Jill

Blog for OUTD 2511 (Research Design)

[lfoutd2511]

Forest of Research

Photo Credit: (Zelei, 2019)

The Outdoor Recreation Research Forest:

On my adventures in the ‘outdoor recreation research forest’ this semester I have learned that:

1) Outdoor recreation research is multifaceted. It includes a large breadth of research topics including social justice, outdoor education, adventure therapy, reconciliation, experiential education, tourism, national parks, etc. It is important to realize where your interests lie and recognize that it is impossible to cover everything even within one specific area of outdoor recreation research (Davies, 2022).

2) One downfall of current outdoor recreation literature is the lack of clarity with field specific terms such as outdoor education, adventure therapy, experiential education, tourism, land-based learning, etc. (Davies, 2022).

3) It is important for researchers in outdoor recreation to recognize that research differences exist even within Canada. As Canada is an incredibly large country, with many different provinces and landforms, it is important to recognize how these play into who we are as a country. For example, even within the YMCA or Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation camps, there are different accrediting bodies that these camps must respond to so that they can be recognized, provincially, as a safe and caring environment for children. YMCA Chief Hector in Alberta will need to meet different operational standards than YMCA Camp Elphinstone in British Columbia or YMCA Camp Wanakita in Ontario. These differences will create different camp cultures which can then be highlighted in research differences. Therefore, it is important to either focus your research to one very specific region within outdoor recreation, or to ensure that all regions are heard in your research (Davies, 2022).

My Understandings of Me in the Forest of Research

Three things that I have learned about myself during my time in the ‘forest of outdoor recreation research” are:

1) I have come to understand the role that my own intersectionality has in research that I may choose to undertake. I saw this as a theme in my own blog posts this semester.

Photo: Unpacking my Invisible Backpack - Who Am I?

2) I learned from Davies that it is important to choose a subject that you are passionate about but also one that you can come into not feeling like you have a grounded direction in where the research is going to go. If I am uncomfortable with the notion of my research taking a different lens than what I may have come into with, it is not an appropriate research topic for me (Davies, 2022). For me, a research topic on employees with disabilities in the field would not be appropriate because this subject has had a profound effect in my own life. I would struggle to separate my research from my own experiences and opinions. A topic that I am still passionate about, that would be more appropriate, could be the usage of augmentative alternative communications systems in the field for clients, and what risk management should look like for users of such systems. I understand the restrictions of these alternative communication systems in the outdoors and would like to work to help change the perception of the usage of these systems both by mainstream society, and the outdoor industry so that all can experience outdoor programming.

3) As an undergraduate student, I have learned about the importance of research in the field of outdoor recreation. It has been a bit of a mind-boggling process to recognize the number of different ways that I can contribute to gaps in the outdoor recreation research, as either an undergraduate or graduate student in outdoor recreation programs. I am walking away with many ideas as to what research could look like for me in terms of an Honours Thesis during my time in ORPT, or as I make future goals to take a graduate degree in outdoor education.

Lost in the Forest of Research

Photo Credits: (Xijan, 2018)

I am feeling lost in this forest of research. The level of new information that I have experienced because of Research Design is overwhelming. While I now understand my role as a researcher and some of the basics of research in social sciences, I feel like I still need to work at connecting my understandings of what research is back to real life. I also need to, at the same time, deepen my understandings of theoretical underpinnings of social sciences research.

I am still a bit lost on what a research proposal looks like and how to write one. This is an area that I need to put more time and effort into exploring.

I could also use some more strategies for narrowing and creating better research questions. We spoke a bit about this in class during week #5. I can recognize that there is such a thing as a research question that we simply cannot research, whether that would be for ethical or other reasons. I also know that a good research question is clear, concise, focused, complex, and arguable (Hooykaas, 2022).

I also need to do some exploring into the process of what an Honours Thesis and Honours Project looks like within ORPT. While I know that they exist and the basics of what is involved in doing one, I do not know things such as who can supervise one or who we need to ask to get started in the completion of one. I would also like to explore further the differences between an Honours Project versus an Honours Thesis.

Finally, I cannot currently see all the individual trees in the forest. There are way too many terms (trees) that we have learned this semester for me to have an excellent grasp on all of them. I need to spend some time working on memorizing and understanding these terms to the best of my abilities.

Photo: Mind Map of Terms from the Textbook

I will know that I understand what it means to be an outdoor recreation researcher when I can see and name all the trees in the forest – there sure are a lot more than I imagined!

Photo Credit: (Zelei, 2019)

References:

Davies, R. (2022, March). Rachel Davies Research on Gender During ORPT. Research Design Guest Speaker. Thunder Bay; Zoom.

Hooykaas, A. (2022, February). February 7th, 2022. Research Design Lectures. Thunder Bay; Zoom.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 1 Doing Social Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 1-21). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 2 Theory and Social Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 21 - 40). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 3 Ethics in Social Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 40 - 62). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 4 Reviewing the Scholarly Literature and Planning a Study. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 62 - 79). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 5 Designing a Study. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 79 – 102). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 6 Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 102 - 131). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 7 Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 131 – 160). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 8 Survey Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 160 - 192). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 9 Experimental Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 192 - 214). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 10 Nonreactive Quantitative Research and Secondary Analysis. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 214 - 234). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 11 Analysis of Quantitative Data. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 234 - 261). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 12 Qualitative Interviewing. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 261 - 278). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 14 Nonreactive Qualitative Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 305 - 327). essay, Pearson.

Salisbury. (n.d.). The Benefits of Big Trees. Salisbury. Retrieved from https://salisburygreenhouse.com/the-benefits-of-big-trees/.

Xijan. (2018). Man Lost in Woods. I Stock Photos. Retrieved from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/man-travel-alone-on-foggy-forest-gm1070523650-286423467

Zelei, P. (2019). Fantastic Forests. Time for Kids. Time for Kids. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.timeforkids.com/k1/fantastic-forests/.

[justplainrec]

Hey Laura!

Your post is super well done! I like that you used the analogy of research being a forest and that you used lots of imagery to go along with it. Seeing terms as trees and mentioning that you currently cannot see all the individual trees in the forest of research is relatable for me. It’s far too complex and layered. I personally feel like I’m not even in the forest yet - I still feel like someone standing on the edge, shining a headlamp in trying to make out the details of a thick, dark forest. 

I agree that outdoor recreation research is multifaceted; there certainly is a large breadth of research topics. Realizing where your interests lie and accepting that it is impossible to cover everything seems to be the first step in choosing a research topic. I also relate to not being too close to your subject. It is easy to let your bias influence your research if you are super passionate about a subject and it impacts you directly. There seems to be a right level of interest where the work is intriguing and enjoyable, yet you can maintain impartiality.

It’s cool to hear that you’re considering a thesis - any ideas on the topic? I feel like there’s some lack of instruction in ORPT on how to start or who to talk to - I’m not even sure if it’s mandatory anymore, but maybe I’m just not paying enough attention yet since I’m not really at the point of considering one yet. 

In terms of writing a research proposal and good research questions, I have also stayed confused. Here’s a helpful resource I found on writing research questions: https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question  

Cheers,

Jill

References

How to Write a Research Question. (2022). Retrieved 29 March 2022, from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question  

[aroutd2511]

My Learnings From OUTD Research

Over the past few months, this course has provided me with an in-depth look at the work and process of research and research in this field of study.  I have always thought of research as a scientific process done through experiments by scientists. However, I was wrong. I learned that research can come in many forms and through many methods. One of the best things that I learned was that research can be presented in various ways. This was a significant discovery for me during the week we attended the innovation week talks. I realized that research doesn’t have to be presented through numbers or papers; it can be addressed through poetry, pictures and stories.

Three things that I now know about outdoor recreation research:

1. Ethics: From this course, I developed a deeper understanding of the many different aspects that help create an ethical research project. Before, I had a basic understanding ( kids under 18 need parental permission, and participants need to be aware of what is happening to them). I understood why ethics were important in studies so that they ensure that the research being done puts people first and upholds respect for human dignity. 

2. Open vs. Closed questions: This is something that I feel comfortable with and comfortable using. I understand that both types of questions have a time and place where they can be useful, and I have understood the situations they best fit into during a survey. I know that open questions allow the individual taking the survey to elaborate on their answer, whereas closed questions generally answer yes or no. 

3. Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data: I learned about these two types in a high school science class, and I was already familiar with the terms. However, this provided a good refresher and allowed me to better understand how these two types of data may be used in research and what goes into obtaining each set of data. 

Three things that I am still confused by:

1.  Levels of theory: I understand that each level deals with a social theory, but I don’t fully understand the difference between Macrosocial, Mesocial, and Microsocial. I also don’t understand why there is a distinction between the three categories and if there are different ethical concerns with each, and that’s why they are divided. 

2. Coding: I find using a computer to process all your information and create a code that matches all your data seems like a lot of unnecessary work. I could understand it if you had numbers and needed to find a link between the numbers, but I find that organizing your findings into categories makes it easier to understand. I also don’t know why you would want to code your work. 

3. Grounded Theory: The way that our notes and textbook describe this confuses me. You’re finding categories within your data, finding relationships between the categories, and then finding a core category. I think what is getting me is the core category. Is it a similarity between all other categories, or is it the category you will focus your research on? 

Three things I know about me as an OUTD Rec researcher:

1. I prefer to work with Qualitative data. It makes more sense to me than quantitative data. It is easier for me to make meaning from data that are just numbers. Data expressed as words rather than numbers makes it easier for me to understand, and if I’m honest, data with numbers and equations makes no sense to me. I don’t care enough to spend the time decoding what the numbers mean or represent (this is because me and math have never been friends). 

2. When I like what I’m researching, I find that when I don’t care about the topic, I won’t put in the same amount of effort or care what the outcome is, even if it’s being graded. I know that when I like my topic, I can spend hours reading and writing about it without becoming bored or angry that I have to spend time on a project. 

3. I am very organized: All my data is colour-coded and sorted into categories and sub-categories depending on which question it answers in our research. I like to have it all in one place and create a set timeline of what will happen and when that work will be done. 

Three things I need to work on to become more confident in my skills:

1. Analyzing surveys: making meaning of answers is something that I struggle with. Especially when I didn’t create the survey. When I don’t know what the goal of the survey is, I struggle to derive meaning from the results. 

2. Developing survey questions: coming up with practical questions that will help me to answer what I am researching is something that I struggle with. When I create surveys, I find that the questions are either the same question or it is close-ended questions. I find it challenging to think of multiple questions that will give me an in-depth view of the topic being studied. 

3. Creating a hypothesis: I have been creating hypotheses since grade 8 in science class. However, those were easy and were generally either I think this will happen or the opposite will happen. Developing a hypothesis on something that is not a yes or no/ this or that is something that I struggle with. Coming up with what I think will happen is not a strength of mine, and I usually make it up having no clue what I think will happen. So developing that skill is something I want to work on. 

I have seen the value of this course and have learned to respect the work that researchers do. It is demanding and meticulous work, and I have a lot of respect for anyone who does this work. 

[justplainrec]

Hey Annie!

Hearing that one of your learnings from this course was that research can be presented in many forms, including poetry, pictures, and stories, was insightful for me. I feel like I missed that aspect of learning in this course - the innovation week talk I attended was all numbers and papers. Seeing an aspect of creativity involved in a research presentation is cool, but I definitely don’t have a handle on it. 

Coding confuses me too! I can understand why it could be helpful, but looking at a slew of different abbreviations and numbers seems daunting. Using it to pull out the prevalent themes seems helpful. Check out this video that was embedded in the week 10 powerpoint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRL4PF2u9XA. It helped me to understand interview coding a bit better. 

I think we have some similarities as Outdoor Rec researchers which really emerged in our group work together. I also prefer to work with qualitative data and words. Linguistics make more sense to me than math too. (Unfortunately. This dismays my former-math-prof mother.) I also find that when I’m interested in what I’m researching, the process becomes enjoyable, rather than a chore. (Hence why the ski community worked so well for us and our podcast I guess.) And your organizational side definitely tracks when it comes to the look of our project documents. 

Finally, I wish I could give you better insights on developing a hypothesis, but I myself struggle with developing a research question. I did find this resource on research questions which I think you may find helpful too: https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question 

Cheers,

Jill

References

How to Write a Research Question. (2022). Retrieved 29 March 2022, from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question 

Kent Löfgren. (2013, May 19). Qualitative analysis of interview data: a step-by-step guide for coding/indexing. [Video] Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRL4PF2u9XA

[justplainrec]

09/10. What I Know and What I Have Yet to Hone.

These three things I know for certain about outdoor recreation research:

1. Ethics are paramount and ethical outdoor recreation research surrounding youth can be tricky. Any research involving vulnerable persons requires extensive planning and REB review. According to chapter 3 the text, children are considered vulnerable persons. They are not fully capable of making a decision since they don’t fully understand the implications of being involved in research. In terms of REB, “it is unethical to involve such vulnerable people in research unless a researcher meets two minimal conditions: (1) a legal guardian grants written permission, and (2) the researcher follows all standard ethical principles to protect the participant from harm” (Neuman & Robson, 2018). 

2. There are many dimensions to outdoor recreation and so much there is to research - every paper I read leads to more questions. As I review literature for our final project in this class and I write my term paper for Foundations of Outdoor Recreation, I find myself with follow-up questions at the end of each study I examine.

3. Every researcher carries an invisible backpack. As much as we like to think of the world of outdoor recreation as a level playing field, every person has different life experiences, education, biases, advantages, and disadvantages. When we acknowledge our individual invisible backpacks, we can begin to understand that not everyone engages with the world in the same ways and not everyone has the same privileges. This makes us accountable in our research methods and dictates our actions as researchers (Hookyaas, 2022).

These three things I am still confused by:

1. How to write an initial research question and do it well. When it comes to designing a study, we can see in the text that there are distinct differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative researchers often follow a nonlinear research path and focus on cases and contexts, while almost all quantitative researchers use a linear approach and look at variables and hypotheses. Both approaches begin with a research question (Neuman & Robson, 2018). While I have an understanding of the approaches to research, I have a hard time figuring out where to start; that is, how to formulate an initial research question that leads somewhere specific instead of spiraling me into overwhelming circles. The text does state that the nonlinear design of qualitative research involves narrowing the scope after preliminary research, suggesting that clarity in the research question comes after a few cycles of initial research (Neuman & Robson, 2018). A research question must be clear, focused, concise, complex, and arguable (Hookyaas, 2022). These parameters make sense to me, but I have a hard time with the scope of my questions, or rather, keeping it focused and concise. I did find an online resource that helped me to understand a bit better. 

2. What is an appropriate sample size? I seem to generally not know when to stop, and limiting the scope of my sample size is no exception. According to the text, the decision about sample size depends on the degree of accuracy required, the degree of variability or diversity in the population, and the number of different variables examined simultaneously in data analysis. Larger samples are needed for higher accuracy or populations with high levels of variability (Neuman & Robert, 2018). I am still trying to figure out how to apply these principles to a real world research project, and what entails a “large” sample size. How big is too big? 

3. Generating statistics: that’s a lot of jargon and math that I do not understand, and I am not familiar with excel yet. It’s definitely one of my professional weaknesses. 

These three things I know for certain about me as an outdoor recreation researcher:

1. I prefer qualitative research. Numbers still represent people, but I feel that words represent them so much better. This leads me to my second point about myself as an outdoor recreation researcher.

2. I prefer interviews and asking open ended questions. Interviews are social relationships that involve trust and rapport (Neuman & Robson, 2018). I would enjoy dealing with people directly, one to one, in an interview format. 

3. I am more engaged if I care about what I am researching, but I have to be careful to not let passion turn into bias. 

These three areas I need to spend time developing/learning in order to feel more confident in my skills:

1. Interviewing- the role of an interviewer is difficult and nuanced. I mostly have experience interviewing people that I know. As a researcher, I must have skills as an interviewer that allow me to play my role properly. Interviewers must be able to obtain cooperation and build rapport, but they also need to remain neutral and objective. Interviewers must try to reduce embarrassment, fear, and suspicion so that respondents feel comfortable giving their responses (Neuman & Robson, 2018). I feel that I am good at building rapport and making people feel comfortable, but I need to hone my skills in being neutral and not introducing my own bias. Skilled interviewers do not reveal their opinions, verbally or nonverbally. Being a professional interviewer requires taking a training course, so if I were to do it professionally I am obviously very far from the mark (Neuman & Robson, 2018).

2. Writing surveys - good questionnaires work as an integrated whole. The researcher weaves the survey questions together so that they flow smoothly. Questions must be clear, simple, and keep the respondent’s perspective in mind (Neuman & Robson, 2018). Question writing is an art. I have situations outside of academia where surveys are useful and important, and I would like to develop my survey writing skills so that I am able to create surveys that are incredibly functional. 

3. Summarizing data into coherence without introducing my own bias. The coding that Amanda spoke about in Week 10 is crucial for this step. Researchers must be able to pull out the emergent themes in qualitative research and recognize them for what they are and not what they want them to be.

References

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 3 Ethics in Social Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 40 - 62). essay, Pearson. 

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 5 Designing a Study. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 79 – 102). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 7 Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 131 – 160). essay, Pearson.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 8 Survey Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 160 - 192). essay, Pearson.

Hooykaas, A. (2022, January 17). Research Design Lectures Week 2 [PowerPoint slides, Zoom]. Mycourselink. https://mycourselink.lakeheadu.ca/d2l/le/content/93758/viewContent/1304242/View 

Hooykaas, A. (2022, February 7). Research Design Lectures Week 5 [PowerPoint slides, Zoom]. Mycourselink. https://mycourselink.lakeheadu.ca/d2l/le/content/93758/viewContent/1316810/View 

Hooykaas, A. (2022, March 23). Research Design Lectures Week 10 [PowerPoint slides, Zoom]. Mycourselink. https://mycourselink.lakeheadu.ca/d2l/le/content/93758/viewContent/1326433/View 

How to Write a Research Question. (2022). Retrieved 29 March 2022, from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question

[aloutd2511]

Blog Prompt 8

Would you Survive Backpacking?: https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/playquiz/?title=mtm2mza1oqq36q

I took a quiz called Would you Survive Backpacking? As it turns out, I would not survive backpacking, as I ended with a 41% on the quiz. That is okay since the whole reason for completing the quiz was to evaluate the quality of the questions asked.

Overall, I think this quiz was designed very poorly as questions with multiple answers were not labeled as multiple answer questions and some questions had joke answers. The quiz was presented completely independently, with no knowledge to obtain prior to the quiz. It puzzles me as to what the point of this quiz is.

When collecting data, we often discuss the format of research, in regards to reactive and non-reactive. Reactive research is where information is gathered of someone that is aware their actions are being recorded; they are reacting to those circumstances (Hooykaas, 2022). Non-reactive research requires the participant being recorded to have no knowledge that they/their actions are being used for a greater understanding (Hooykaas, 2022). The actions completed will be influenced by knowing or not knowing if they are being recorded, even if it is on a subconscious level. Would you Survive Backpacking? is reactive research; there is awareness that there will be a result given and information collected from completing these questions. Did I think about this while completing the quiz? Not actively; it might’ve been something I considered in the back of my mind, but I was also considering that my results of this quiz have no further impact on my life.

Another format I want to discuss for this quiz is random assignment. The saying often associated with random assignment is don’t compare apples and oranges; simply because they are different (Neuman et al, 2017). I feel as though this information being collected with no context to the person's background knowledge or opportunity to learn the correct answers prior, leaves no room for accurate comparison. Had the quiz asked a personal question such as age, gender or geographical location I can see how groups could’ve been divided into the experimental and control group. Within a randomly selected research group (in this case all the people that chose to complete this quiz) are the people randomly selected from society to participate (Neuman et al, 2017). The next step would be randomly assigning people to a choice between two different groups, for example having participants choose between blue or red (Neuman et al, 2017). Lastly, choose which group (in this case blue and red) which will be the group receiving the drug or placebo/experiment or control. This quiz seems to not be assigning anything and observing the information as a whole, which continues to confuse me as to why?

As university students, we face multiple choice questions very regularly. Multiple choice seems as though the correct answer will be very simple to find, however, many times university professors give multiple correct answers and the task is to find the answer that is “most correct”. Throughout Would you Survive Backpacking? There are many answers where one option is to be selected, but a few questions require multiple answers but lack providing test-takers of that information. While not knowing there are multiple correct answers that were expected to be selected, I ended up getting the question wrong; I had only selected one of the correct answers. It can also be a huge barrier to receiving accurate information when ‘joke’ answers are deemed correct.

While completing a quiz, especially one online with very little explanation as to what knowledge is expected of you it can be difficult to understand the context. One specific question comes to mind throughout this quiz; “what is the most dangerous animal to encounter while backpacking?” From my own knowledge I had selected “rattlesnake” as I’ve heard they are very dangerous. You may understand my frustration when I saw my answer was wrong; BUT the correct answer was “the one in your mirror” (referencing yourself as your biggest challenge). I hope this goes without saying; you are in a lot more dangour being with a rattlesnake than your own self.

Overall, this quiz was very random; lack of context clues and direction made up a lot of my false answers. I struggle to understand the purpose of providing this quiz. Let me know if you have any clues to better understand this!

References:

Hooykaas, A. (2022). Secondary Analysis. Research Design. Week 9

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2017). Basics of Social Research (Canadian Edition) (4th Edition). Pearson Education Canada. Retrieved from: https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780134649078

[justplainrec]

Hey Allison!

I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of this quiz. I opened it and did about four questions before I gave up due to the lack of context - it was incredibly frustrating and poorly designed. There is no real data collection that seems to be happening here. The quiz seems more like a throwaway ‘bottom of the barrel boredom’ test. Regardless, you did a great job of analyzing the content.

Your assessment of the quiz being reactive research is accurate - the people who are filling out the quiz are aware that their answers are being collected. Your note on the quiz being random assignment is interesting as well; I did not look too closely at this aspect for the quiz I chose to analyze, but looking at it now I see that mine was also random assignment, although mine had a few final questions that would help to create demographics. For your quiz there is no way of differentiating groups of people who have filled out the assessment, making it unclear how exactly the quiz is collecting data or what purpose it serves.

As I mentioned before, the only real purpose I can imagine for this quiz is general entertainment. This is the case for most internet quizzes, but you would expect more from a site called proprofs. (Misleading, isn’t it?)

Cheers,

Jill

[justplainrec]

08. A Variation of the Bem Sex Role Inventory

The test I will be discussing is called the Open Sex Role Inventory and can be found here: https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/OSRI/.

I chose to evaluate a version of the Bem Sex Role Inventory test. I found out about this test because it was used in the method of a study done in a research paper I read for another course. (The paper in question was “Psychological profiles and emotional regulation characteristics of women engaged in risk-taking sports” by Nicolas Cazenave, Christine Le Scanff, and Tim Woodman). I had no idea that this test existed until I read the methods in this paper, and as a woman engaged in risk-taking sports I was intrigued and decided to find a version of the test to take. I took a second version of the test to compare the way the questions were written, but achieved similar results for both. The test that I took is a personality test that measures gendered personality traits and was modeled on the Bem Sex Role Inventory.

What is the context? 

The Bem Sex Role Inventory was created in 1974 by the American psychologist Sandra Bem. The inventory treats masculinity and femininity as two different dimensions, making it possible to characterise an individual as masculine, feminine, or androgynous based on their personality characteristics (Bem, 1974). Bem invented the test to challenge the idea that masculinity and femininity were polar opposites and that your gender expression not matching your biological sex was s sign of poor mental health. Bem believed that it was possible to be both masculine and feminine at the same time and that this was the healthiest psychological state. The test that I took is the Open Sex Role Inventory and was created as an open source, modernized measure of masculinity and femininity ("Open Sex-Role Inventory", 2019). For anyone interested, Cazenave’s team’s findings in the paper I read did find that professional risk-taking women had the healthiest, most balanced psychological profiles, and an androgynous gender expression, which confirms Bem’s beliefs (Cazenave, 2007).

How well are the questions written? Might there be variety/ambiguity in the responses that lead to poor results? What are some strengths and weaknesses?

The questionnaire that I took is an example of a reactive study, wherein the participants are aware that they are being studied (Hookyaas, 2022). The test consists of 22 questions. They are written to be very accessible and do not contain any jargon. They are written as statements accompanied by a likert scale and are not difficult to understand whatsoever. For example, question one is “I give people handmade gifts” and the likert scale has 5 options from disagree to agree, with a neutral option. A likert scale is an example of a closed question. Strengths of using closed questions include an ease of comparing responses, easier replication, and reduced fatigue for respondents. Weaknesses include misinterpretation of questions going unnoticed, possible clerical mistakes, and a forced simplistic response to complex issues (Neuman & Robson, 2018). 

How might it be improved (accessibility, wording, length, promotion, etc.). 

I think that this test is very accessible and a reasonable length at 22 items. I believe it is actually part of a research project and so could be improved by being promoted more and potentially gathering more information on the background of the participants. 

References

Bem, S. L. (1974). Bem Sex Role. Bem Sex Role Inventory [Database record]. APA PsychTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t00748-000

Cazenave, N., Le Scanff, C., & Woodman, T. (2007). Psychological Profiles and Emotional Regulation Characteristics of Women Engaged in Risk-Taking Sports. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 20 (4), 421–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615800701330176

Hooykaas, A. (2022). Secondary Analysis. Research Design. Week 9 

Neuman, L., & Robson, K. (2018). Basics of Social Research (Canadian Edition) (4th ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Pearson Canada Inc.

Open Sex-Role Inventory. (2019). Retrieved 18 March 2022, from https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/OSRI/ 

[raoutd2511]

#7 Research and Innovation Week

Prompt: Research doesn’t exist inside a bubble, and neither should you. For this assignment you are required to attend at least one event of the Research and Innovation Week Conference. In your blog post, you need to identify the topic being researched, outline the challenges and successes of the methodology, connect it directly to course content, and provide your opinion of the effectiveness of the research approach(es). Note that not all presentations will go into detail on this. 

Answer:

There were a few presentations that I was interested in attending from this week but I was not able to make the time frames they were presented in. (FYI: if you email [email protected] you may potentially be able to get a recording of a presentation) I attended one and asked for the recording so I could better understand the content. As Jill said, I found the presentations quite complex and had difficulty in understanding the world of academic research and jargon. I was also told that all the presentations would be available to watch as recordings by mid-week next week. 

I watched the presentation Strength-Based Strategies for Parents and Educators to Promote Mental Wellness and Resiliencies in Children and Youth by Dr. Ed Rawana. As a teacher candidate it was actually very insightful to listen to what Dr. Rawana had to say about the topic and his comparison of teaching and parenting. 

Identify the research topic: The research topic of this presentation was promoting the development of strengths and resilience in children and youth through parenting and educators. One of the key points he kept coming back to was the idea that adults are role models. As a teacher, parent, caregiver, they have to demonstrate the strength and skills they want these children to grow up to possess. He references it much like an apprenticeship program. Training and preparing children to have the strength based skill they need as an adult. 

Challenges and success of the methodology: Unfortunately this presentation did not go into much depth regarding how this research was done and mostly a research overview. However, I did find a lot of really interesting points of information that were made. I have come up with some challenges and success ideas although not directly discussed in the presentation. Some challenges I saw were in the measure of success, how do you measure if leading (teaching/parenting) with a strength based model is effective? I am having difficulty wrapping my brain around this. I think it is qualitative research as Dr. Rawana said something along the lines of: it is not about the amount of time you spend with the children but the quality of the time spent. I am not sure how you measure the factors that make someone resilient as this could come from a lot of different factors. My grade 9 geography teacher had us take an online survey to see how much grit we had but I do not think online tests and quizzes in these ways are accurate representations or good ways to conduct research. One of the successes of this methodology is it forces people to choose and think about their decisions to make a conscious effort to use their strengths and not just choose randomly. 

Connection to course content: A few areas that I thought connected to course content where in relation to an ethics approval as this research is focused on children and Dr. Rawana even mentioned you are not really supposed to do research on children so this would require a strong, thorough plan to be able to follow these children to see the effects of adults in their lives using strength based approaches to promote resilience.  Additionally, I thought of a literature review and review of sources and planning the research you are talking about. He mentioned a few times the work of Dr. Epstein and personally I have never looked at his research so it could very well be fundamental but the negative connotations around that person himself threw me off into listening to those connections. Lastly, I made a connection to sampling. I do not know the sample size or the demographic of people chosen but I think this would definitely affect the research as these kinds or role models look and appear differently in a low income neighborhood vs a high income neighborhood and geographic location, etc. 

Opinion on effectiveness of the model: I had a hard time pulling out the information to answer these questions from the presentation but I did gain some interesting parenting/teaching tips. Honestly after writing all of this I am not sure what the model of this research was but I think it was effective as there was information that I thought was strong and believable. It was a well done presentation. 

Rawana, E. (2022). Strength-Based Strategies for Parents and Educators to Promote Mental Wellness and Resiliencies in Children and Youth . Lakehead University Research and Innovation Week. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://lakeheadu.zoom.us/rec/share/CvEGT2sn108nYfd77T9WjXpsiB3elJmsueO_viqlNVxItts1eHTZY2-WRZZAddkJ.xzD3U6Z7gs_Zcm9a Passcode: 3E6+QYJ+.

[justplainrec]

Hi Rachel!

Great post. I’m glad that you were able to find a presentation that you could engage with, even with the jargon language barrier (that’s what I’ve taken to calling it). I’m glad to know that the presentations will be available to review at a later date. 

Good job identifying challenges and successes, regardless of the lack of expansion on this topic during the presentation itself.  I think the most important part of your post is certainly the ethical aspect. Since Dr. Rawana mentioned that research is not meant to be done on children and TCPS confirms this, it would be interesting to see what sort of research plan was presented for REB review. What do you think the process for approval looked like? According to the text, children are considered vulnerable persons. They are not fully capable of making a decision since they don’t fully understand the implications of being involved in research. In terms of REB, “it is unethical to involve such vulnerable people in research unless a researcher meets two minimal conditions: (1) a legal guardian grants written permission, and (2) the researcher follows all standard ethical principles to protect the participant from harm” (Neuman & Robson, 2018). Seeing Dr. Rawana’s in depth research plan would certainly be of interest, keeping these points in mind. 

PS. I definitely understand your unwillingness to look into the work of Dr. Epstein, even though it relates to the presentation you viewed.  

Cheers,

Jill

Reference

Neuman, L., & Robson, K. (2018). Basics of Social Research (Canadian Edition) (4th ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Pearson Canada Inc.

[justplainrec]

07. Rehabilitative Exercise in Stroke Recovery in Thunder Bay

I attended a live session during Research and Innovation Week and did not understand a word of it. I decided to review a 3 Minute Research presentation after the fact instead. 

I chose to review Nicole Lee’s presentation entitled: Exploring the rehabilitative and exercise experience in stroke recovery among adults living in Thunder Bay. The research is a pilot project for Lee’s masters thesis and focuses on exercise as a form of rehabilitation for stroke survivors in Thunder Bay. 

Lee used semi-structured interviews and surveys to gather her data. Both of the research techniques that Lee used to acquire her data are qualitative techniques that we have discussed in class. Lee did not go into detail about her survey or interview questions, but I am curious as to how she designed each and whether the type of questions asked and their structure affected the outcomes of her study. 

Results concluded that barriers to rehabilitation revolved around the participants’ own perceived ability and lack of motivation. While they experienced barriers, participants also experienced facilitators. Surveys confirmed these results, but also showed low quality of life scores. More research needs to be done in order to gain a comprehensive summary of one’s rehabilitation experiences; Lee could not conclude why participants were experiencing such barriers and facilitators. She intends to continue the research with semi-structured interviews, giving researchers a more in depth understanding of the experiences of participants. (Lee, 2022)

According to the text, surveys can be beneficial in that they are cost-effective and can be conducted by a single researcher. However, the largest con with surveys is that they often have a low response rate. Surveys are also not filled out under controlled conditions, nor can the researcher clarify responses or probe for more information (Neuman & Robson, 2018). 

While surveys provide a more fixed data set, qualitative interviews allow the researcher to see the world through the interviewee’s eyes: “the types of responses possible in qualitative interviewing are much more varied and allow the ‘voice’ of the interviewee to be heard” (Neuman & Robson, 2018). Interviews provide insights that simply cannot be captured through statistics and graphs. A con of interviewing is that the sample sizes are generally small in comparison to those used in qualitative research, bringing into question the validity and reliability of the research and its application to a wider population beyond those in the interview sample. Since Lee’s research is about stroke survivors in Thunder Bay and the findings aim to help the sample group, I think that semi-structured interviews is an appropriate research method. The findings do not need to extend to groups beyond the sample. 

I think that Lee’s renewed approach of using only semi-structured interviews will certainly provide her with more in-depth perspectives on her participants, although it will lower her sample size.

References

Lee, N. (2022). Exploring the rehabilitative and exercise experience in stroke recovery among adults living in Thunder Bay. Presentation, Lakehead University Research and Innovation Week.

Neuman, L., & Robson, K. (2018). Basics of Social Research (Canadian Edition) (4th ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Pearson Canada Inc.

[ahoutd2511]

Blog Prompt 6 (OUTD 2511): Interview a Key Thinker Who Represents Your Field of Inquiry for the Podcast Project

Podcast Project Research Question: How does rock climbing in Thunder Bay benefit the wellbeing of citizens in the community?

I would interview Aric Fishman because he is the founder of Outdoor Skills and Thrills and he has many years of experience climbing around the world and in Thunder Bay. Aric worked as a wilderness survival instructor and canoe tripping guide in 1999 to 2004, worked as a manager at four different climbing facilities between 2000 and 2013, and graduated from Lakehead University in 2012 with a degree in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism with a minor in Sociology (Outdoor Skills and Thrills, 2021). In addition, Aric has spent over 20 years honing his skills as a climber, instructor, and professional guide (Outdoor Skills and Thrills, 2021). On average Aric climbs and guides over 250 days per year. Additionally, Aric is the Author of Thunder Bay Climbing: A Guide to Northwestern Ontario’s Best Kept Secret (Outdoor Skills and Thrills, 2021).

Aric Fishman (Outdoor Skills and Thrills, 2021).

List five clear interview questions (and what insight you hope to get out of each):

1. Do you think rock climbing has a positive or negative impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing?

I would like to gain insight from an experienced professional on his opinions of the impact climbing has on a person’s mental health and wellbeing.

2. How has climbing positively or negatively impacted your mental health and wellbeing?

I would like to know if he has seen any impacts on his mental health and wellbeing since he has been climbing for so many years.

What impact will climbing have on mental health and wellbeing if you participate in the activity long term?

3. Do you think the overall environment of climbing is what has an impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing? Or do you think the fact that they are just participating in a physical activity is what impacts their mental health and wellbeing?

Do the other aspects of rock climbing such as adrenaline, fear, sense of accomplishment, communication, relying on others and yourself, etc, have an effect on participants in these areas besides the physical exercise component?

4. How is rock climbing different from other recreational activities in the way it affects its participants mentally, physically, and socially?

Does rock climbing have different things to offer than other sports

What separates rock climbing from the rest of recreational activities?

Are there different mental benefits?

Are there different social benefits?

5. Can you describe what a typical climbing day looks like for those who are new to climbing?

Rock climbing can be seen as a very risky and scary activity, so if a professional climber explains the safety precautions and risk management in place, it can ease a person’s mind and encourage them to participate in the activity.

If a person would like to rock climb for the benefit of their wellbeing, this can provide them with the information on what to expect being new to the activity.

I decided on these questions because they cover different topics and ideas that are important to answering the research question. The first question is straightforward, but it will provide me with the answer of if a professional has seen the impacts that rock climbing has on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. The second question will help to provide me with information on if a long time participant of climbing has seen any impacts the sport has had on them. This is important because with just these two questions we learn the affects climbing can have on new or more frequent climbers. Next, the third and fourth questions will help in the determination of if climbing has different impacts in participants and also this answers if the sport is worth it to partake in rather than more popular activities such as running, hiking, soccer, baseball, etc,. Finally, the last question is to gain insight on a typical day of climbing to help ease the minds of newcomers to the sport of climbing or to just provide a look on what a day can look like. Overall, I chose questions that could get answers to various important topics that could support the research question.

Reference List

Outdoor Skills and Thrills. (n.d.). Aric Fishman. Outdoor Skills And Thrills. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://outdoorskillsandthrills.com/team-osat/aric-fishman

Outdoor Skills and Thrills. (n.d.). Meet the Team. Outdoor Skills And Thrills. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://outdoorskillsandthrills.com/team-osat

Outdoor Skills and Thrills. (n.d.). Thunder Bay Climbing Guide Book. Outdoor Skills And Thrills. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://outdoorskillsandthrills.com/tbay-climbing-guidebook

[justplainrec]

Hi Ashley!

These questions cover a lot of ground very quickly! It’s really cool to see you thinking of interviewing a successful ORPT grad who is running a business in our field as a solid outdoor professional in Thunder Bay. 

My one critique would be that question 3 feels slightly vague. What is meant by the “environment of climbing”? Does that refer to the physical environment of a crag, gym, or ice climb? Or does it refer to the relational and emotional environment created through community? Just curious as to what exactly the word environment means in this context.

Otherwise, all of these are super well-targeted and well-done! 

Cheers,

Jill

[justplainrec]

06. Interviewing NAC

My group’s podcast is discussing how the sport of skiing builds community in Thunder Bay. One of the biggest programs that runs at Loch Lomond (one of Thunder Bay’s current ski areas), other than the massive snow school, is the Norwesters Alpine Club (NAC). According to NAC, they are ”a not-for-profit community driven organization supporting the development of life-long skiers” ("NAC", 2022).

Who am I interviewing?

I would interview a NAC racer, ideally one of the Coach Apprentices who are heavily involved in the sport. The Coach Apprenticeship program is designed to provide continuity in the sport for athletes that have completed U16 and decided not to pursue a competitive racing stream. The goal of the program is to develop the next generation of coaches and instructors trained to the highest levels. 

Five Interview Questions

1. How long have you been skiing for, and what made you start?

This is a question I commonly get from my ski school participants. It is a great introductory question to get an interviewee comfortable and it gives some context to their experiences with the ski community. 

2. Why did you choose to enroll in the NAC (or NAC Coach Apprentice) program?

I am hoping to find out the motivation behind choosing to enroll in such an expensive and involved sport as ski racing. Through this question I hope to find out a bit about the interviewee’s background. What made them start racing? If they are a Coach apprentice, what made them choose the mentorship stream over a competitive stream?

3. What does the NAC community look like at Loch?

I’m hoping to achieve a super targeted answer about the niche community of the ski racing club within the larger community of Loch Lomond.

4.Can you describe the atmosphere of a race day? What about a training day?

This question aims to get an image of what the community feeling of ski racing feels like. It should also provide some insight into their relationship with their participants and mentors. 

5. How does ski racing affect you on emotional, mental, physical, or relational levels?

What is the motivation for ski racing? Is it building relationships? Staying fit? Maintaining better mental and emotional health?

Brief overview/summary that discusses how I decided on these questions

I made sure that all of my questions were specific, yet not so specific as to give the interviewee no room to elaborate on their answers. According to the text, when writing interview questions, one should avoid being vague, and using jargon or slang (Neuman, 2017). I tried to keep my questions clear, relevant, and accessible to anyone who was to answer them. I also funneled my questions. I started with a broader question that is more introductory, to put the interviewee at ease, and slowly got more specific and in depth with my follow up questions.

References

NAC. (2022). Retrieved 6 March 2022, from https://www.nacracing.ca/ 

Neuman, W. L., Robson, K. (20170102). Basics of Social Research (Canadian Edition), 4th Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9780134649078

[justplainrec]

05. Lynx or Bobcat? Who’s to Say?

In my pursuit of an interesting article, I rifled through some olympic results, skimmed past articles about Trump and Trudeau, and finally decided to just type Thunder Bay into google and hit news, wondering if anything interesting would come up. On page two I found the article I’m going to discuss: “Man records mother lynx and babies on road north of Thunder Bay, Ont.” This caught my attention since I’ve heard of a solo lynx showing up on people’s trail cams around town for about 7 months now and I actually saw a lynx in October in the middle of a mountain bike ride in Shuniah Mines. I had a little staring contest with it, trying to figure out whether it was a lynx or a bobcat, and then ID’d the tracks to determine that it was in fact a lynx.

The article was written by Gord Ellis of CBC news and contains the opinions of Brian Edwards, a local man who recorded the lynx, and trapper Mark Deans. The key message of the article is that there are lynx in the Thunder Bay region, which from what I understand seems to be somewhat unknown, as indicated by the buzz on Facebook when they pop up on trail cams. 

Sources:

The sources are Brian Edwards and the video he took, which clearly depicts 5 wild cats; a mother and 4 babies. Edwards simply provides the sighting and his thoughts on the cats. The other source is Mark Deans, who runs a registered trapline in Northern Ontario that ranges over 54,000 acres of wilderness. He and his family have had the trapline for 15 years and Deans traps with his children ("Canada's wild fur trade returns", 2022). Deans’ knowledge of the region and its animals allowed him to properly identify the cats as lynx. Edwards thought they were bobcats, but Deans identified the cats as lynx after seeing the video and noting the large ear tufts. According to Deans there are more bobcats in the northwest than there have ever been, but bobcats have far smaller ear tufts (Ellis, 2022). 

Evaluation and Implications for Readers:

I recognize that this article is very straight forward: there is no in depth study or serious implications for readers from any sort of moral standpoint. I chose it because I think that we can benefit from understanding what rich ecology there is around the Thunder Bay area. A sighting of a lynx with so many kits nearby is quite rare. I also chose this article because of its unique sources. Deans’ personal knowledge of the animals gained through time on the land and the trapline is not exactly an academic source, but it is a form of traditional knowledge and is valid. The only real implication for the reader is that they have to decide for themselves whether or not they view local knowledge as being reputable, which in some ways opens an avenue for discussion. (I think it is, but do you agree? Is knowledge reputable and valid if it isn’t backed by a degree?)

References

Canada's wild fur trade returns. (2022). Retrieved 20 February 2022, from http://projects.aljazeera.com/2015/02/canada-fur-trade/ 

Ellis, G. (2022). Man records mother lynx and babies on road north of Thunder Bay, Ont. Retrieved 20 February 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/mother-lynx-recorded-video-northern-ontario-1.6352761 

[sick-not-tired]

Beetles Beat the Bitter Cold

In an attempt to avoid articles about the anti-vaccine convoy, the Olympic doping scandal, or anything to do with Coronavirus, I have decided to do some research into the survival of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer Beetle (or Agrilus Plannipennis) species of Manitoba (Duell et al. 2022). In 2019, Manitoba as well as the midwestern United States were hit with a polar vortex averaging a temperature of -46 degrees Celsius (Liewicki, 2022). During this time, it was thought that the population of Emerald Ash Borer Beetles (previously thought to only survive to -28 degrees) would die (Liewicki, 2022). However, they managed to survive through a physiological response of dehydrating and concentrating their blood (Liewicki, 2022). Liewicki (2022) states that Brent Sinclair, a biology professor at Western University, believed that the glycerol accumulated in the blood during this hydration would work “the same as antifreeze in your vehicle’s radiator”. Jordan Bannerman, an entomology instructor at the University of Manitoba suggests that the survival of the beetles suggested that the ash tree may be wiped from Manitoba entirely, even though growth of the Emerald Ash Borer population had been stagnant (Liewicki, 2022).

This article sources include the opinions and work of Brent Sinclair (Biology professor), and Meghan Duell (post-doctorate researcher), which make up the research team that worked on this 2019 study in London, Ontario. This research was accepted to be published on January 29th, 2022 (linked below), following peer review and revision processes (Duell et al. 2022). This review and revision process served as an appropriate level of vetting for the article, and the implications for the future of Winnipeg and Manitoba ash trees makes it valuable research to be shared. The article also includes the thoughts of Jordan Bannerman (Entomology instructor), on the topic of what the research means for the arboreal landscape of Manitoba going forward (Liewicki, 2022). His opinions on the matter were not mentioned to be linked to any particular study or research project; however, he holds a master’s degree in Pest Management from Simon Fraser University, and teaches courses in Insect Ecology in the Province of interest in this study (2015). For those reasons, and because I think he contextualises the big picture repercussions of this study into layman’s terms that the audience will easier understand, I believe that CBC was justified in seeking out his expertise and including it in this article.

In reviewing this article, the reader should keep in mind that the scope of Duell and Colleagues’ study goes beyond what was mentioned in the article. They further test the beetles’ survival in a South Western Ontario winter as well as a simulated version of a Winnipeg winter, and found that the adaptability of the beetles was likely due to an unexpected phenotypic plasticity in terms of climate (Duell et al. 2022). They also went on to compare the genetic differences and similarities between the Agrilus Plannipennis species in different provinces with different weather patterns (Duell et al. 2022). The article makes it seem like the entire study was dedicated to the beetle’s survival in Winnipeg, but this is not the case. Another consideration when reviewing this article would be the fact that the reader can’t know how well briefed Bannerman was on the contents of the study. Though he seems to agree with the researchers on the future of the species, we cannot assume that he has read the paper, spoken to the researchers, or even been briefed on the full content of the study. This could lead to some bias in his agreement with the study findings.

Reference List

Duell, M. E., Gray, M. T., Roe, A. D., MacQuarrie, C. J. K., & Sinclair, B. J. (2022). Plasticity drives extreme cold tolerance of emerald ash borer (agrilus planipennis) during a polar vortex. Current Research in Insect Science, 2, 100031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2022.100031

Liewicki, N. (2022, February 18). Emerald ash borer survives Winnipeg’s extreme winter weather | CBC News. CBCnews. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/emerald-ash-borer-adapting-winnipeg-winter-1.6356146

N/A. (2015). Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences: Entomology Personnel Directory. University of Manitoba - Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences - Dept of Entomology - Personnel Directory. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/dept/entomology/personnel/Index.html

[justplainrec]

Hey Morgan!

This caught me very off-guard because I read the title as “Beatles” at first and was very confused. Had me wondering how the Beatles were helping people get through the winter. 

The second thing through my head was how absolutely metal their physiological response of dehydrating and concentrating their blood is. (The beetles, not the Beatles, that is). You’ve gotta be pretty hardcore to evade death through dehydration. 

In all seriousness though, your article selection is not only interesting but seems incredibly sound. The sources are very reputable and relevant. I think you did a great job of contextualizing the article and giving the reader a bit more information on the scope of the study and the backgrounds of the researchers. It is important to know the potential biases in the media and you did a good job of assessing Bannerman’s potential bias. I do hope that it is a bias and that the ash trees are not truly doomed. I remember being incredibly upset as a teenager watching the emerald ash borer banners going up on trees around my neighborhood here in Thunder Bay. Reflecting on the emergence of the emerald ash borer in Thunder Bay, I found the thesis of former forestry student Mitchell Lindsay. (Excerpt below)

“In addition to their beauty, these trees contribute valuable ecosystem services. As of June 2016 the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle from Asia, has been found in Thunder Bay and has the potential to kill every ash tree in the city. In order to determine the economic risk the University is facing, an analysis was completed to determine the value and annual contributions of the ornamental ash on Thunder Bay campus” (Linsday, 2018).

The study performed by Lindsay assessed the economic value of the ash trees on campus and luckily the findings showed that it made economic sense to save the trees.

Reference

Lindsay, M. (2018). Economic risk analysis of the emerald ash borer on the Thunder Bay campus of Lakehead University (Undergraduate). Lakehead University. 

[zhoutd2511]

What I am thinking about

Basically for the past three weeks I have been thinking about ranches. The reason I am thinking about ranches is because of Yellowstone the tv show on Amazon Prime Video. Basically, without spoiling anything the show follows the Dutton family, who are owners of the largest ranch in Montana called the Yellowstone. The show revolves around the drama at the ranch and surrounding areas such as the reservation, national park and new city folks. If you like cows or cowboys I would recommend watching the show as each episode is like a drug to me I can not get enough of it. I have been thinking a lot about the Yellowstone ranch because of the landscape and the vast amount of land. It is such a beautiful place and I think it would be a pretty rad job to have; I mean heck you get to play with cows and horses.

Moreover, another reason why I have been thinking about ranches is because in private land stewardship we had a guest speaker come in who used to be a reccer. He graduated from the program around 2010 and now owns a couple of ranches in Thunder Bay. One of his ranches is called the Sleeping G Farm. The farm contains about 10 fields for vegetable crops. He used to have about 30 sheep on his ranch until he sold them to buy cattle for the ranch. Sleepy G Farm has around 20 cattle, and around 50 chickens that they use to lay eggs. The cool thing about the chickens is that they are free roam so they aren't forced into what we see on documentaries about chickens being treated poorly. The chickens have a very large area that is fenced off with coups they can go in and out of at any time.

With all the consumption of ranches I started to look online in Canada to buy a ranch and it is actually pretty cool. I found places with 500 arcs that are a decent price and affordable if I was not a student. That being said, I think when I am older I would like to live out on a ranch or a farm and have some cattle but I am more interested in the land. The reason why I care so much about the land is because I will have the chance to take care of the land and habits so that animals and other creatures have a safe place to live. I guess I would want a hobby farm in the near future.

[justplainrec]

Rad Zach! I found the presentation that Brendan made super engaging too - I'm definitely more knowledgeable when it comes to farming practices now than I was before. Do you know if there are any proper ranches around Thunder Bay? Growing up here I think it's mostly produce farms, although I know there are a few stables around town. (I horseback rode a bit when I was younger). I think it's awesome that you'd want to purchase ranch land to steward the resources well. Do you have any idea of what your stewardship plan would look like for such an endeavour? Regardless, I'd come be a cowboy.

Cheers,

Jill

[justplainrec]

04. Independent Ski Hills

This week there are a few things on my mind: burn out, winter camping, and most importantly, alpine skiing. 

I say skiing because alpine sport and community is the key aspect of my podcast group’s research, but I also say skiing because it is slowly consuming my life. This is my first season working at a ski hill (an independent one) and anyone who talks to me for more than 5 minutes knows that I won’t shut the hell up about it. The more research I do for this class, the more parallels I draw to my own life. I did not grow up with a ski community - I skied alone as a teenager, whenever I could convince my parents to drive me and my brother out to the hill. I was off in the powder while he snowboarded with his friends in the park. (If I had decided to ride park earlier, that specific part of the story would be different, but some injuries held me back.) Now, working at the hill I spent my teenage years skiing alone at, the team I work with is slowly morphing into a large group of friends. It’s a community that I feel I’m truly part of. I spend most of my week thinking about being back at the hill and getting on snow. And I look forward to Saturday nights, when I know that after we clock out and ditch our snow school jackets, we’ll be shredding free laps together until the lifts close.

While looking for more information about the Thunder Bay alpine community, I spent a good chunk of time stalking my employer’s Facebook, where I came across this short film from Teton Gravity Research. 

It is an exposé on the value of independent ski hills to their communities and to the sport itself. The owners in the video speak on the culture they’ve created at their hills - it’s one of community and of keeping skiing accessible, rather than letting it become elitist. The examples in the video mirror my workplace almost exactly. Instead of the buzzing hive of a large ski area, at an independent hill, people know who you are. You have a place that you belong. While the independent hills are key to the local economy, they are also key to the culture and the children. The independent hills keep prices affordable for families. As said in the film, for a family, the difference between skiing at a destination resort and an independent resort is about $500. 

When it comes to keeping skiing accessible and getting kids involved, Bolton Valley sets a standard. When the owners of Bolton Valley got the hill in the ‘60s,very few people in the community skied, so they launched a project where they went into the local schools and created an afterschool Learn to Ride program. If the school sent a bus of kids one night a week, the hill would teach them to ski for free. The schools took them up on the offer and within 30 years, 43 schools participated and 27,000 local kids learned to ski, making the county among the top “most skiing” counties in the country.

Another element I thought was important was the way kids build independence at independent hills (11:00). There is an aspect of community and of everyone looking out for each other - kids can be sent out on the hill and parents know they’re in a safe environment. A smaller hill means only one lodge for kids to return to. They are able to build friendships, skills, and self-efficacy.

Reference:

Teton Gravity Researarch. (2021). In Pursuit of Soul [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifbKVYn4UCg

Photo: North Lift. Taken by Jill Girardin, January 2022.

[justplainrec]

03. Teenage Development and Extreme Sports.

If I was conducting research as a graduated student and had limitless resources, I would choose to research the cognitive and emotional development of teenagers who participate in extreme sports. I’m interested in this topic primarily because it reflects my own teenage years – I did not participate in team sports but did I participate in mountain bike racing and alpine skiing. I’m very curious as to how this choice affected my development and how my background has affected my adult life, not only in my lifestyle choices, but in my emotional regulation and sense of self.

The sports I would focus on are rock-climbing, cross-country mountain biking, alpine skiing, and snowboarding. I think there is a lot of benefit that can be gained from participation in extreme sport and a study on how participation in these sports affects teenagers would help the sports to further join the mainstream and become more normalized. Finances are often a barrier for teens when it comes to participation in extreme sports, so I would specifically hope to see high school students in Thunder Bay benefit from this sport by an increased access to opportunities to try extreme sports. Ideally, more schools would adopt more extreme sports as electives and extracurriculars. Currently, some schools have the option to take skiing or snowboarding as an elective, and most have the option to mountain bike race as an extracurricular. I would want to see snowboarding and skiing be offered as an elective across the board and for mountain biking and climbing to be offered as extracurriculars at minimum.

My reason for focusing on extreme sport is that even at a glance, there is some contrast between extreme sports and team sports. Extreme sports usually involve individual goals rather than teamwork. Extreme sports involve flow states, high competency, and an aspect of danger. Due to their intense nature, extreme sports can be a way of striving for self-actualization and promoting positive personal change. Their uncertain nature provides opportunity for intense cognitive development and emotional dimension (Cohen et. Al, 2018). Teens are known for risk taking behaviours, and channeling those impulses into extreme sports would have positive outcomes.

I would love to study how participating in extreme sport affects a teenager’s sense of self-efficacy, confidence, emotional regulation, and independence, and how these aspects are carried into their adult lives. This tracking would have to take place over a 10-year period, from age 15 -25. This period spans from adolescence until the frontal lobe has fully developed (Arain et. al, 2013), giving a considerable window to see how participation affects the participants as teenagers and the benefits they carry into their adult lives.

My research method would be qualitative and quantitative – I would want to survey the participants twice a year for 10 years. The frequency is due to most extreme sports being weather dependent and therefore having an on and off-season. I want to collect qualitative opinions from the participants themselves, as well as concrete quantitative measures of cognitive development. Having such a long period would require renewed consent as the study continued.

References

Arain, M., Haque, M., Johal, L., Mathur, P., Nel, W., Rais, A., Sandhu, R., & Sharma, S. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent brain. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 9, 449–461. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S39776

Cohen, R., Baluch, B., Duffy, L. (2018). Defining Extreme Sport : Conceptions and Misconceptions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01974

Photo: Powder Day. Taken By Jill Girardin, December 2021.

[demoutd2511]

Mental Health and Local Parks

If I were conducting research with limitless resources, my ultimate research project would be to study the ecological health of parks and ponds in Scarborough, ON, and how it affects mental and physical health in the communities surrounding those parks. I would focus on the parks in Scarborough, as I lived there with my family for ~12 years, and the area I lived in had two parks with ponds nearby, one was across the street and the other was at the end of the street I lived on.

Terraview Park. Photo Credit: ‘Friends of Terraview and Willowfield Gardens Parks’ Facebook Group

I would focus mostly on the two parks closest to where I lived in Scarborough, Terraview Park and Willowfield Gardens Park, along with looking at other parks in other communities of Scarborough to have a large sample size, along with seeing if the results from one pond are normal for the area or consist of something it only has that is giving it very different results.

Willowfield Gardens Park. Photo Credit: https://foursquare.com/v/ willowfield-gardens-park/4e4c601ffa769ce595b0813a

I would be using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, as the health of the park would be measured with water and soil pH tests, along with other tests to see its ecological health; while the mental and physical health of the community members would be measured with anonymous surveys. To see how the parks are used daily, park users could be asked what they use the park for, also through observation by counting the number who people are using the park and how they are using it, whether it be to get to school, riding their bike, or doing cross-country running practice. People who also don’t use the park should also be asked for their opinions, to find out why they don’t use the park.

Who would benefit from this research study would be the people in the communities surrounding the parks, along with the local flora and fauna in those parks. The people of the communities would benefit as their opinions on their parks could be used to improve the parks in ways that could be beneficial to their mental and physical health, such as adding more benches or a community garden. This research would be helpful to the local flora and fauna as there will be updated records of the species that live there, along with their physical health and what should be done to improve it.

Local schools would also benefit, as outdoor classroom areas could be added or revamped, which as many studies have shown “...time spent outdoors contributes to better mental health and happiness, regardless of age, and research at the K-12 level indicates that outdoor experiences lead to higher student engagement and test scores…” (Brady, 2020).

This is my ultimate research project, as it provides me a way to give back to the community that I lived in from the time I was in grade 1 till last October during my first year of university.

Reference:

Brady, B. (2020, December 17). The value of outdoor environments to K-12 learning, health, and student safety. Clark Nexsen. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.clarknexsen.com/blog-value-of-outdoor-environments-to-k-12-learning-health-and-student-safety/

[justplainrec]

Hey Drew!

Your research proposal looks rock solid. I love that you’ve chosen something that would help you give back to a community that was integral to your early life.

Your concept seems to be narrow enough to be feasible, yet comprehensive since it includes both qualitative assessments of mental health impacts and concrete quantitative assessments of the condition of the parks’ ecosystems. Your study would slot beautifully under the larger category of “healthy parks, healthy people”. I appreciated that you chose to ask those who do not use the park for their input as well – I wouldn’t necessarily think to do that, but there is certainly value in understanding why people don’t use the provided spaces when it comes to figuring out how to improve them.

Would your goal for local schools be to see an increase in outdoor education, or a forest school style class? I agree that having the opportunity for students to learn in an outdoor classroom is important, but I’m curious as to what this looks like in collaboration with the parks.

Another thing I’d be curious about is whether park users report a sense of community from their recreation within the parks. Are there social benefits that tie into parks use that play into improved mental health? Or are the benefits primarily derived from physical activity and exposure to green spaces?

Overall, a great concept with very actionable steps!

Cheers,

Jill

[lfoutd2511]

Research Review - Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years

         Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 years is a case study documentary that is sponsored by the North Face (Vice, 2013, 0:18). It was filmed and researched by Americans in 2013 (Vice). The documentary is on the life of Agafia Lykov, a 70-year-old Russian Old Believer, who lives alone self-sufficiently in the taiga of remote Siberia. The focus is on what drove her to live in isolation from society and how she lives self-sufficiently off the land (Vice, 2013).

        This study can be considered microsocial theory because it focuses on one individual and their actions. The research is qualitative because it uses direct quotes and video footage to explain the living situation. A translator is used to assist in the communication process between English and Russian. Captions are used in the physical documentary or translations are spoken. Verstehen is displayed by the researchers spending several days taking part in the day-to-day household tasks that allow Agafia to live independently.

        It is indirectly emphasized by the researchers throughout the film that they do not understand remote living in the wilderness. The way that this is communicated is by adding personal quotes directly to the documentary on what they are feeling and experiencing. Some of their language throughout the film indicates a lack of open-mindedness to the worldviews, epistemological and ideological lenses of Agaifia. This is displayed prior, during, and after they meet her. For example, the editor, Gheb Lisichkin says “So this small airport, called Shuyskenskoye, is not really useful for small passengers. (Vice, 2013, 6:29)” The usage of phrases such as “harsh wilderness”, and “When you meet a person here you are happy because you feel like you can help them” conceives Agaifia’s livelihood as poor and inadequate (Vice, 2013, 18:09). This is against many of Agaifia’s own testimonies as she discusses her dislike for the city and human civilization’s way of doing things. The researchers displayed a lack of critical reflexivity as they did not complete a process in which they had a conscious scrutiny of themselves and their influences on the research process.

           An ethical concern is that Agaifia could have been unintentionally bribed to participate in the research process. The presentation of items from her wish list such as a goat may create a trajectory of being paid to tell things that you would otherwise not share. This creates a question into whether Agaifia gave free and informed consent.

         Another concern that should be highlighted is Agaifia’s ability to understand the process of a documentary that is going to be displayed on Youtube. As Agaifia has only left her place of isolation for the city five times in her life, it can be questioned as to whether she understands technology. If she does not understand technology, is she able to truly give informed consent? She does state directly in the documentary that she does not listen to her friend’s radio even though she has plenty of opportunities to do so because she disagrees with it. We do not know if the ethics of the study were reviewed by an ethics review board due to the nature of the case study. Regardless of if an ethics review board was utilized, it is important to recognize these issues in order to make an informed decision on how the information from the study is studied and presented. For example, did Agaifia give consent for her spirituality practices to be filmed? If she did, was she aware of what filming meant?

           As a researcher I would have been more conscious of how my own experiences reflect my ability to be objective in my research. For example, I would recognize that my own backpack pertains to having grown up rurally in a front-country setting. By keeping the statements of personal beliefs separate from my research but intentionally stating how Agaifia lives differently than most, I help to directly acknowledge that my research is about someone that has a different ‘backpack’ then me. We cannot define whether someone’s life is inadequate. Living a self-fulfilled life is different from person to person. Agaifia is no different.

          If I believed that Agaifia did not understand technology, but she gave informed consent, I would be conscious of what filming portions I used in my documentary. I would not include the portions on her religious practices out of respect. I would also have wanted her to have seen the final film and would have explained to the best of my ability, given Agaifia’s experiences, what will be done with the film.

                                                  References:

Vice. (2013, April 9). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years (Full Length) [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68          

Xplore. (n.d.). Stephen Jay Gould quotes. BrainyQuote. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/stephen_jay_gould_141262

[justplainrec]

Hi Laura,

I agree that the research is microsocial theory and qualitative. It’s quite extraordinary to have such a unique individual to do a case study with - or in this case, on. I agree that the researchers lack critical reflexivity and seemed to be close-minded. They followed the model of simply dropping in, collecting data, and leaving. I think this led them to leave with a lack of true understanding for Agafia’s lifestyle and her motivations. 

The question about free informed consent is certainly an important ethical issue. The gifts could have been unintentional bribery. I also saw the language barrier as a potential issue for Agafia’s consent. Even with a translator, I think that her understanding of the scope of the research and availability was potentially limited since she has lived such an isolated life and would not likely have a full understanding of the world of internet and social media. 

I appreciated your comments about considering your own experiences and the lens they give you as a researcher. In terms of the attitudes of the Vice researchers, I love how you put it so I’ll go ahead and highlight the quote: “We cannot define whether someone’s life is inadequate.”

Finally, your idea of having her view the final film to review it for accuracy and explaining to the best of your ability what will be done with it is incredibly important and I truly hope that the Vice researchers did the same. When it comes to her religious practices, I wonder if it is better to omit them to be respectful, or should there be even more of a focus and a more in depth explanation? If Agafia is comfortable sharing her religion, is it not more respectful to honour that and to share it in a more in-depth way? I was also not satisfied with how it was presented, but would love to hear your thoughts on these 2 differing options.

Thanks for sharing your insights.

Jill

[justplainrec]

02. Surviving in Siberia - A Research Review

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years is a case study that was done by Vice in 2013 and sponsored by the North Face. The youtube documentary follows 70-year-old Agafia Lykov, the final surviving member of the Lykov family. The family of Old Believers fled into the remote taiga of Siberia in 1936 to escape violence and persecution at the hands of Stalin. Agafia was born in the mountains in 1944, where she lives to this day, living off the land, self-sufficient, and pleased with her life in the remote taiga near the Erinat river, 160km from the nearest city (Vice, 2013). 

The case study was done by Americans from Vice in collaboration with Vice Russia. The study would be considered a microsocial theory since it studies a concrete, small-scale, and narrow level of reality - the study focuses on an individual (Agafia), and her actions. 

Based on the description of qualitative research as discussed in class, I would argue that the case study falls under the category of qualitative research. Qualitative research is descriptive and involves field work. Qualitative researchers are interested in meaning and are the primary instrument for data collection and analysis.

The filmmakers do carry quite an extensive invisible backpack that isn’t fully addressed in the film. Many of the aspects however, can be inferred from the content and form of the film. The film is sponsored by the North Face, meaning the crew obviously has access to funds and to high quality expedition gear. The production quality of the film implies a full camera crew with high quality cameras. It is noted at the beginning of the film that although there is a language barrier, they have Gleb along as not only a host, but a translator (Vice, 2013).  

There are several key ethics considerations that should have been taken into account with the production of this film. The first to address is how limited the knowledge of the researchers was - they spent very little time in Russia, and very little time in the remote taiga. I believe this brings into question the level of understanding that the researchers had when it comes to the way of life and culture of the region. Agafia’s lifestyle is very obviously different from the cultural norm, but when they described her life, they seemed to have gleaned little from their time with her, citing the experience as “very interesting and sometimes it was depressing and sometimes it was fun. In any case we should never forget this experience” (Vice, 2013). The researchers don’t seem to have a full appreciation of Agafia’s religion, culture, and relationship with the land. She says herself that she has no desire to live in the city (Vice, 2013). 

The next point to bring up is free and informed consent. One of the barriers to free and informed consent is language - there is a language barrier present between the researchers and Agafia. They have a translator, but Agafia’s isolated lifestyle calls into question whether she truly understands the scope of the research and the documentary. She has only been into the city five times (Vice, 2013), which makes me wonder whether she understands that the information she discloses will be available globally. 

The documentary to me feels somewhat exploitative - the researchers came for a brief period of time, asked rather prying questions, shot a documentary and left. I have to wonder whether Agafia benefitted from taking part in this research in any way, other than the animals she received.

If I was given the same opportunity to research and communicate my findings, I believe I would approach the research assignment with a more positive lens, rather than focusing on the more negative and traumatic parts of Agafia’s life. As a student researcher who is enamored with the idea of life in the far north, I would want to spend far longer staying with Agafia and learning her way of life. I would ask more questions showcasing aspects of her life such as her tools, medicine, garden, spirituality, and ways of being. She is one of the remaining Old Believers, so if her religion is included in the film, I think it should be properly explained and honoured. Before the video was released, I would make sure that Agafia had the opportunity to view it and decide whether it was a candid representation of herself. I would also collaborate with her to create a project that would help her, should she so desire external support. (ex. Resupply of essential tools, livestock, etc.)

Reference

Vice. (2013). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years (Full Length) [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68