Research Methods

IUFRO

Special Program for Development of Capacities

September 29 – Oct 3, 2014

Snowbird, Utah

Dr. Rolfe Leary and Dr. John A. Kershaw, Jr.

Workshop Overview: This Workshop module will present a framework for preparing a scientific research study plan. It will lead the participants through the process of asking scientific questions, developing meaningful hypotheses, and designing the research to test these hypotheses. At the end, each participant will be able to prepare, on a single piece of paper, the important elements of a Gowin Vee for their research, and to share this with the group.

Forms:

Gowens Vee – form fillable pdf

Schedule:

	Monday 29 September	Tuesday 30 September	Wednesday 1 October	Thursday 2 October	Friday 3 October
9.00 – 10.00 60 min	Opening Ceremony	Research Methods: Gowin Vee : Center – cont. Ontological perspective: a) what is it, b) how do I use it, c) systems, d) levels.	Research Methods: Gowin Vee: right hand a) hypotheses and inferences (McRoberts grid)	Research Methods: d) designing experiments vs experimental design	Global Forest Information Service (GFIS)
10.00 -10.30	Coffee Break
10.30 – 12.30 120 min	Introduction to Workshop 1) Student introductions 2) Big science - Big ideas 3) Course outline/ goals/ organization 4) Questions 5) Example	Research Methods: Student presentations of their central Vee 1 hr Gowin Vee: Left – 26 a) concept, b) proposition, c) theory, d) Margenau’s perception plane, e) Lakehead framework Triangle Excel	Research Methods: Gowin Vee: right hand side c) sampling in a nutshell	Research Methods: a) Form volunteer teams (by discipline?) 3/team & form one complete Gowin Vee , and present to group	Global Forest Information Service (GFIS)
12.30 -14.0 90 min	Lunch Break
14.00 – 16.00 120 min	Research Methods: 6) What is science? 7) Sci. & Philosophy 8) Sci. Res (kinds, goals, aims; phases, tactics, etc) The triangle PDF	Research Methods: f) deductions from prop. e.g. direction field g) five loops summary h) effective literature reviews	Field Trip	Research Methods:	Knowledge Café
16.00 -16.30	Coffee Break	Coffee Break		Coffee Break	Coffee Break
16.30 – 18.00 90 min	Research Methods: Gowin Vee: center 9) Problem selection/ Characteristics of good questions	Research Methods: Gowin Vee: left hand side i) Eleusis – 7 teams of 4 Rolfe’s rules Winning team presented w Tee shirts.		Research Methods: b) continue volunteer teams Vee presentations c) Scientist personal qualities d) Scientific ethics	Closing Session
18.30 -20.00	Dinner				Farewell Party
20.00 – 21.00 60 min	“About IUFRO”	j) student presentations of Gowin Vee left hand side	free	free