Readings

Having read articles from Paulus( 2014) , Davidson& Digregorio ( 2011) and Paulus, Lester& Britt ( 2013)  showed me using technology in educational research is not a new issue, but  it took time for researchers to integrate digital tools in  their research. Today, almost every researcher use technology including computer, iPads, cameras, or cloud storage, however many of them are hesitant to use CAQDAS.  I believe there are two main reasons abstaining qualitative researchers to use CAQDAS. First one might be qualitative researchers  attribute a high level of meaning to their data, since their data includes emotions, interpretations, ideas or knowledge not only about their subject/participants, but also about themselves. Their data also represent some piece from their own life experiences. It seems to me like qualitative researchers construct  emotional relations with their data and  many of them agree with the claim  " computers put distance between the researcher and her/his data" (Paulus, Lester& Britt, 2013). They avoid analyzing data via CAQDAS since they are scared of losing those meaning they attributed to data. I heard from my many friends that  they do not accept analysis of computers as their own analysis, and they do not trust what computers did.

The second will be qualitative researchers do not feel confident enough to integrate CAQDAS in their research due to the lack of knowledge about certain software. And a learning a software is taking time and energy, consequently challenging researchers.I did not have any research experience until I started to Ph.D, however based on my experiences so far in Ph.D, I can say that qualitative researchers have a   less tendency to use digital tools in their research . Before I registered for this class- J-650 , I mentioned my close friends who are senior Ph.D that I would take this course. My friends who study qualitative research  stated like " are you sure" or like " it is waste of time, these tools do not work for qualitative study " .

I also  enjoyed reading the article of Kilbourn. I am currently in the stage of determining a research topic for my dissertation and it is a difficult process. Kilbourn's  article draws a map for me showing where I  should start and how I should think.  Even though the article is quite long, I read carefully every line. In particular, the quote "All research problems in the field of education necessarily involve educational problems, by definition, but not all educational prob- lems are research problems. Only a portion of all the imaginable educa- tional problems merit the attention of two or three years of painstaking systematic inquiry" is a kind of eye-opening statement. This semester, I am also taking two other courses about writing dissertation proposal. Kilbourn's statement are aligned with  what we read and discuss in my other two courses. In addition to learning the use of digital tools in qualitative research,  taking this course will help me to compose a qualified proposal. It is a relief for me.