GSPER Cracker Barrel, August 13, 1997

AAPT Summer 97 National Meeting in Denver, CO

At the graduate student cracker-barrel on August 13 in Denver, CO, we discussed the definitions of research and physics education research. Our first task was to write down our individual definitions. We then got into groups according to what we thought was the most important trait of research. These traits were written on sheets of paper placed around the room and consisted of terms commonly used to describe either the purpose or content of research. Each group attempted to come up with a group definition, then convince another group of its correctness. From the original four groups, we combined into two groups which came up with two group definitions.

The individual definitions and final two definitions are included below.

Definitions of Research (or Physics Education Research)

The following definitions described either a definition of "research" or a definition of "physics education research."

Definitions by Individuals

Any investigation which acquires data that can be studied and critiqued.

Collecting and making sense of information relevant to physics learning that can contribute to 1) understanding PE, 2) improving PE.

Research is work whose theses or products are tested experimentally, or for which there is substantial experimental evidence. PER might include: 1) misconceptions/student ideas/beliefs that are experimentally determined to exist, 2) development of curriculum that is informed by research into student understanding and tested on the students for whom it is intended, 3) development of assessment materials that are shown to perform in the intended manner experimentally.

Research is work that looks at something not well understood and tries to clarify it or help us understand it. The process of research is expanding and clarifying the existing body of knowledge.

Deliberate planned activities to uncover, confirm, differentiate, synthesize, or otherwise distill information and knowledge about the subject.

Research is an investigation that can be either quantitative or qualitative, with a well defined purpose, and conducted to increase the existing knowledge. I accept as research many methodologies, like ethnographies or feminist studies at the extremes; but I do not consider "research" things that just "report" something, or journalistic articles.

Have an idea in a certain framework of ideas (generally accepted or not) - get evidence to support that idea - get feedback from peers, users, and the general public.

In depth investigation of a particular topic.

Research is about building new knowledge for others to consider, modify, and apply.

Research is the scientific process of investigating a subject area to gain new information about it.

Investigating unfamiliar territory trying to determine if ones idea of what is happening is correct, and if not, trying to determine why.

A systematic study into the causes and effects of a phenomena. ["Systematic" means organized, repeatable, and . . .]. This result must be shared in order to be useful.

The process of expanding the existing body of knowledge that pertains to how humans teach and learn about physical phenomena.

Research is defined by systematic activities which are specifically designed to investigate, uncover, and further and understanding of a particular topic. These activities are of a nature so specialized that the researcher must have a detailed/advanced understanding of the broader context under which this particular topic falls.

The scholarly pursuit of knowledge in order to further human understanding in some field.

A process by which you seek to explain a phenomenon. The explanation you come up with should be able to correctly predict future events. The process which is the "research" consists of a number or steps: 1) problem identification, 2) problem definition, 3) selection of tools to investigate the problem, 4) implementation of these tools to generate data, 5) interpretation of these data in terms of solving the problem, 6) formalization of the explanation.

Search for knowledge through experimentation. Using systematic methods to investigate (& ideally answer) a specific question or problem, and provide evidence supporting any conclusions. As I recall, a big sticking point of the evening was whether research could be 'theoretical' or only 'experimental'. For now in my above definition, I think the investigation and evidence could be either theoretical (calculations) or experimental (experiments). But I tend to think that at some point, if calculations can *never* be tested against reality experimentally, then perhaps it is more aptly 'philosophy' as someone else said that night.

The Two Finalized Definitions

Research is a process that expands and/or clarifies the existing body of knowledge that is either guided by or is leading to a theory.

Returns

This page was prepared by Mel S. Sabella and Michael C. Wittmann.
Last updated 5/6/97

Comments about either of these final definitions and/or individual definitions can be submitted to mwittman@physics.umd.edu. They will be forwarded to the GSPER mailing list. Thanks for your interest!