Methods Provocation

Vicente Traver Salcedo 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 AppAccepted on App Store

Flickr – Mathieu Struck

Discov

ery

Translation

DisseminationSocie

tal Cha

nge

The new methods and theorieswe 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 reinforcingthe 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?