1. While you are working on a project
2. Before you start a new project
3. Have there been important strategic shifts in your professional life?
4. Do you have the impression that you change your mind more often than your colleagues do - or less often?
Hello everybody,
Am I the only one who sometimes changes his mind? Is it kind of embarrassing to say that we do? There are so many of us who told us what they have learned during their work or from their students that I can hardly believe that there is nobody who changed his mind. Is it not what we call learning?
Dear Martin,
You asked very complex question. What can make me change of my mind in professional life ? In my case, I change my mind about something while the research projects. It happens because of qualitative type of studies I undertake. Discoveries in the field, even very little, are fortunately fresh and demanding changes in mind of the researcher. Secondly, I change mind about people who I work with from good to bad or from bad to good. It happens to me while building the rapport. Honestly, speaking I change my mind more often than colleagues about the researches, teaching etc. This not mean indecision. There is one condition about changing my professional mind - if I stop to trust someone at work I do not change my mind. This characteristic may indicate infantile personality, but I'm not so, for sure.
Dear Beata,
As far as I understand you, when you lose the trust in someone you are working with, this will not change your systematic approach to the subject?
What about methodological errors? Can’t they be caused by a change in your work?
Dear Martin,
About trust. I can work even for years with person who I do not trust, because of recogniizing motives. This is typical situation at work. I cannot explain better. Many people experience this.
I think of methodological errors now.. Wow !... what a difficult question !
Methodological errors can be caused by not knowing theoretical assumptions of the field researches or rules of entire process of designing project and leading the research in the field. Changes while the collecting data for example from 2 months to 2,5 months will give different qualities but not necessarily errors. What changes you had in mind?
Well, that methodological question seems to be a sticking point. But I don’t wan’t to narrow the question to this point alone. I am not a specialist for statistics but I as far as I see there can be problems when the time is extended, too. When you say you get different qualities and you wouldn't get them with less time, this changes a lot, doesn't it?
Martin,
I'm qualitative researcher and disappoint you now - we qual do not use statistics, and positivistic paradigm - however there are used simple non statistical quantifications present during researches. The problem of data collection is indeed subiective and is conducted until researcher notices saturation of the data also subiectively however supported by triangulation. This mean any other interview will not support anything new and different as well as valuable. Different qualities as result for quantitative researcher is huge error, for qualitative is different dimension of understanding. But please, do not forget qualitative research is not verification, so I do not use experiments at all (unethical in qual research - some discussions are constsntly carried out in academic environments about that). No experiments and not veryfications. And as positivistic researcher you are completely upset now.
Dear Beata,
I see what you mean and I didn’t see it first. E.g. for an archaeologist it doesn’t matter whether he made his findings during one month or during two months. I hadn't thought of cases like that. Thanks.
Dear Martin,
I'm even surprised with your answer. No fights, no paradigm wars, no demeaning of qualitative research but pleasant summer understanding atmosphere. I can rest. Thank you.
Dear Beata,
Here’s some more pleasant summer relaxation: a FUNNY story about archaeologists and the changing of an archaeologist’s mind:
The archaeologist Winckelmann told the children in Pompeji, that he would pay for fragments of porcelain too. After a while he got only fragments and the children earned more money. It took some time to realize it. So it was part of his work to rethink his methods.
Wanna fight? Wait….
Dear Martin,
Lovely and hilarious story about having children as research participants. Of course Winckelmann underestimated the smart native Pompeian kids :) This is good example for learning in the field, what I adore. Pompei as well as Herculaneum are fabulous examples of world monuments of horrors, maybe we should mention this to Concha. I haven't seen them yet but watched documentaries. Amazing world.
Dear Beata,
You got two more weeks of holidays, go to Pompeii or Herculaneum! They are no monuments of horror but lovely places to be. I once spent a wonderful afternoon in a 2000 years old garden under a tree, a book on my knees. …
Dear Martin,
I surely will, but not this year. I will tell you where I was after I return. Plans have changed surprisingly and I adapted to it. I know that there are beautiful places in Pompei and Herculaneum as well as moving and tragic too. It is astonishing how could you read the book in such breath taking place ? Maybe to much impressions ? I would touch with hands and senses almost every stone, fresco or sculpture if I was there. But philosopher prefers to read the book in ancient city, nothing surprising :) You surely know these (P+H) were also a horror and dramatic places. See below I'll remind you. Well, dear Martin I will probably not be accessible for next 2 weeks. See you later ?
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/arts/design/herculaneums-ruins-are-revived-by-philanthropy.html
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