HOW TO...
...PRESENT AND SHARE RESEARCH
By Andrew Morris Now that the summer research conference season is over, it’s a suitable time to reflect on the importance of sharing in relation to research and the use of evidence. In 2000, the physicist-sociologist John Ziman described “science as a communication system” and, in a more recent study, the Research Unit for Research Utilisation concluded that “interpersonal and social interactions are often key to the use of research”. The relationship between the producers and users of research is a two-way affair. Those who read research to develop their practice need to be able to trust the evidence and, ideally, to influence the agenda for future research. Researchers need to know what others have said previously and, ideally, build on it. For both, good communications help improve the quality, relevance and use of research. For practitioner researchers, the prospect of presenting a talk or poster summarising their work at a conference or workshop acts as a stimulus to further action and an opportunity for feedback. Such events also offer a chance to hear new ideas, examine research evidence and bolster practitioners’ sense of professionalism by enabling them to meet like-minded souls. Writing and reading about research are equally important. An
article in a college bulletin, professional magazine or journal can help authors clarify their thinking and give readers the evidence behind their practices.
presented as part of the conference. Most of the practitioner researchers making presentations were either on PhDs, MPhils or MAs funded by the ETF and delivered by SUNCETT, University of Sunderland. A list of abstracts is available via the
ETF website or, if you are reading your inTuition in digital format you can simply click:
bit.ly/ConferenceAbstracts2019 (SET members can access the digital issue by logging into SET and clicking on inTuition under the Publications tab.) Next year’s ETF Practitioner Research
Conference is due to be held at the University of Sunderland and be spread over two days, attracting international as well as UK practitioner researchers.
Alan Thomson is editor of inTuition. inTUITION ISSUE 37 • AUTUMN 2019 21
Andrew Morris is an honorary senior lecturer at the UCL Institute of Education and a member of the national planning group of the Learning and Skills Research Network. Andrew is president of the education section of the British Science Association. Contact Andrew at:
a.j.morris@ucl.
ac.uk
Social media is increasingly important. Simple tweets helped ignite the rapidly growing ResearchED and FE #researchmeet movements. A Twitter account set up by the new Networking the Networks initiative is full of lively exchanges about research in the sector and the associated website (see below) now offers a discussion space, a map of research-engaged people, and opportunities to read others’ research and present your own. It links to key bodies such as BERA (British Educational Research Association), ARPCE (Association for Research in Post-Compulsory Education) and the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). Let’s get out there and
start sharing! REFERENCES
• Ziman J. Real Science (2000). Cambridge University Press. p113. • Research Unit for Utilisation
www.ruru.ac.uk • Nutley M., Walter I. and Davies H.T.O. Using Evidence (2007) Policy Press. p302.
• Networking the Networks
networkingthenetworks.com @LSRNetwork
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
