Adjuncts doing research Adjunctchat April 8

One of the common myths in society is that only tenure track faculty or Phd students who are forced to do research are doing so at universities.  In fact, many adjuncts either want to or are doing research, in some cases on their own, in other cases as part of a full time job out of the academy.

However, there are a number of issues that come up. If adjuncts aren't being paid for the work, then should they have control over their work? If that is the case, do they have to get approval from the IRB if they aren't using students as participants? How do they handle "school affiliation" that a growing number of journals require when they they have conducted the research over two or more different locations?  How can adjuncts  overcome their "research itch?"  

In this week's adjunctchat, we'll be discussing how adjuncts can do research, get funding, and trouble shoot problems if they want to continue doing research (inside and outside academia).

Does any one know anything about open source qualitative research tools?

As I am in the midst of my dissertation data analysis, I keep thinking that there has to be an easier way to do the data analysis than to cut and paste coded data (using the tracking and comment function of word) to do my data analysis. The problem is that I need to maintain a certain degree of privacy in my data analysis as per the IRB (Institutional Research Board) at our school. While I have access to data analysis programs at the university, I can't use them securely.

So after reading Michael Hanley's series on open source elearning, I began to wonder if perhaps there are some open source free research tools. Why do qualitative research tools cost so much? And why aren't universities trying to develop free research tools for others to improve the quality of research?

Need help on Work literacy presentation

Thursday I am presenting to a group of instructional design researchers (mostly at the University at Albany) about the discussions we have had on the work literacy blog. Specifically, I would like to encourage them to help in creating an agenda on research in work literacy, starting at the primary school level and working up to the adult education level.

Even though we have been discussing work literacy as it pertains to the workplace, we should begin to integrate these competencies in our educational system to prepare future generations for the knowledge economy.

So my question is:

• what should I include in my presentation?
• what research would you like those doing instructional design research to be conducting? In other words, what are some of the most pressing research questions that we, at the university, should be investigating?
• How can we tie the various levels of education together to better prepare workers for the workplace of the future?

Because I am very interested in hearing the perspective of those worldwide, who might feel intimidated writing in English, I have the following for those that speak Spanish, French, and German (please excuse my grammar). Unfortunately, I don't write Italian, Portuguese, or Dutch, but I can read it, so if you would like to contribute in those languages, feel free to do so.

Para ellos que habla espanol, escribeme en espanol sobre la formacion de trabajo (work literacy) y las competencias que empleos nesicitan en el economia nueva (de conocimienta). Que quiera saber y investigar sobre este topica?

Pour vous qui parlez francais: ecrivez-vous en francais de le topic de formacion dans le bureau (work literacy) et les outils nouveaux, ce que c'est necessarire pour le travailler dans l'economie d'connaisance. Qu'est que vous voulait les rechercheux de recherche de ce topic?

Auf Deutsch, will Ich das Sie, uber arbeitlesefahigkeit (work literacy) scriben. Ich kenn das es viele gedenks uber arbeiten in Deutsch gebt. Also, was wollen sie mehr uber arbeit in die wissenwirkschaft wissen?