The Value of Applied Research and Alternative Publishing

Ask a crusty old academic and he/she will tell you that unless research is in a peer-reviewed journal it has no value and should be discarded as “junk” work. In contrast, talk to a seasoned CEO and he/she will tell you that if university research has any value in the market it will need to be applied to solve business problems. This divergence of thought and perspective is changing the way universities and corporations disseminate and use information.

There are some academic traditions that unnecessarily restrict the value of education and hinder the growth of the business community. Corporations are end users of information that apply research build products, enhance services, and improve operations. Failure to see the value of alternative methods of conducting, publishing, and using research beyond elitist journals defeats the purpose of academic studies.

CEO’s, executives, and consultants rely heavily on information to make strategic decisions. They obtain ideas   online, databases, libraries, magazines and personal knowledge. Few have direct access to university libraries and expensive subscription journals. When was the last time you saw a copy of a scientific journal on a CEO’s desk?

Assuming that the CEO understood academic jargon, it is still doubtful the company would be willing to pay the costs associated with high-end academic journals. There is a growing crisis where academic knowledge is becoming restrictive and inflexible reducing the amount of potential users (Stemper & Williams, 2006). Most businesses won’t have access to groundbreaking research until it is widely available in the market.

The value of research is not based on the quality of the journal, but a number of times the research is used and applied to problems. It is possible that university research agendas include pushing for business application and measuring a number of times it has been quoted by others (“Applying Research”, 2004). Companies are willing to support universities that create useful informational products.

Improving innovation in business relies on ensuring that the information from academic research is making its way into industry. Reducing bottlenecks and restrictions improves information flow, and increases the likelihood it will reach intended audiences. Open-access journals and alternative publication sources create a more direct connection to industry and should not be discarded based on tradition. The value of academic research is in its usefulness and its ability to enhance industry innovation versus the type of journal it originated. 

Stemper, J. & Williams, K. (2006). Scholarly communication: turning crisis into opportunity. College & Research Libraries, 67 (11). 

“Applying Research”. (2004). Applying research and building value: business faculty at work. Georgia Trend, 20 (3).

 

Blogging as a New Form of Academic Scholarship

New technology does change the platforms by which modern college professors research and communicate new information. As technology changes so does the medium by which academic research and scholarship is formed. According to an article in the Journal of Innovative Higher Education blogging is a new way of publishing academic research and offers a number of benefits that traditional journals do not (Powell, Jacob & Chapman, 2012).

It is important to understand that peer reviewed journals are still top of the line as they offer expert reviews of the information and are selective in their publications. The problem is that there selection process may or may not have anything to do with the quality of the scholarship and can limit new ideas based upon subjective quality measures such as writing style, university type, and kind of research.

Likewise, peer reviewed journals are a slower process of disseminating information. After 6-12 months from submission date to publication date the information could be old. After that it could take years for industry to review and pick up the information for public consumption. In many cases, these journals don't have wide readership and are limited in exposures.

Blogs are a faster process of information dissemination but do lack quality controls making them a mixed bag that will grow in strength. However, if the writer is has scientific training and continues to use appropriate references and citations their work can be considered credible. Public consumption is fast and the innovative process is heightened.

Like peer reviewed journals blogging fits within the Boyer Model of scholarship. According to Boyer Scholarship should include (1990):

-Discovery: Investigating new knowledge.
-Integration: Making connections across various industries.
-Application: Making information available for testing in real industry settings.
-Teaching: Using learned knowledge to teach others.

Boyer's model is a standard for scholarship in the academic world. Blogging offers opportunities to discover ideas in current events, explore those ideas, link and connect to a wider world, make knowledge available to industry stakeholders and then offer the learned principles to the classroom. The faster faculty members can tackle real world problems through research and writing the greater the benefit to society. Blogging may not be a traditional way of creating knowledge but does fit within traditional academic models.

Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities for the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED326149     

Powell, D., Jacob, C. & Chapman, B. (2012). Using blogs and new media in academic practice: potential roles in research, teaching, learning and extension. Innovative Higher Education, 37 (4).

 

Scale Development: Theory and Applications

The book Scale Development Theory and Applications by Robert Devellis provides a strong overview of the creation and development of survey scales for applied social research. He uses simple language with illustrations to make the complex statistical process as easy to understand as possible. It will help researchers develop surveys instruments that do not confound variables and create improper results.

One of the more difficult things that researchers face is developing their own survey instrument. Certainly, a person can build a list of questions but these questions may confound variables making the results useless. When possible it is almost always better to use preexisting validated surveys that do not require much work. Unfortunately, for a large percentage of unique problems one has to start the daunting task of building their own.

The book will move through an introductory background of measurement research and how important it has been throughout history. Duncan states in 1984 that experimental measurements”…can be drawn in the history of physics: the measurement of length or distance, area, volume, weight and time was achieved by ancient peoples in the course of solving practical, social problems; and physical science was built on the foundations of those achievements.”

When conducting research it is beneficial to understand the latent variable. This has also been called the hidden variable. It means that that the variable can’t be seen directly but can be found through indirect observation based upon data. For example, someone from the outside can’t physically see psychological concepts but can use models to draw conclusions. Of course, without direct observation it is impossible to know 100% for sure it actually exists. As the models change so does the findings.

The book will cover the latent variable, reliability, validity, scale development, factor analysis, and Item Response Theory. It takes complex statistical concepts and condenses it to the basics so that readers can understand as they develop their research. The book is also reasonably priced when compared to statistical manuals and books. As a focused scale book it is one of the best on the market.

DeVellis, R. (2012). Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA.