Here is some feedback on the "Aims & Scope" statement posted recently:

1) Research methods vary widely across research disciplines. While
multi-disciplinary research methodology may be an interesting goal, I am not
sure it is practical. A few examples may illustrate this point:

A) Historical research differentiates between sources of data more than social
science research, within secondary research being significantly inferior to
primary research. I am not sure that researchers of contemporary issues are as
sensitive to that as they should be.

B) With the current US government interest in pharmaceutical research methods
following the VIOXX recall, it may be inappropriate for a journal to claim to
serve that field. Can you image a journal being quoted on the floor of the
Senate by whose law school training did not include any work in statistics?

C) Legal research has certain standards that are applied in the courts. Does
that fit within the scope of this journal as well? Have you ever "sheppardized"
a US legal case?

D) News reporters does research in support of stories. Dan Raher's announced
departure from the CBS Televison network in the US can be traced to bad
research. Is that type of research within the scope of the journal?

2) The training of researchers, as well as the methods, seems to also be
burdened with the issues of diversity noted above.

I may be better to limit the scope to broad areas of the academic disciplines,
and by doing so, admit that the journal cannot "be all things to all
researchers." I hope that I have stimulated others to consider this topic.
Discourse of this will provide the most effective statement of Aim & Scope. I
congratulate Professor Dash for initiating that discourse.

Jim Carroll

Dr. James J. Carroll, CPA
1374 Roger Avenue
Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807-1251
(908) 658-4998 Cell (908) 581-7727

Email: drjamesjcarrollcpa@...
________________________________

Research_Practice@yahoogroups.com wrote:

There is 1 message in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. JRP: Aims and Scope
From: DP Dash
________________________________

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 03:53:50 +0000 (GMT)
From: DP Dash

Subject: JRP: Aims and Scope

Dear Research_Practice Friends,

I need your feedback on this.

DP

==
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH PRACTICE:
Innovations and Challenges in Multiple Domains

Aims and Scope

The Journal of Research Practice (JRP) seeks to
develop our understanding of research as a type of
practice, so as to extend and enhance that practice in
the future. The Journal aims to highlight the dynamics
of research practice, as it unfolds in the life of a
researcher, in the growth and decline of a field, and
in relation to a complex social and institutional
environment. The Journal welcomes deliberation on the
basic issues and challenges encountered by researchers
in any specific domain. The Journal aims to explore
why and how different activities, criteria, methods,
and languages become part of research practice in any
domain. This is expected to trigger inter-disciplinary
dialogue, mutual learning, facilitate research
education, and promote innovations in different
fields.

The Journal's scope is not defined in terms of
academic disciplines. It cuts across disciplines and
fields by drawing out the living dimensions of
research unfolding through history, culture, research
communities, professions, and of course the lives of
individual researchers. The Journal seeks to study the
evolving patterns of thinking and practice that
underlie open inquiry in any domain. The scope also
includes topics such as research training, research
design, research utilisation, research policy, and
innovative forms of research.

In order to promote wider participation in these
deliberations, JRP will be published electronically in
the open-access mode.
==

Journal of Research Practice
http://home.ximb.ac.in/~dpdash/JRP.htm
Editors: DP Dash; HR Ponce