 |
 |
Hi all, Having set the list up some time back I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts about doing research on the list. Back in early 2003 there was a request posted to the list for participants for a study around romantic relationships and dating preferences. Having a little look back through the archives of the list I see there was some split opinion about such a request being made, although overall I feel people were not that keen on it, perhaps partly because it was quite unrelated to the list discussion content or CP approaches. What it did do was prompt me to suggest we discuss list guidelines, which all started to feel a bit complicated and prescriptive in terms of keeping the energy of the list going in its new and starting out form. In the end the discussion didn't end up anywhere much, and we do not have guidelines for the list apart from general common sense. By the way, one of those common sense points would be to avoid posting attachments to the list as these can be considered high risk for things like viruses on many different email systems... (just a point for future postings). I feel that emerging from the current discussions is a sense that talking about and participating in research is comfortable for people, but approaching the list members to take part in research is less so. However, what an interesting project trying to describe the history of CP and how great it is we have come to learn about it here and have exchanges about it. Obviously that is the sort of thing we can benefit from on the list. I think that informing people and directing those that are interested in becoming participants in research to a web site, or who to contact for further information, seems like an emerging compromise. Perhaps this can become an emerging agreement we can state in terms of a list guideline - although I suspect this is only agreeable when it is a list member's own work (i.e. the list isn't open to general cold calling), relevant to the topic of the list, and that it is done in the context of more general discussion about the project itself, which seems to be a very appropriate use of the list. Would it be of benefit to the list to have this stated in the list information? The one thing that is quite different in the current discussion when comparing it to the previous request for research on the archives, is that there is much more discussion happening, really much more critical reflection, debate, diversity of views, thinking about methods, content, process. I'm particularly interested in how a project about CP itself can be done in a CP kind of way... I'm also finding it very refreshing to see the list being used as a way to engage in critical reflection, something that can be hard to maintain in my daily role where compromise for the sake of collaboration can be the priority. Despite the fact that at times critical discussion can itself case a bit of discomfort I am really delighted that the list has become such a lively place where this is happening and lately with all the discussion on the list I have an increasing feeling that setting the list up was a good idea - so roll on with the discussion!! I hope you all enjoy the upcoming holidays, Rebekah Rebekah Pratt Research Fellow School of Clinical Sciences and Community Health - General Practice The University of Edinburgh 20 West Richmond Street Edinburgh, EH8 9DX Tel: 0131 651 4141 [log in to unmask] http://www.chs.med.ed.ac.uk/gp/ ___________________________________ COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK. To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/COMMUNITYPSYCHUK.HTML For any problems or queries, contact the list moderator at [log in to unmask]