The Research Professional

2.1 Qualities of a Researcher

Friendly with Respondents : A good researcher must have the quality to become friendly with
respondents. It should have to talk to them in the same language in which the responding are
answering and make happy made.
Least Discouragement : If the people are not co-operate to give correct data, the researcher
should not be discouraged and face the difficulties, it would be called a good researcher.
Free From Prejudice : A researcher would be good if he has no prejudice or bias study about a
problematic situation but he is capable of providing clear information’s.
Capacity of Depth Information : A researcher should have the capacity to collect more and
more information in little time.
Accuracy : A researcher would be said to be good, if he is accurate in his views. His ideas must
be accurate one.
Truthful : A researcher must have to be truthful. Its idea would be free from false reports and
saying information.
Keen Observer : It is the quality of a good researcher that he may have the ideas of keen and
deep observation.
Careful in Listening : A researcher would be more careful in listening. He would have the
quality of listening very low information’s even whispering.
Low Dependency on Common Sense : A researcher should be called good if he has low
dependency on common sense but keep in observation all the events and happenings.
Least time Consumer : Good researcher must have the capacity of least time consuming. It will
have to do more work in a little time because of the shortage of time.
Economical : Good researcher must have control over his economic resources. He has to keep
his finances within limits and spend carefully.
Low Care of Disapprovals of Society : A good researcher have no care of the approvals or
disapprovals but doing his work with zeal and patience to it.
Expert in Subject : A researcher would be a good one if he has full command over his subject.
He makes the use of his theoretical study in field work easily.
Free From Hasty Statements : It is not expected from a good researcher to make his study
hasty and invalid with wrong statements. Its study must be based on reality & validity.
Good in Conversation : The conversation of a good researcher should be sympathetic and not
boring. He must have the skill and art to be liked by the people.
Having Clear Terminology : A good researcher’s terminology would be clear. It would be free
from out wards to become difficult for the respondents to answer.
Trained in Research Tools : Research is impossible without its techniques and tools. So, it
should be better for a researcher to know about the use of these tools.
Dress and Behavior same to the area : The dress and the behavior of the researcher should be
same as to the study area. it is must for him to convince the people easily and adopt their dress.
More Analytical : A researcher would be different from other people of the society. On the
basis of this quality he may observe the situation very well. Then he should be able to solve the
problems easily.
Equality and Justice :A good researcher should believe on equality and justice. As equal to all
type of people he may collect better information’s from the respondents.

2.2 Teacher as Researcher

Teacher research does not dictate a specific method. It is possible, as a teacher researcher,
to do experimental, quantitative research; but the classroom setting and the fact that teachers are
typically participating in the research that they are doing lends itself to qualitative approaches.
Often teacher research is simply described as a form of action research but this
perspective ignores and undermines the power of teacher research as a 'new' methodology, and
undermines the 'power' of teachers as researchers. Although action research is the one method of
conducting research that resonates best with what teachers are trying to do in their classrooms,
teacher research is not just a type of action research.
Teacher research does not dictate either a qualitative or quantitative methodological perspective
or use of specific methods.
This is essentially because teacher research is its own methodology. It is a specific
worldview that argues that the teacher can have the authority to conduct research in his or her
own classroom. This simple notion turns the world of 'traditional' research on its head. Teacher
research as a methodology dictates not only those teachers have the right and power to conduct
research in their own classrooms, but that teachers are in a better position than anyone else to
conduct that research.
Its working
Increasingly teacher research is coming under pressure not because it is banned or
discounted but because teachers’ work is so legislated and controlled that there is little room for
teachers to conduct research on their own practice except as a counter-narrative.
Teacher research reached a peak of popularity in the 1990’s but it has been steadily losing
ground ever since.
Today pockets of teacher researchers can be found in the United States and throughout
the world but rarely are they aware of each other’s existence.
The teacher research is that it is not significantly different from the work that good
teachers already do. Effective teachers are focused on the learning of each student in their class
and are engaging in reflective practice, constantly examining their own teaching to become the
best teachers that they can be. These two practices supply a teacher researcher with more data
than anyone could ever need. The difference between a teacher researcher and a teacher is the
intentionality behind the collection of this data.
Teacher researchers are collecting this data not just to be better teachers but to answer the
bigger questions that they have about teaching and education. Teacher researchers are systematic
about how they collect and analyze data. The power lies in the fact that when teachers approach
their own classrooms as researchers, they have total access. Teacher researchers can see more
and learn more than any researcher who comes in once or twice a week for a few months can
ever experience. Teacher researchers are unquestionably subjective, but this, as was mentioned,
may be strength not a weakness of this research. Their subjectivity gives them access and power
to make change in the only place where it really matters – locally, in their own classroom with
their own students. Whether teacher researchers go on to share this work publicly, or not, does
not detract from its value as research.
2.3 Research Ethics
Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior
and our relationships with others. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is
harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities. This objective is usually
achieved.
 However, unethical activities are pervasive and include violating nondisclosure
agreements, breaking respondent confidentiality, misrepresenting results, deceiving people,
invoicing irregularities, avoiding legal liability, and more.
There is no general agreement among philosophers about the answers to such questions.
However the rights and obligations of individuals are generally dictated by the norms of society.
Societal norms are codes of behavior adopted by a group; they suggest what a member of a
group ought to do under given circumstances. Nevertheless, with changing situations people
continue differing with each other whereby societal norms may undergo changes. Codes and
regulations guide researchers and sponsors. Review boards and peer groups help researchers
examine their research proposals for ethical dilemmas. Responsible researchers anticipate ethical
dilemmas and attempt to adjust the design, procedures, and protocols during the planning process
rather than treating them as afterthought. Ethical research requires personal integrity from the
researcher, the project manager, and the research sponsor.
Codes of ethic applicable at each stage of the research
Aim
To ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities
 Unethical activities
 Violating nondisclosure agreements.
 Breaking respondent confidentiality.
 Misrepresenting results.
 Deceiving people.
 Invoicing irregularities.
 Avoiding legal liability.
Ethical Issues
• Remain to be issues.
• Local norms suggest what ought to be done under the given circumstances.
• Codes of ethics developed to guide researchers and sponsors.
• Review Boards and peer groups help sorting out ethical dilemmas.
Anticipate ethical dilemmas
• Adjust the design, procedures, and protocols accordingly.
• Research ethics require personal integrity of the researcher, the project manager, and research
sponsor.
Parties in Research
• Mostly three parties:
• The researcher
• The sponsoring client (user)
• The respondent (subject)
• Interaction requires ethical questions.
• Each party expects certain rights and feels certain obligations.
General Rights and Obligations of Parties Concerned
In most research situations, three parties are involved: the researcher, the sponsoring client
(user), and the respondent (subject). The interaction of each of these parties with one or both of
the other two identifies a series of ethical questions. Consciously or consciously, each party
expects certain rights and feels certain obligations towards the other parties.
When ethics are discussed in research design, we often think first about protecting the rights of
the participant, respondent, or subject. Whether data are gathered in an experiment, interview,
observation, or survey, the respondent has many rights to be safeguarded. In general the research
must be designed so that a respondent does not suffer physical harm, discomfort, pain,
embarrassment, or loss of privacy. To safeguard against these, the researcher should follow three
guidelines;
1. Explain study benefits.
2. Explain respondent rights and protections.
3. Obtain informed consent.
Benefits:
Whenever direct contact is made with a respondent, the researcher should discuss the study’s
benefits, being careful to neither overstate nor understate the benefits. An interviewer should
begin an introduction with his or her name, the name of the research organization, and a brief
description of the purpose and benefit of the research. This puts the respondent at ease, lets them
know to whom they are speaking, and motivates them to answer questions truthfully. In short,
knowing why one is being asked questions improves cooperation through honest disclosure of
purpose. Inducements to participate, financial or otherwise, should not be disproportionate to the
task or presented in a fashion that results in coercion.
Sometimes the actual purpose and benefits of the study or experiment must be concealed from
the respondents to avoid introducing bias. The need for concealing objectives leads directly to
the problem of deception.
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