Persons as Researchers: Observations of the Participants

Abstract

Graduate students address their research roles and options. Options, diversity, decisions, and the human element in the research process were key concepts underlying Persons as Researchers, a crossdisciplinary seminar in which graduate students and active researchers discussed how personal orientations are reflected in the research questions posed, methodologies devised to generate knowledge, derived findings, and products, and suggested applications. Two professors' who developed the course believed (1) that students beginning studies and careers involving research need to be alerted to research options prior to deciding on a major product such as a dissertation or thesis; and (2) that individuals who have opportunities to engage actively in making decisions about their personal style of research are more apt to see themselves as researchers and to initiate and follow through on research concerns significant to them. Since no other course presented the range of research options and looked at the relationships of personal qualities of researchers to their work, Persons as Researchers was designed to fill the gap. The original proposal called for a teamteaching effort by the two professors who shared a respect for research alternatives and choices, and for the human element in the process of