VU Workshop: So What?

• Geschiedenis
• WO
• Studiejaar 6

Who decides if (your) research is useful?

Who decides if your research is useful?

Welcome!

Welcome!

Workshop goal:

To help you to voice the usefulness and impact of your research.  

Who are we?

Name, Research School, Research Year

Meet and Greet:
Name and Research Topic

Have you ever encountered academic research (courses/theories/studies) in which you were unable identify its usefulness or benefits for society?
If so, did this trouble you?

"I believe my research is useful".

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

What does useful research mean
(to you)?

Research Impact

Where to start? The basics! Definitions help to clarify.
Usefulness vs. Impactful

Defining your research helps you:

• reflect on why you are researching a particular question.
• understand where your research fits into greater field discussions.
• gauge how your research furthers the field and/or benefits society.
• think about target audience: society and/or science.
• predict the impact of your research.  
• realization: finding an answer vs. giving an answer.

Unfettered or Fundamental Research

Where the use-case is not immediate, and outcomes are not directly beneficial to society.

This requires time, effort and resources. It also requires trust on the part of society and it could be at odds with results-focused institutional processes.

 The term 'unfettered' is a good reflection of these aspects.

Unfettered or Fundamental Research

• use-case is not immediate
• outcomes not directly beneficial to society.
  

This requires time, effort and resources. 

It also requires trust on the part of society and it could be at odds with results-focused institutional processes.

The term unfettered is a good reflection of these aspects. How is fundamental also a good reflection?

Unfettered or Fundamental Research

Where the use-case is not immediate, and outcomes are not directly beneficial to society.

This requires time, effort and resources. It also requires trust on the part of society and it could be at odds with results-focused institutional processes.

 The term 'unfettered' is a good reflection of these aspects.

Strategic or Applied Research

• use-case is immediate
• outcomes directly beneficial to society.
  

They often require shorter time horizons to materialize and have impact.
 

The processes are easier to manage from institutional point-of-view, given the direct benefits. 

  

 

The term applied is a good reflection of these aspects. How is strategic also a good reflection?

Making an Impact

How will you make your research impactful?

-->Networking and publication

How will you impact society? 

-->Everyday life

How will you impact science?

-->Methodology

What is your end goal?

--> What do you want to achieve?

What we researching?

Alida Jones: The History Challenge: How Online Communities Reason and Learn when (Re)building the Past

Egbert de Jong: The epistemic ideal of deliberative democracy applied to semi-public institutions 

Basil Nyaku: Implications of Max Scheler’s concept of Humility for Post-colonial relations
Jan Meerman: Identification of capabilities for young adults with autism in the developmental transition into adulthood
Tanay Balantrapu: A Model for Individual Agency to Aid Development Policy

Alida

Egbert

Basil

Jan

Tanay

How would you classify Alida's research?
(Online Communities)

1. Unfettered
2. Fundamental
3. Strategic
4. Applied

How would you classify Basil's research?
(Humility for Post-colonial relations)

1. Unfettered
2. Fundamental
3. Strategic
4. Applied

How would you classify Egbert's research?
(Deliberative Democracy)

1. Unfettered
2. Fundamental
3. Strategic
4. Applied

How would you classify Jan's research?
(Identification of Capabilities)

1. Unfettered
2. Fundamental
3. Strategic
4. Applied

How would you classify Tanay's research?
(Individual Agency)

1. Unfettered
2. Fundamental
3. Strategic
4. Applied

Which researcher do you think has the potential for the greatest impact?

Basil

Egbert

Jan

Tanay

Alida

How would you classify your own research?

Research authority:
names and concepts?

Think about it:
Why is your research useful?

Think about it:
What is your research end goal?

Think about it:
How can you connect, inspire, and empower others with your research?

The Next Steps

An External PhD position
Doctoral Grant for Teachers

A Career Path?


Regardless:
Use It or Lose It!

Discussion Table

"I believe my research has great potential for impact".

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

What did you think of this workshop?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

Any other questions, comments, concerns, or general feedback?