Working on researchWelcome! This document provides detailed information about how you can get involved in our projects and the learning you will receive from working with us.
Our research focuses on the impact of technology on society, which can cover a wide array of settings for our work. We have explored the effect of technology on the creation of new businesses, the informal sector, e-government, etc. This means that you will have many opportunities to get engaged in research. There are two approaches to our research. One looks at current socio-economic structures to determine whether technology can have a positive impact. A second approach is to analyze an emerging technology and determine the benefits, opportunities, and also drawbacks in the areas where they are implemented. The objective is to assess our decisions critically and whether we are elevating our human existence with technology. The research is typically done in small groups where you will be working with me or another faculty member and other students. Our work's outcome is published as an academic paper or presented at a conference. Research expectations for students Because these projects' outcome is academic research, you are expected to learn and then engage in research with the team. We will start exploring your strengths and then expand your knowledge of the research process. As your work progresses in these initiatives, we expect you to contribute to our projects by asking questions and contributing to our discussions with ideas and feedback. You should expect to work approximately 5 hours per week, which will entail doing work on your own, attending meetings, and reporting on your progress. Please remember that the research process takes time, and a single project from conception to publication can take up to 18 months or longer. This means that you may not be a co-author if you are not involved in the project for that length of time. However, this does not mean that you will not learn the components of the research process. If you are engaged in any of our studies, you could learn some of the following skills: (1) compose a literature review; (2) conduct a thematic analysis using text analysis software (3) Identify, clean and work with data to develop visualizations; (4) engage in statistical analysis of data. In all of these, you are also expected to be engaged in the ideation process. These opportunities are available through an independent study or as part of the iConsult initiative. If you are interested, fill out the form and let me know why you would like to be engaged in research and what you expect to gain from the experience. We are looking forward to working with you! |
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