Tag Archives: methodology

peer review

Week 18, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

In Mach, while giving the game design course, I was a student too of a Paper Reviewing Workshop organized by some active members of TEL.

The workshop was very good. I can report that I learn. Also it called my attention that we were active during the course despite that all the participants were spread all over the world. Yes, the workshop was on-line.

Screenshot of one of my sessions at the peer review workshop

Screenshot of one of my sessions at the peer review workshop

 

Let me clarify, in the past I reviewed some conference papers, however I felt something was missing in my reviews.

I admit that one is constantly learning about one’s area of expertise while doing research. One can offer constructive criticism towards one’s work and the work of others when we write together.  Additionally, one can be critical reader of colleagues’ work before they submit their manuscript, so one is somehow a pre-reviewer.  Finally, I have learned A LOT from the feedback of those reviewers who had  examine my work, despite to be painful to read sometimes.

So, what can one learn from a workshop about peer review process?

In my case, to make explicit what we know or assume tacitly. The process is the learning experience in itself, to share with others and to hear the advices from experts in this specific topic is priceless.

Last week I review some papers, and I sense that my confidence level as a reviewer has increased after the workshop. Consequently, I assumed that my performance a reviewer has improved too. There is also space for improvement, specially with practice. But I want to thank  the organizers of the workshop! as well as the expositors and colleges with whom I discussed.

To close this post, I share a presentation from Marco Kalz which I honestly like and might be useful for others as well.

research basics: ethics and philosophy.

If one wants to be a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) two things must be present in the basic foundations of this path, according to my actual perspective.  Both of this elements I am learning them in a very hard way, as I was clueless about them and no-one guide me about them.  Those two essentials research basics are: Research philosophy and Publication-Ethics. Both are equally important.

First element: Research Philosophy

Seldom one  hears/reads researchers’ awareness about this. Actually, even I wonder how many PhD students have re-read at least partially some of the research classics lectures (Plato, Socrates, etc.). In this University, where several PhD students are enroll. It is not only if one reads classics or not, the whole research should be anchor in some philosophy, why are we doing what we are doing? and/or so what? This is as important as clear and focus research questions, which by the way are related.

Location of the philosophical classics at our University. A VERY hidden and secure place in some corner at the library.

(Photo: Location of the philosophical classics at our University. A VERY hidden and secure place in some corner at the library)

Second element: Publication-Ethics

My ignorance in this topic and the lack of guidance I have and had, made me done ethical mistakes. I am learning slowly and in a hard-painful way not only for me, but also for people that I respect and I work with.

One should be very clear of one’s research, one’s responsibilities and obligations as researcher and of the well establish ethics of the research community. Each publication that one does it is not a superficial outcome to add in a CV, as sometimes a system wants us to believe, or as I though it was.

Each paper involves much work, reflection, knowledge, time, values, that it is a concrete outcome of how we are growing as researchers within a research community. Each publication must be in harmony with several dimensions (personal, team, university, community, etc.). Authorship, contributions, ideas, how the paper is written, the integrity of the document, etc. all these has a weight.

From my perspective, any researcher should understand these two basic elements and promote them to truly support the grow of knowledge of everybody.  I am learning this, as other things. I am not an expert yet but today I want to make public that I know the relevance of this facts, and I subscribe to improve this practice.

Photos: old articles, old books, old thoughs… maybe we should reflect that what is old is actually our basics before we forget them completely….

getting serious at work chapter II – sharing

TEL PhD SS tough me several things. Thinking carefully, perhaps now I am ready to listen and understand some  messages that earlier I couldn’t understand.

 

Sharing is one of the main things I understood lately.

 

Each time I was asked about the references of papers, books, links, projects, ideas, etc. that I have read or related to,  I had this impotence feeling: full & empty at the same time.  I remember in one of our PhD days some time ago, when Andrés mentioned about delicious, and I didn’t understand what he meant with it at the time. But things change in life…

 

Now I understand and trying to improve. Little by little, it is not a simple change as it requires effort and TIME. But at least now I see how relevant this is. Otherwise, why are we doing research? if it is not to share knowledge among all?

 

And today “photo” is actually a presentation from Cristina Costa. It is about how to “build” a “profile”, I think for anyone working in ICT, this is something to think about, at least once. And in some way it is related to sharing.