Methods Provocation
Vicente Traver Eric Hekler
Provocation focuses on using/developing new research methods to more rapidly advance the field and exploit the rapid pace of technological development
Flickr – Metrix X
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Conceive of a study
Gather Pilot Data
Submit Grant
Receive Funding
Conduct the study
Submit publications for review
500,000th App Accepted on App Store
Flickr – Mathieu Struck
Translation
The new methods and theories we are proposing are not reinforced
in the current academic system. Current values? • Knowledge for knowledge
sake • Pre-planned research • Discipline-driven
• Fiscal disconnect
• Post-hoc Peer-Reviewed
Publications
New Values? • Relevance and social value • Iterative experimentation • Interdisciplinary teams and
community engagement • Fiscal sustainability
• Open Source Github-like Wiki
with real-time peer review Flickr – Mathieu Struck
Flickr – Mathieu Struck
How might we create new processes for reinforcing the actions of academics to foster the rapid development of new methods and theories?
What are our tools NOT good at?
Flickr – Clyde Bentley
What questions other than “does it work”
should we ask?
What are the most important new tools for us to become
proficient at using to answer our new questions?
Flickr – Cowboy Ben Alman
How can we convince our peers that these tools are
more appropriate than the tried and true tools?
Provocative Questions
Using/developing new research
methods to more rapidly advance
the field
How might we create new methods for reinforcing the actions of academics to foster the rapid development of new methods and theories?
Which new tools are best for which questions and how do we enable our peers to recognize the value of alternative methods?