I would have thought the observation and interrogation of practice would be
central, since this, rather than some "characteristics and features (or
formal qualifications)" of a situationally abstracted 'essence of
individual'. What is a particular type of 'situated intellectual' supposed
to able to do in particularly skilled or appropriate way?
Once you have identified the features of the 'practice behaviour' as
'desired outcome' of "being very excellent", you could then start asking
what 'inner and outer operations of the excellent reflective practitioner
(Donald Schon) can be explored to understand how such people operate.
You might also need to ask about what makes for an institutional situation
in which the 'potentially excellent behaviour' of practitioners is reduced,
blocked or negated. What are the 'conditions of impossibility/high
probability for potential excellence to be demonstrably achieved?
To inquire deeply into the 'potential excellence of practitioners' and to
leave carefully unexamined their 'situational conditions' is to pretty much
ensure an unrealistic theory.....
I hope this helps.
Best wishes
Tom
P.S. Social science researchers. For a free electronic copy of the current
version of the BNIM Short Guide and Detailed Manual , just click on
<[log in to unmask]> . Please indicate your institutional affiliation and
the purpose for which you might envisage using BNIM's open-narrative
interviews, and I'll send it straight away.
The BNIM Short Guide and Detailed Manual builds on and develops ch. 6 and
12 of my earlier textbook, Qualitative Research Interviewing: biographic
narrative and semi-structured method (2001 Sage Publications) which has a
more general approach to semi-structured depth interviewing, interpretation,
and writing-up.
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Wijkamp JS, Inge
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 2:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Question regarding Research design
L.s.,
Presently, me and my colleges are working on a research proposal that covers
the subject of 'Professional Excellence: what characteristics, features and
qualifications define a professional to be an excellent professional?'
As stated in the this (concept) question, we are searching for the main
factors in professionals - personal as well as professional features -, that
distinguish the excellent professional and an average, good professional.
Our aim is to develop a series of five or six (qualification) profiles for
excellent professionals, in which the opinions of a heterogeneous group of
participants of the concerning occupational group are explored, and adapted
to profiles. For example, we intent to develop a profile for an 'Excellent
Paramedicus', which is relevant for the Academy for Health Care Studies.
The project is guided by the Lectoraat for Excellence in Higher Education
and Society of the Hanze University Groningen, the Netherlands; for which
Marca Wolfensberger is the lector.
In this moment, the frame work of the research proposal is getting more
concrete. The biggest problem we are facing, is the decision what research
design would be most suitable for this research question.
Our first thoughts direct us to the Delphi method, but our expertise on the
subject of qualitative research methods is insufficient to be certain that
this design is the right choice.
Therefore we decided to consult experts on the field of qualitative research
methods, which also resulted in the decision to place this question on this
forum.
When reading the information about this research question and aim, what kind
of research method would be most suitable?
I am looking forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Inge Wijkamp
Inge Wijkamp, Msc.
researcher Lectoraat for Excellence in Higher Education and Society Lecturer
Speech and language pathology Hanze University Groningen, the Netherlands
(+31) (0)050 595 7760
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