Dear Ken
I read 'great research skills (aka internet browsing)' with my tongue
very firmly in cheek... Perhaps it's the Christmas cheer in the air.
I have witnessed the rise of what I term 'researchoogle' over the last
decade where young designers, particularly students, use on-line
research via google (or similar) as their default and occasionally only
research undertaking. It is frustrating that the wealth of rigorous,
peer reviewed research available online, such as in the form of
university funded subscriptions to journals, are not as enthusiastically
embraced by students.
I agree that information seeking is part of a larger, systematic array
of research skills yet the provenance of the information needs to
carefully considered. I do not mean to say that google is not valuable
in research activities as it provides access to a breadth of sources
that can prove to be very valuable, but like all research sources, needs
to be approached with an open, questioning yet cautious mind.
Best
Martyn Evans
Senior Lecturer: Design
Lancaster University
T: +44 (0)1524 593435
W: www.imagination.lancaster.ac.uk/people/martyn_evans/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/martyn_evans
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and
related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Ken Friedman
Sent: 15 December 2009 11:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Film and Designers
Dear Glenn,
Internet browsing is not a research skill.
First, there is a distinction between browsing and using the web for a
serious
information search.
Second, effective, skilled information seeking is an information skill.
ONLY when
information seeking is part of a larger, systematic process does in
become part
of an array of research skills.
Third, to describe a designer as someone with "great research skills,"
I'd need
to see a great deal more.
Since you posted this in reference to the recent threads, I suggest you
look
at the list of skills that Rugg andc Petrie describe. A designer who can
do all
that has great research skills.
I don't know if you intended this comment to be cynical or silly, but it
reads as
both. If you did not mean it that way, my apologies. This list is a
research
community and "great research skills" are not also known as "web
browsing."
Ken
On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:48:58 -0500, [log in to unmask]
wrote:
>Having young designers with great research skills (aka internet
browsing)
>and poor form solving/ problem solving is an issue.
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