Just to recap last week’s blog posts, I transcribed my jottings, described two different scenes in explicit detail, described somebody’s hair and wrote a reflection/recap.
I really loved hearing all about the ways my classmates approached the task. Some took a lot of field notes, some interviewed Student Center occupants. Some (including me) shied away from any interviewing. Some asked an extensive amount of questions, some simply observed. I think what this assignment really taught me is that there are so many different ways to approach and observe a setting I know little to nothing about, especially when research is involved. I felt inspired when I heard my classmates talking about how they went about their process because some had never been in this Student Center and somehow was able to overcome any uncertainty and discover things they didn’t know such as when the center closed, what task student managers were responsible for, what food was being served, as well as finding a laundry room and an unusual vending machine.
I want to be able to approach a new setting or interview somebody pertaining to my research topic with as much confidence. Although it’s easier said than done to leave our preconceived notions at the door, sometimes it’s nearly impossible to do so. As budding researchers, we’ve all experienced life in different ways through different channels, so we may pick up on something in a discussion with our subjects because of life experience. I can only imagine what it would be like to conduct group research and complying all of the jottings, the artifacts and constructing it to represent the insights from every member.
Christina Maxwell 