortunately, I decided to stop wrestling with my research
question a while back, in an effort to get a jump start on the final
assignment. But my blogmates should know, that our blog was truly treasure trove of
useful information and ideas that really helped pave the way to the finish line. Thanks guys!
I don't think the fact that your question hasn't evolved is an oops at all - I would think that it means you had a clear vision from the very beginning. Participant observation is very interesting - I've used the method in my proposal, but I've also been a participant of it before. I have to say that from a participant point of view, it's kind of weird! You're being watched and often asked to narrate your thoughts, but then again, this is useful in itself since many of us don't really stop and think about what we're thinking about.
ReplyDelete