Welcome back Cornerstone Students! This week we are going to be looking into the topic of Research and how being an interdisciplinarian plays into it. As we have discussed before, interdisciplinary studies teaches us how to integrate information from various subjects to create new information that solves a particular problem, serves a purpose, or accomplishes a goal. The process of interdisciplinary research can take time; when you are synthesizing information from typically disconnected fields, research is anything but typical. In the past, most of you have probably come across some form of research whether it is a term paper or full blown biology lab report. You might have approached your assignment from one specific field of study, only analyzing the issue in terms of a single mindset. To be an interdisciplinarian, it is necessary to take the evidence or arguments presented from multiple fields of study and fill in the gaps of one discipline with information from another.
It is taught in school year after year that research and problem solving skills will be necessary and important in life; however, this blanket statement seems obviously vague and someone false unless a realistic example can prove its truth. Now I am going to give you what I think of as possible work situation for my two areas of study in my intended career; I have chosen to become a hairstylist and one day own a salon, and to supplement my choice my two areas of study are Commerce and Behavioral/Social Sciences. While I may not encounter life altering situations in my field, I know that it requires problem solving from more than one mindset. On a daily basis I will have to read people, their reactions, emotions, responses, and comments which can be interpreted and understood using Social Science logic and principles. At the same time, I will have to figure out how to get them to spend the most money before leaving my chair, hence the workings of commerce. Now the important part is to integrate the two areas to create the most successful situation for each individual client; too much pushing for services or products may turn away a conservative person, while not being edgy enough just to save face may disappoint someone looking for a real change. As I mentioned, it may not be a monumental task, but it is a work scenario that requires an interdisciplinary mindset.
This week consider the following topics regarding research and problem solving as an interdisciplinarian. How do we use research in our everyday lives? In school? At work? Which specific skills are used when completing a research project? How might these skills be translated towards future employment? How might your ability to solve problems from an interdisciplinary perspective be valuable to a future employer or a current employer?
Please leave your replies as a comment to this post. Don’t forget to include your full name in your post so that you receive credit. When responding to other students, you may find it helpful to begin your response with, “@their name” so that it is easy to see who you are directing your question/comment to. Be sure to check back throughout the week to see if other students have posted questions or replies for you!
Research is used every day because it allows us a chance to investigate something and learn from it. Research exists in so many forms. For example, it can be something like driving down I-4 at 4pm on a Friday. Once you conduct that little experiment a couple of times, you won’t do it again. Another example, I’m currently looking for plane tickets to go to Canada to go bury my Nana in June. They’re $500 a person right now. I’m doing a little research on articles about buying plane tickets, searching all the websites, and going from there. It will all prove valuable when the plane tickets are a little cheaper for us to go.
ReplyDeleteIn school we do so much research! I’m a major fan of the internet databases that you can access from the library. You can find anything! In fact, even with average assignments, I log on an look for back up. With my areas of concentration including Life/Biomedical Science, I’ve done a lot of research over the past couple semesters. And I love it.
At work, you can do research to get a project done, or simply to just investigate what people are saying about your workplace. I work at a hotel. Let me tell you, TripAdvisor is our enemy. But hey, that’s how we research what the guests are saying. I do a lot of research for information on bar ideas. Research is essential to the workplace.
Research skills are essential for employment because they provide a foundation for critical thinking that employers like to see. When you research something, you can learn so much, especially about a topic or two in particular. You can learn to utilize books, the internet, papers, and other sources that can help you grow as an individual as well. Solving problems based on research also showcases your critical thinking, and employers like to see someone who can think outside of the box, or think independently and solve problems.
-Jessica Starr
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ReplyDeleteWe used research in our everyday lives to learn more about ourselves and to learn new information everyday. Through research we are able to test out experiments and develop new information from it. Research has been a part of our lives for centuries now and it has only brough us to be a greater civilazation. Research can help us grow as individuals and as persons as it allows us to become better at what we do.
ReplyDeleteAt school i think for us right now is where we do the most research, as it is part of our studies to research and find out the answer to different questions. I would think that without research at school we would not be able to truly learn from the classes that we take. Research allows us to learn more in depth about a subject, and utilize the new information we might have found through our research in our daily lives.
At work at least for me have being the manager of an ice cream place, research was a must. Research was necessary to see what flavors where good and which flavors were not popular amongst the crowd. Also, it was used to know how much of the ice cream should be made on different days, just because some days were busier than others. For example, we knew that on the weekends we had to make extra compared to the weekdays where we made just enough to the last for the day. That way we can save the product and most importantly save profit.
Some skills that are used when completing a research project are to think critically and to think about the places where you can find the most information about your research.These skills can be translated towards future employment because it is an extra asset that you would have over other candidates, especially nowadays where it is getting so competitive in the work field. You must possess something extra over other candidates applying for the same position. Therefore, by you being able to apply different techniques in finding information out, then it would give you that extra push to perharps attain that job.
-Benjamin Rivera
I think that the most important part of research is knowing where to look. I use research in my everyday life when it comes to awareness of current events, and I have a few sources that I consult on regular basis for this information. I am a huge fan of scribbling, so I write down everything on a notepad, that way when I am going over what it is I’ve found later, it’s just a reach away, in my pocket or backpack. It also takes good research skills to manage your own finances, and to manage yourself… When I’m researching for school, it’s usually for a paper. Good knowledge of how to navigate through my source, usually the library system, has proven valuable. When it comes to my education/ career I usually use google. Completing a successful research project takes good organizational skills. This means remembering sources. For beginners, sources can get caught in the shuffle, and you may find yourself trying to re-find a useful website-not fun. Also on the topic of organizing, it’s best to work backwards from the due date of the project, setting up your goals that way. I have used this method for my entire college career, and it never fails!
ReplyDeleteIn my future career, medicine which is always evolving, I know that I will need a few reliable resources. I notice that when a patient has some rare disease, that the doctor becomes a mini-researcher. As a result of this I’ve learned that the most valuable skill I can develop is speed reading! It’s imperative that I myself work on developing this, and anyone else interested in medicine, or anything related. It is branch, if you will, of problem solving. That is being able to sift through a large amount of information and pick out the important details.
I really like the emphasis on critical thinking this course provides, which comes from our continued analogy of IDS, and the process of learning how to integrate our passions. Doing simple assignments like this is allowing me to have a much clearer understanding of how pervasive problem solving, critical thinking, and integration will be throughout life. I will definitely be working hard to strengthen this skill! For example it will be my responsibility as a doctor to remember that every patient is unique and multifaceted. There are lifestyle and environmental contributors to their condition, there is there psychological disposition and personal sense of responsibility for their health, and ultimately there is their genetic construction. If I could get into a career that continuously had these factors in mind, I believe that will be the perfect career for me.
~Andrea Graves
I consider my experiences and the knowledge that I have gained while growing, research that has helped guide me through the last 22 years. I think research takes place in our everyday lives because we use a guide of what we have learned in our past and apply it to the present. Before I took my road trip across country I looked up different attractions to get an idea of different things I could do. I also researched cheap hotels that would be on the way.
ReplyDeleteAn example of research in school would be signing up for classes. Before I decide which classes I want to enroll in I read a synopsis of the class and then I look up the teachers and read their reviews on rate my professor.
For my job, I am a preschool sports coach; when I sign up a new student I ask the parents the obvious information, such as their name, birthdate, classroom ect. In addition, I ask if there are any in particular skills that they feel their child needs to work on. I like to get the most background information possible so that I know what I am working with when I begin to coach the student.
Being prepared about certain topics or having knowledge from looking into certain information is very essential for future employment and is also very impressive to an employer. Having the ability to solve problems from an interdisciplinary perspective may be valuable to my employer especially with my job because I work with students with all different circumstances. For example, I coach eight students at a time and each one of them are at different levels, therefore, I have to do my best to challenge each one of them to the best of their ability. I have to think fast when doing a certain sport and make it more perplexing so that the child doesn’t get bored and so that they work to their full potential.
-Megan Sebastian
Research is something we do everyday day eventhough we are not thinking about it. It comes to us as second nature for events or problems that have been resolved already. However, when a new problem arises the mind acquires signals that makes us think and opens possibilities to solve a answer or conflict. As the previous posts state their are many areas and forms of researxh that can be conducted.
ReplyDeleteIn school research is done through out our education. It starts as book reports which eventually become papers in college. However, as the time we are in school the more we were able to know how to conduct research. In college now we have may resources to do research such as books, internet and experiments. Later on in my education research will be important as i will study medicine which requires continuous research. Medicine is contantly changing everyday so doctors and scientists are constantly finding new cures.
In my job i have used research to help boost up sales. I work at International drive which is a tourist place that comes with a challange to make sales to foreigners. However, i was able to notice a pattern and make notes or ask the customers which type of merchandise are more appleing to them. I work at Harley Davidson at a general merchandise store that has a variety of apparel. I have come to notice the most foreigners that make purchase are Brazilians. Hence i took portuguese in order to be able to communicate with them better.
Research is a skill that should be taught and enhaced to students from a youn age. When one is exposed to more problems to be resolved the ind is more working. Research will be a useful tool to enhance once abilities to acquire new skills and knowledge in different fields.
We use research in our everyday lives in basic communication by interpreting /inferring what another person is saying and the importance in his/her message.
ReplyDeleteAt school, I use research weekly in my organic lab class. Lab reports are written in passive voice and past tense, detailed but dry, informative, procedural, and follow a specific outline formula. The research comes form our actions and products made during lab, text book and course-pack. I use a different type of research for my literature papers, which are written in active voice and present or past tense. The research comes from multiple sources: literature, critical theories, historical background. Literature research papers are written regarding my personal interpretation by deciphering a text, loosely formulaically with a dash of creativity . I like experiencing the distinction between the two fields, good thing I'm an Interdisciplinary Student.
At work, I'm a seasonal server at Tailgaters, I research by trying slightly different approach methods on different customers based on initial inferences from demographics (age, family, student, business person, etc.) and accessories (laptop and textbooks, birthday balloons). I observe tendencies in beer preferences so I know what beers to suggest to customers.
Specific skills useful for completing a research project include: observing to different degrees, note-taking, reviewing, critically thinking from multiple different perspectives, and dedication.
These skills will translate toward my future as a physician because I must observe my patients' symptoms, especially the ones they don't realize. I must be able to critically think to gather clues about a patient's condition and deduce an appropriate treatment. My ability to solve problems from an interdisciplinary perspective would be valuable to my future patients because any help improving critical thinking for diagnosing pathologies and for listening skills.
Research is an ongoing tool we use every day in everything we do in our lives. We research gas prices, grocery prices, hair products, clothes, shoes, and even electronic devices. Without researching we would be paying way too much for products and services in our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteIn school we research different subjects and information for products, our major, and our future careers. As a pre-med student we research every day, from lab reports to grad and medical schools. The work never stops, and it’s only the beginning, the real work starts when we begin our careers.
At work we may research information to increase our knowledge on whatever our job entails. When completing a research project many skills are used, specifically, we look for reliable sources, validity, critical thinking, organization, and leadership. These skills put together lead to a great research project.
In future employment these skills will help tremendously, in any job you need all those skills to have a successful career. My ability to solve problems from my interdisciplinary perspective will benefit my future employer because I can think outside the box and focus on more than one thing at once. It will benefit when there are two or more projects needed to be worked on or resolutions to be made. All in all it will give me an edge over my colleagues and allow me to be more innovative and skillful in my career.
-Leslie-Ann Ellington
I think research is used in our everyday lives whenever we intentionally attempt to learn something new, some research is credible and some is not. The research that is used for school is known as academic research and should come from a credible source to improve a reader’s trust in the writer. At work, research can be done to make one a better employee by using research to improve skills that would make the individual better at their own job. The research used in school can be translated to research that can be used in employment by using such skills to solve problems that may arise in all areas of the workplace. The ability to research and solve problems that may not fall into the more focused area of study would make an employee more flexible in terms of interdisciplinary skill.
ReplyDelete- Jeremy Amin
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ReplyDelete@ Andrea G
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your thought about medicine, as i myself, am going into the same field. And it is important to speed diagnose as you said, and like you it is a skill that you would learn to pick up with experience and time.
-Benjamin Rivera
@ Jamin
ReplyDeleteI agree with the research at work, it is definitely use to improve the individual at the job, and to make a better employee. Also, the research used in school can be translated in the real world, because they are skills that you can utilize in the same format as in school.
Research is used in everyday life, especially with the internet being such a valuable and main tool for research. Being able to go online and "google" a question or item we are looking is something that society has been able to use as a researching short cut. Even using the library has resulted in a room full of computers for researching purposes. There are times when our research must go beyond just the internet.
ReplyDeleteIn school, students are constantly doing research even before being enrolled in coursework. We do the research to meet our study needs, the type of work we want to study, and even the professors that are connected to classes we must take. Research is used inside the classroom when a particular subject is presented in class. I just finished a mid-term research paper on Sociological Concepts relating to specific music genres. Before working on this paper I had to research past history of genres and description of these concepts. Most of the research was done online with article databases and online books.
At work, I research everyday about demographics, marketing tools, and purchasing capital items. If research and reports are not done we cannot connect with our market.
When doing specific research skills must be used in order to use the reliable resources and know where to go with that research. Depending on what you are looking for it is necessary to compile the correct information in order to use it towards any project. Using the correct critical thinking when doing research is also very valuable to a future employer. Having the ability to solve problems as an interdiscplinarn is a great asset to have. Being presented with a problem and not relying on anyone to solve it for, doing the proper research, and putting a structured resolution together shows strength in critical problem solving and thinking. This is important to any future employer.
--Shanna Kahn
You all have given some really great examples of research in or everyday lives. I really liked the examples provided by Megan and Andrea regarding travel and current events. These are excellent ways to incorporate research and problem solving into your life, because without these skills as Leslie-Ann said we would find ourselves walking around in an uninformed cloud paying too much for certain items, or unknowingly purchasing products of low quality.
ReplyDeleteI think that it’s great how many of you realize the benefit of interdisciplinary problem solving skills when it comes to our future careers. Once upon a time I too was going into the medical field, and even though I am no longer doing so, as Andrea pointed out, I still recognize the importance for a physician to connect to patients not only through medical analysis but on a somewhat personal level as well. Think about that. How many of you like going or would like to go to a doctor (or any professional for that matter be it a lawyer, hairdresser, teacher, etc.) who communicates with you only on a technical level. Being interdisciplinary means being multifaceted and its imperative that future employers recognize this about IDS majors.
@Edison Tenezaca--
ReplyDeleteI agree that researching skills should be taught at a young age. Once kids are able to learn the structure and can comprehend how to research the proper information, it a good time to start. Since everyday our society has become a technological inclinded environment, knowing when to use critical thinking will be important in everyday life.
@Andrea G
ReplyDeleteI am the same exact way with writing everthing down. I use an actual college ruled notebook at work and write a few lists a day. I have to buy at least one each month for this. This way I can write a outline for all my research and to know where I need to problem solve and of course prioritize.
First let us consider and narrow what we mean by research. Research is generally thought of as a scientific process, the formation of a hypothesis, a way to test is and a frame in which to interpret your results. I generally only think about this in the context of a lab with formal research procedure but this really isn’t the case at all when I look more closely at my everyday life. One of my favorite examples of this is that one episode in the office when Jim uses the sound of his computer turning off to make Dwight crave gum. My apologies if anyone is unfamiliar with the show.
ReplyDeleteFrom my own life some everyday examples of interdisciplinary research is getting myself to class on time. First was the scientific trial and error of how much time I need to dress and make breakfast, over and under shooting happened but I learned after a week that I need almost exactly 45 min to get ready in the morning. Next was what route and which lanes to get in and take to get to campus the fastest. And then last and most importantly on the ucf campus is which lots are most likely to have free spaces. All of this uses the deductive reasoning that I’ve learned from my sciences but also requires the creative outlook and approach I learned in my writing and literature classes.
Since school and work are one and the same to me right now I will address them both here. Research is clearly a helpful and necessary skill in my science labs. Right now I’m in Biology two lab and my proficiency in research I acquired in high school working with a researching doctor has helped me infinitely with my patience with writing and knowing how to format tedious lab reports as well as a solid mind set for analyzing my findings, and knowing how to approach problems and formulate a means of testing. This is pretty easily translated into my future employment as a doctor, as research is very explicitly an important to medicine.
My ability to approach problems from multiple angles and disciplines will be very beneficial to my success in future research. Life doesn’t fit nicely into a discipline, and problems aren’t often solved without thinking outside of the box. Being interdisciplinary and learning to think outside of the artificial compartmentalization of knowledge will enable me to find unique solutions.
@ Shanna Khan
ReplyDeleteI really agree with what you said about taking research beyond the internet. I had never really thought about the extent I use the internet as a crutch and shortcut to research, but after a moments thought it hit me how dependent we as student have become on this resource. The internet is a fine and often necessary tool in this modern world but it is import to take problem solving and the acquisition of knowledge to the next step.
@ Jessica Starr
ReplyDeleteI really like how you accompanied “thinking outside of the box” with the phrase “To think independently” because that’s really what it is. Its really helpful to restate it in that way because it emphasizes that you do have to break from the path and think in new and unique ways to be a good researcher.
Everything in life is researched. I am a bargain queen, a coupon groupie. Nothing in my household is purchased prior to research from toilet paper to electronics. Prices are compared at multiple stores measured up to online stores and all reviews and recommendations are evaluated. Coupons are sought, clipped and categorized. We recently purchased Sea World season passes and we made a list after careful research weighing out the pro’s and con’s of come for a day play all year versus paying full price for the season passes. The season passes won because after researching the price of parking for non pass holders and lack of in park discounts the benefits of purchasing outright yearly outweighed the benefit of paying less up front. I use research at home, work and in school daily.
ReplyDeleteResearch in my current field of employment which is the medical field is going a step further. More specifically researching patient’s recent medical history calling for labs or imaging, looking on multiple hospital databases, contacting the primary care for additional information and researching past orders or prescriptions. Multiple times every hour, every single day, I use my research tools such as the internet, phone and multiple service databases in order to establish a patients complete history. A clear history enables the physician to apprehend a better understanding of the patient’s past medical care and anticipate future need.
Scholastically research is imperative. Though individual knowledge is extensive researching facts and information through other resources is imperative to a skilled paper or essay. Research tools range from a thesaurus, dictionary, encyclopedia, almanacs, atlases, newspaper articles, magazine articles, websites, published books and published essays all the way to interviewing other people.
As an interdisciplinarian I am well equipped to research required information. The skills learned through interdisciplinary studies will enable me to look in multiple arenas for information to solve a specific need or problem. Research is going above and beyond in order to complete a precise task to the best of my ability.
@ Shanna,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right that we use the internet first and foremost as a research tool. It is funny that the library meant to house books is now filled with computers. Great point! I personally have great difficulty using other tools of research but I am constantly trying just not succeeding in getting away from Google.
@ Jamin
ReplyDeleteInteresting explanation that research is used whenever we attempt to learn something new. That is true. I have never thought of it that way.
@ Lellinton27,
ReplyDeleteYou sound like me as far as researching household products. You must be a bargain shopper as well.
Ryan B
ReplyDeleteIn the area of research and how it pertains to school, work, and everyday lives, it completely surrounds everything I do. We live in a great time of technology and information at our fingertips I can’t tell you how many times a day I look something up on my phone to find out an answer about something I was wondering about. Information is an addiction and we have so much information available at all times in this era of technology that sometimes it interferes with everyday life by spending hours per day on a computer we have all become almost drone like. Sit on campus tomorrow and watch the amount of people walking and looking at their phones intently you’ll see what I m talking about. I say a girl step on a cockroach last week because she was so busy looking at her phone, I swear that really happened.
Anyway back on track, we all use research every day whether it’s researching your friend’s status on Facebook or looking up your future job prospects Facebook account we are all constantly researching. When was the last time you actually went to a library to check out a book? The ability to find and receive information for school related topics and being able to read what a student at Yale or Harvard’s opinion is compared to your own from reading blogs or related internet topics is essential to how we gain knowledge in the arena of scholastic endeavor.
I use information everyday to research clients that I will be marketing to see if they are viable leads for me to work on. The internet saves me considerable time and effort because I don’t waste time on accounts that aren’t related to my product. Also, I can use that information to be linked to other client’s related to my first client and so forth. The utilization of Facebook, LinkedIn, Four Square, Twitter and so on have created groups within groups within groups that are all interconnected. In essence we can find out about any perspective company, employer, or prospect to gain employment or maintain connections to further our careers in one very easy media. The internet!
The ability to do all these things rely on ones knowledge about particular topics of interest and that’s where interdisciplinary studies gives students an advantage because of the multiple areas of study that give a new employee the background to be knowledgeable about different areas of business, communications, sciences etc.
~Ryan Burris
@Ryan B,
ReplyDeleteInformation really is an addiction. When I want to know something, I want to know it now! It drives me nuts if I am unable to research the information I am looking for. In a way, I am extremely thankful for all that technology has allowed for us, but then again, I agree that it leads to being a “drone.” Some people are just too obsessed with it and most of the time it isn’t for the right reasons.
-Jessica Starr
@Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteIt took me a really long time to go the trial and error of getting to school on time. My main drawback was that I absolutely despised going to campus, mainly because of the parking. It led me to do even more research, so I could avoid the dreadful task of searching for parking, and I actually started to plan my new semester classes around the parking! But hey, once that first semester was over, I was able to get up later and still get to class on time. Research was absolutely necessary for that.
-Jessica Starr
@Edison Tenazaca,
ReplyDeleteI agree that research is very pervasive throughout our everyday life, especially with the internet.
@Ryan B,
Its like you said. Information is an addiction! That cockroach story is hilarious! How observational!
@Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI never used the Internet databases until this semester; I found that they are pretty easy/convenient to use. I wish I knew about them sooner!
@Andrea,
Anything in the medicine field involves a lot of research! That is a prefect example; doctors are always drying to find new cures for diseases and look up information on new symptoms.
-Megan Sebastian
@Shannon Yes i am indeed a bargain shopper, I believe in saving money and shopping smart! I also love the way you summed up Research as "going above and beyond in order to complete a precise task to the best of my ability."
ReplyDelete@Lindsey, your example of researching what time you will get to school by adding up everything you do to get ready was a great way of explaining research in our every day lives!
@Shanna
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point about the quality of being able to solve a problem independently, without relying on anyone to solve it for you. Its a very good quality!
@Ben
Cool! Ice Cream! I agree with your point, we probably do our most research at school but there are other instances about it. So in your ice cream research, which flavors are typically most popular?
@ Ryan
ReplyDeleteI like your incorporation abou the socila media in research. That it is true that now we have more access to the internet enabling us to acquire more information. As you mentioned Facebook and other social medias are useful to one when used to ones advantage as you mentioned for marketing. It is true that everyone is constantly on the phone and get distracted easily.
I feel like most of you when you're talking about your reliance on research on a daily basis like @Shannon I probably visit google multiple times daily and again as @Jessica said I am way too reliant on immediate satisfaction...with the Internet at our fingertips I can't stand to wait to find out a fact or an answer to a question I may have. Keep up the great work everyone! This blog is going really well with the conversation and responses! =)
ReplyDeleteYou have submit a good post. There are So many word you explain that I never heard. I have learn something new. And by adding images you help us to understand this very easily. ucf physician assistant program
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