The Importance of Objectivity in Research
Mentor 1
Tina Freiburger
Location
Union 240
Start Date
28-4-2017 12:20 PM
Description
Working as a research assistant since June 2016, I have done data entry for a number of studies. Objectivity is always an important principle in research, but it really hit home for me while working on these projects. I took this opportunity to understand what it is like to work in research, and I currently have realized that being objective is something that can be difficult, but can be learned and makes it easier to see results you never would have considered before. In this discussion, I will specifically be talking about a project I worked on in October to December 2016. With a few graduate students, I conducted surveys in criminal justice classes. Once all of the classes were covered, I took all of the surveys and entered the data into SPSS. Although all I was doing was data entry, the project still required me to be objective when poring over student opinions and entering the data. Each survey offered different insights into the questions. Even if I did not agree with the opinion itself, the ability to be objective made it easier to correctly enter the data. Additionally, it gave me the chance to learn from other perspectives, as well as what it really meant to be a researcher. While working on this study, I can conclude that objectivity is integral to research work. This may seem like a redundant point, especially to those who have worked in research for years, but to me doing this opened my eyes to how important it really is. If we can take the time to really stress why it's so important, we can help combat possible ethical issues and help young students avoid these blunders as they learn to navigate the world of research.
The Importance of Objectivity in Research
Union 240
Working as a research assistant since June 2016, I have done data entry for a number of studies. Objectivity is always an important principle in research, but it really hit home for me while working on these projects. I took this opportunity to understand what it is like to work in research, and I currently have realized that being objective is something that can be difficult, but can be learned and makes it easier to see results you never would have considered before. In this discussion, I will specifically be talking about a project I worked on in October to December 2016. With a few graduate students, I conducted surveys in criminal justice classes. Once all of the classes were covered, I took all of the surveys and entered the data into SPSS. Although all I was doing was data entry, the project still required me to be objective when poring over student opinions and entering the data. Each survey offered different insights into the questions. Even if I did not agree with the opinion itself, the ability to be objective made it easier to correctly enter the data. Additionally, it gave me the chance to learn from other perspectives, as well as what it really meant to be a researcher. While working on this study, I can conclude that objectivity is integral to research work. This may seem like a redundant point, especially to those who have worked in research for years, but to me doing this opened my eyes to how important it really is. If we can take the time to really stress why it's so important, we can help combat possible ethical issues and help young students avoid these blunders as they learn to navigate the world of research.
