Dear all,
A couple of points in response to ongoing debates-
Jon May suggests that there aren't enough geographers researching
`critical' issues such as homelessness (and, by implication, I
guess he might extend his arguments to other issues of social relevance,
whatever that might mean). His basis for this judgement seems to be the
lack of publications by geographers on homelessness, poverty,
marginalisation etc. In part, I might concur with this view, yet it does
take a rather restrictive view of what `research' is. As Hester points
out, there are geographers who are involved in research which involves
marginalised populations through outreach work, participatory research,
advocacy, organising community boards and so on. Is this not `critical'
geographical research? Does research only `become' when it is
disseminated to other (academic) geographers?
This brings me to the other ongoing debate...OK, electronic publication
might speed up process of disseminating research, but why this
preoccupation with publication per se? Is it just a function of the
RAE? How do other disciplines assess research? Do, for example,
assessors of work in health or social policy ignore project and outreach
work and simply measure the quality of research in terms of papers in
prestige journals? I'd like to know, because I, probably like many others,
feel constrained by the `geographic tradition' which gives precedence to
the `scholarly' journal article and marginalises other forms of research
`output'.
- Dr. Phil Hubbard,
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography,
Geography Subject Group,
Coventry University,
Priory Street,
Coventry CV1 5FB.
Phone - (01203) 848407
Fax - (01203) 838447
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