Strategies for Conducting Technical Research & Capturing Results
Today, we have more information and knowledge at our fingertips than could have been imagined 20-30 years ago. So understanding how to wade through all of that information can be a difficult task at times. Technical research is one way that we can make sense of all the information available to us. Technical research is the basis for strong communication because it helps us understand what other experts in the field have said, done, and written about a particular subject or issue.
Conducting Technical Research
Good technical research begins with asking targeted questions. Before you begin to find sources, you need to determine what you already know and what you hope to learn about the subject at hand and then expand on that subject. Do you need first-person expertise? Statistics and facts? Threat reports? Scientific analyses? History?…
There are two generally 2 basic kinds of technical research: primary and secondary. Often, primary and secondary research are used together.
Primary research is often first-person accounts and can be useful when you are researching a local issue that may not have been addressed previously and/or have little published research available. You may also use primary research to supplement, confirm, or challenge assumptions. Primary research can include:
- Interviews
- Surveys
- Questionnaires
- Observations and analysis
Secondary research is what many people are most familiar with as it generally requires searching libraries or other scholarly sources for information. Secondary research requires that you read others’ published studies and research in order to learn more about your topic, determine what others have written and said, and then develop a conclusion about your ideas on the topic, in light of what others have done and said. Some examples of source types that might be used in secondary research include:
- Academic, scientific, and technical journal articles
- Governmental reports
- Raw data and statistics
- Trade and professional organization data
” So, where do I begin?” Well, technical research is all about questions. In the beginning the questions are focused on helping you determine a topic and types of information and sources; later in the research process, the questions should be concentrated on expanding & supporting your ideas and claims as well as helping you stay focused on your specific project.
Here are some questions to help get started:
- What is the timeline for this project? You will likely want to set personal or team deadlines.
- What do I want to learn about this subject? This helps you determine scope or the limits of your research.
- What do I already know about this subject?
- What biases might I have about this subject?
- How can I get past any personal biases?
Also, here are some questions to help determine a methodology:
- Where might I find useful, reliable information about this topic? For academic research, you will generally focus on library, technical, scientific, and governmental resources. It is fine if you are not quite sure exactly where you should look; ask a mentor or peer group for assistance. Remember, Google or Google Scholar are your friends.
- Will I need to perform primary research, secondary research, or both?
Next, you will have to develop a research question. By this point you should have a general idea of your subject matter and some general ideas of where you might find this information. Remember that technical research is not a linear process. Research requires a back and forth between sources, your ideas and analysis, and the rhetorical situation for your research. The research process is a bit like an eye exam. The doctor makes a best guess for the most appropriate lens strength, and then adjusts the lenses from there. Sometimes the first option is the best and most appropriate; sometimes it takes a few tries with several different options before finding the best one for you and your situation.
Capturing the results
Learning how to take technical research and synthesize it into a tangible result can sometimes be a daunting task if you are focused on the wrong things. It takes practice and patience to get a solid process down that does not include taking copious notes or transcribing everything into a monolithic white paper. Here are some strategies that have proven to be helpful in getting the most bang for your buck when you are capturing valuable information from your technical research.
First, focus on your research goal. When analyzing data (whether from questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, or whatever), always start from review of your research goals, i.e., the reason you undertook the research in the first place. If you wanted to fully understand how an application works, you could organize data in the chronological order. If you are conducting a performance improvement study, you can categorize data according to each measure associated with each overall performance result.
Next, choose the best methods of data collection that will enable you and your team to evaluate the integrity of the data, reduce any errors in your research & collection, improve decision making, and support new ideas or innovations. Good data collection can be performed through structured interviews with customers and consumers, questionnaires can help get clarity to target questions about a technology or system that you are conducting research on, and collecting official reporting from qualified sources from the Internet.
Finally, you need to capture your findings to present to your team. This can be through a qualitative research paper or a white paper. The findings of these types of papers should be presented in the context of any similar previous research and or theories. A discussion of the existing research and how this present research contributes to the subject should be included. A consideration must also be made about how transferrable the research would be to other settings. Any particular strengths and limitations of the research also should be discussed. It is common practice to include some discussion within the results section of qualitative research and follow with a concluding discussion. The key difference between qualitative and white papers is the depth of technical knowledge presented. Facts and opinions expressed in white papers are often backed by original research or statistics that you aggregate from reliable sources. They often include charts, graphs, tables, and other ways of visualizing data.
Good technical research and capturing findings can mean a lot of writing. There’s generally no way around that, so that means coming up with content ideas, creating them, distributing them, and measuring their success; then rinse and repeat. Hopefully, this mentoring moment will assist you with being more equipped for success in your journey.
Good Luck!!
