The Early Bird

A blog by Owen K.

[mrpoutd2511]

OUTD 2511 Blog Prompt 9-10

 Three things I know for certain about outdoor recreation research: 

One thing I know is what qualitative data is and how it’s used. Researchers reflect on ideas before data collection and develop conceptual findings (Neuman 2018). This data is collected by a variety of methods including interviews and observations. Qualitative data is useful when you’re not dealing with hard data but are pursuing a more story-based result.

I also know the nine different question types that can occur during a qualitative interview which are as follows:

- Introducing questions are used when you want a detailed description from the interviewee.  The interviewee is prompted to give a personal account of a situation in this instance (Neuman 2018).  

- Follow-up questions are used to get additional information from the interviewee (Neuman 2018).

- Probing questions are asked when more details are required, typically because the interviewee’s response to a question was brief or not specific enough. These differ from follow-up questions. Where follow-up questions prompt the interviewee to expand on a particular point, probing questions initiate a general expansion (Neuman 2018).

- Specifying questions are asked to get more detailed descriptions about parts of the interviewees answers that lack specifics.

- Direct questions are typically introduced toward the end of the interview and are questions that have not yet been answered or discussed by the interviewee (Neuman 2018).

- Indirect questions are asked to get a feeling of how the interviewee feels about the actions and thoughts of other people. Interpretation of these answers can be complicated because it needs to be determined if the answers and opinions given are reflective of how the interviewee really feels or if they are answers that the interviewee feels would be correct and expected (Neuman 2018).

- Structuring questions are used to keep the interview focused and on track if it has gone off topic or if the question has already been answered and it’s time to move on (Neuman 2018).

3.  Additionally, I know how to do a literature review. Literature reviews typically begin by defining and refining a topic and then designing a search strategy. Research reports are then located, notes are taken, and finally a review is written. When writing reviews it is important to “critically read articles and other literature.” (Neuman 2018) Good organizational skills  are very beneficial at this stage as well.  Things like keeping track of research in organized documents, effectively tracking URL’s and prioritizing articles you know you’ll be using are some examples of these.

These two things I am still confused by: 

One thing that confuses me is the absence of a real world application of this content if you don’t intend on writing a thesis. It’s unclear to me exactly when I’d use this information outside of the classroom. I’m sure there’s practical applications for this information but it’s not something that was initially clear to me and I am still fuzzy on.

I also wonder why a podcast format and Tumbler posts were chosen over discussion posts and papers. Technology and social engagement methods on the internet move and change quickly and I wonder if they’ll be relevant further down the road. Additionally, I feel that there was a lacking of practical applications on what was taught and that did not help me learn as quickly or easily.

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

One thing that I learned about myself as an outdoor recreation researcher is that the field of research is not something I excel at or find particularly fulfilling. It is just something that I don’t particularly enjoy and just feels like something I need to do.

I also learned that I prefer working with qualitative data vs. quantitative data. Basically I feel that talking with and interviewing someone is more engaging and rewarding than just interpreting numbers and analyzing data.

It is clear to me that I enjoy researching things I already have an interest in, as I would assume most people do. An example of this is things relating to plants and biology - like the Herbarium I’m working on for one of my classes. I enjoy this topic and put a lot of effort into the project because I care about doing well and producing good work. Although this actually makes me feel anxious (my interest in it makes the stakes higher because I want it to turn out well) it does motivate and encourage me too. In comparison, when it’s a topic I’m not interested in I’ll procrastinate and feel an overwhelming sense of frustration. Obviously the end product suffers in this scenario.

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

One area I would like to improve in is my survey skills. I feel that I could develop more confidence if I had more experience in this area. The more opportunities to conduct interviews the better. Participating in other peoples’ surveys would also be beneficial and allow me the opportunity to gather ideas. I’d also like to better my preparation beforehand so that I feel more prepared and confident going in.

I would also like to improve my organizational skills. Whether it’s as simple as keeping search results on my computer organized or more involved like developing efficient time management skills, there are definitely areas I would like to improve on.

Some things I’d be looking at implementing when compiling research include:

Color coding files and folders

Organizing open tabs on the computers

Utilizing physical folders when necessary

Developing a manageable calendar and scheduling method to chart out goals, deadlines and expectations

Focusing on time management throughout the project

Being flexible and adaptable depending on the method of organization that each individual project requires

References:

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). 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). Pearson.

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

[okoutd2511]

Hi Molly,

Your blog is super in depth and detailed which makes it really interesting to read. Through reading a lot of these blogs I have notice a common theme; a lot of people feel the need to spend more time developing their survey skills. 

What do you feel makes surveying so hard for us in the current position of our lives?

(Could it be due to age? Experience? Difficulty? etc…).

Because of your confidence in posing qualitative interview questions, I am hoping to hear your opinion on the intentions of indirect questions. You touched on it a bit in the blog, but I would like to know if you feel the intention of indirect questions is similar to that of a placebo, or test group, where the participant is required to be unaware of the situation or question being posed. Is it meant to be more dismissive, or do you believe indirect questions still have some sort of direction? (If you do, can you explain the motive?)

You also mention literature reviews in your blog along with designing search strategies. Are you able to describe what you feel is an effective search strategy?

I really enjoyed reading about yourself as a recreation researcher, it felt very relatable as I too get more anxious about assignments I have put more effort into. If we are more invested in a research project of course we want to do better on it, but the anxiety of its success definitely has an effect on myself as well and Im sure we aren’t the only ones who feel this way.

You have a strong set of goals, it appears that you have set out specific goals to improving your research skills and I believe you are more than capable of achieving them. I wish you luck in your future research endeavours, great blog!

[zhoutd2511]

OUTD 2511 Blog Prompt 9-10

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

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Date: Through this class it brought me about to high school where I learned about both qualitative and quantitative dates. But, this class showed me that I do prefer qualitative data because the collected date is more than just figures on a sheet of paper. I enjoy how qualitative data represents the individual's thoughts.

Ethics: I know that ethics are one of the most vital when doing research. Ethics are moral principles that help guide a person's decision making. I know that it is crucial when performing research that individuals who are in a vulnerable position will require an REB. Ethics are important to understand when doing research because it gives people the respect they need such as privacy, and dignity. Ethics in research help promote a safe environment and values of each individual. REB are special for youth that can legally not aloud to be in research due to it being vulnerable Neuman and Robson explain that “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).

Coding: Coding is an easy way to organize your notes, and to help you with research. An example of this is seen in my podcast group as I made a survey, and took all the data and organized it to make sure that the data was concise and easy to follow. But I have also used my experience from highschool data management to make sure that I properly deal with the data that is collected.

These three things I am still confused by:

Interviewing: I have never interviewed someone in my life face to face. Unlike where I have used google forms to ask questions. I think it would be beneficial if i have a chance to interview someone in the future to help me with research.

Is research mandatory when I do not plan on doing any?

Invisible Backpack: I still do not fully understand what the Invisible Backpack is. I tried to do some research on my own and the first thing that pops up on google is white privilege so now i am even more confused about this whole invisible backpack. I can kinda understand it when research is being done however, I do not understand it for each individual.

These three things I know for certain about me as an outdoor recreation researcher: I understand why research is important. However, in this program I do not plan on doing any research within the program unless it is for assignments, and I do not plan on doing any after university due to the career field I am going into. I understand how it is relevant for this program if you are going into a field to do research but I do not think this should be a mandatory class.

Qualitative data: If I had to do research on a topic again for class I would want to focus on qualitative data because I prefer the words of people of just numbers. People can express way more emotions and give you quotes for research

I don't like doing research in topics that do not interest me: Not to be a debbie downer, But throughout this course I did not like not having the freedom of creating your own blog prompts. Because of this some of my blog posts were mediocre and I did not put as much focus into a lot of them. Luckly, for the podcast I was very interested in the topic because it involved rock climbing and mental health/ well-being. For most of my education I have always focused on doing assignments on well-being and mental health.

I like learning about mental- health and well-being: To continue with mental health and well-being would most likely be the only thing I will do research on due to the benefits of outdoor recreation and mental health. But I also love the correlation between extreme sports and mental health and how beneficial it is to take part in an extreme sport.

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

I need to be less vague: When it comes to doing work that I am not interested in I tend to be vague when explaining or writing. I also struggle with communication and giving good examples for work. I need to be able to expand my thinking and relate it to my thesis and just in general

Creating/analyzing surveys: I would like to spend more time creating surveys because I feel like I lost that skill when I went into university. But in highschool I was pretty good at it. That being said, I would like to create more in the future to help me expand my knowledge and help me with my research for clubs, assignments or my own personal use. I would also like to explore new programs such as Google forms, QuestionPro, SurveySparrow, SurveyLegend are all programs that I would like to use to further my experience with research to be more confident in my skills.

Group work: I also need to spend more time with group work. I enjoy working alone most of the time and not having to rely on others to make sure that they get their jobs done so that the group can succeed. Furthermore, the more time i will spend with the groups will help me with my leadership style since im a Laissez-Faire leader i tend to lay back and let someone else take control of the group. I feel like I just let the leader tell me what to do and I have no problem with that, it just does not help me with my leadership skills within group work.

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.

[okoutd2511]

Hi Zach,

Great final blog! I totally agree with you about qualitative data. I feel there is a lot more to unpack with the actual behaviours of individuals over statistical data. However data can be extremely useful for coding and applying it to alternative qualitative data which will compare the two data sets. I also agree that interviewing can be really confusing, we most likely share this confusion due to our inexperience with holding and building interviews. 

I wonder if there is anyone in the class who has some experience in interviewing and could share their opinion?

I believe the invisible backpack is meant to be for anyone who has privilege but is unaware of that privilege, which is most common among white males. The goal is for everyone to be aware of that privilege regardless of who you may be, therefor we can use our privilege to help those in need.

I also agree about group work which is something I feel maybe I should have even included in my own blog. I find it easier and faster to work on my own, but I definitely know that working with others is how we expand our ideas and open our minds. 

Going through life without considering other peoples opinions or ideas leads to a growth in ignorance over time, do you agree?

You say you need to be less vague, I’m curious to know if you feel that vagueness helps in certain situations? (Maybe for survey/questionnaire questions?, or maybe for test groups?”).

That concludes my response. Once again, great reflective blog!

[okoutd2511]

A Reflection on My Experience in Research Design

I know …

…how important credibility and resources are when it comes to presenting your research.

For a lot of assignments in the past I have used “top of the page” articles without checking into the actual credibility of those resources. There is an idea that the first links are the best and most credible which isn’t always true. This class has motivated me to do my own deeper dives into the resources I choose to research.

…that it is very difficult to be precise with survey responses.

Precision when conducting a survey is extremely difficult due to the amount of unknown variables. You can ask a question with an intended answer but it won’t be the same for each individual who answers it. You can also ask a question with the intention of receiving a specific response, however the response isn’t always the desired outcome.

…to protect the confidentiality of individuals being research, as well as informed consent.

Confidentiality and informed consent are extremely important when it comes to research ethics. Confidentiality is meant to meet the standards and integrity of the ethics throughout the research process; it’s meant to build rapport with the participants to ensure truthful and valuable responses.

I am still confused by …

…Which research approach is best for certain situations? (Naturalist or anti-naturalist, objective or situated, realism or anti-realism, structure or agency, etc…)

On one side there are so many different approaches when it comes to researching something, and on the other side there is an unbelievable amount of topics to be researched. This reason is why I have trouble structurally using approaches and deciding which may be appropriate for a research topic.

…The paradigms of research and where the line is between being a positivist or an interpretivists.

It is stated in class that the middle ground between positivism and interpretivism is a critical approach or using critical science. This confused me as I feel critical thinking is used in almost every aspect of research, and I feel if it is not used than the research is most likely poor. I understand that the mix of universal law and interpretation of different human behaviour formulates a critical response, I do not understand when or how to use either paradigm.

…Some of the properties and structures of an interview.

This includes distinguishing the difference between a research question compared to an interview question, or if semistructured interviews are always recommended. I’m still not sure the definition of primary interview questions compared to secondary questions. Sometimes I feel as though an interview question is more of a research question and could be phrased differently, but I am also unsure.

If there are any instances where using structured or unstructured interviews would be beneficial, I would love to hear some response on other peoples opinions.

I know for certain that I, as an outdoor recreation researcher, am…

…Primarily interested in the tourism industry and studying/researching material pertaining to aspects about tourism.

This is because I grew up interested in business and outdoor initiatives. I was originally going to go to school for business and eventually move my way into the tourism industry. I had eventually found this course and thought I would enjoy it much more while still being able to study business.

…I am more of an objective researcher (at least I try to be). I like to believe there is a reason for everything, and that things don’t just happen out of chance.

I feel like objective research is the most interesting and professional form of viewing things. When I am reading an informational text, I wouldn’t want any biases or influences skewing the data unfavourably. I think subjective thinking can be beneficial for certain topics of research (for example, a documentary about a murder, you need subjective research in order to avoid glorifying killers). I personally just enjoy taking a step back and looking at topics of research from different points of view.

…I am much better at qualitative data analysis over quantitative, I also enjoy looking at qualitative data over quantitative much more.

The reason I enjoy qualitative data is because its easier to relate to. It is more about human behaviour, or looking at trends which is something I really enjoy doing. Data management was one of my favourite maths growing up. I also am fascinated by the idea of creating deductive coding in order to assign that predefined code to other qualitative data. The findings from deductive and inductive coding are very interesting, which were new methods of research I had never learned about until taking this course.

I think that in order to improve my competence in research skills I need to…

…Develop my interviewing skills, and learn how to properly conduct and structure an interview.

I think it would help for me to go through the lecture slides on interviewing another time and focus more on understanding the content itself. I can then practice using the course content in actual field studies.

…Consider more resources outside of written articles.

I have a bad habit of selecting top clicked google links for articles when it comes to research. What I have learned through doing the podcast assignment and some of these blog prompts is that you can get extremely valuable information from more personable responses, such as looking at Facebook pages, looking at surveys/questionnaires, or interviews. I had always underestimated the power of media-based research because I felt it was so easy to be deceived and social media. After taking this class I’ve realized there are more professional ways to go about conducting social/media research.

…Sticking to either a linear or non-linear path of conducting research.

I have a hard time sticking to linear paths of conducting research. I often try to take a linear paths when conducting my research and presenting it, however through that process I often forget where I am in the path and naturally end up following a non-linear approach. Sometimes it feels like I am coming up with my research questions, while collecting and interpreting data, while also already having a formulated theory with a minimal amount of findings. This is because I don’t stick to the plan and will sometimes start to back-track. In terms of efficiency this is bad, however I don’t believe it is detrimental to my findings and final results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these reflective prompt questions have helped me formulate a structured reflection on my experience taking OUTD Research Design. Through this structure I have identified my strengths and weakness, and developed a brief plan of how I can improve my research skills. I need to develop my understanding of the interviewing process, research structures, and widen my use of research tools. I address my individuality as an OUTD researcher through sharing my personal preferences of objective and qualitative research on the tourism industry. This course has developed my into a more aware researcher, where as before my research felt more inherent as though I could not improve. I believe I have successfully grown as an outdoor recreational researcher, and set myself up for success in this field of study.

This photo feels appropriate as this was our last OUTD trip of the year (our winter camping trip) and this is my last blog post. It is a picture of us learning first hand the properties of snow and building a quinsy.

[gboutd2511]

Survey On Camping and Multi-use Tools

I chose a survey done by David Jae R. Dacalos, a senior product design student at the University of the Philippines. The survey was asking questions on camping and tools, what kind of outdoor activities I partake in, and what kind of outdoor enthusiast I am. The aim of the survey is that David wishes to create a knife that is based on a balisong knife but is useful and handy while camping. The questions were good and they were broad enough so it was generally easy for me to pick an answer but still specific so that the data David is collecting is still related specifically to multi-use tools. Some of David’s questions did not make sense in terms of how the answers line up with the questions. One question, he asks for “your opinions on butterfly knives” but the answers are only yes, no, and others. It then asks you to explain why you either clicked yes or no. I understand what information David is trying to get from asking these questions, but I think there is a better way to word the question.  My guess is that David is looking to gather qualitative data because most of the survey he is asking about our opinions on multi-use tools, butterfly knives, and outdoor recreation. It is also good he made the survey questions both in English and Cebuano language. 

This survey is focused on outdoor enthusiasts as many of the questions are related to outdoor recreation and how multi-tools are used outdoors. Most of the questions are written well and the answers are guided towards their topic which stops participants from giving answers that will not provide good information. David wanted to find information on camping and the use of knives and other tools and the questions do a good job at getting that information. The survey was relatively short with no useless questions. Overall, the survey was pretty strong other than the poor wording on the one question about “your opinion on butterfly knives”. Some strengths of the survey are that the questions are simple and direct, the survey allows you to write more specific answers for more detailed data, the questions are not directed at a specific audience, organized, and the questions hit all the major points that David was looking to gain from the survey. I think David did a good job at writing and making the survey, it is organized, short and straightforward, while still allowing him to gather qualitative data.          

Link to Survey:

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXERH1mARCabJk_EX0tuo9gJtQtslhG3g1vBLKQzqsCaWEOA/formResponse

[okoutd2511]

I find it interesting how someone comes about wanting to take on a project like this. Why does he want to bring something so unpractical to the outdoors? 

It seems challenging coming from a product design perspective because you have to make it appeal to the target audience which as you said, is “outdoor enthusiasts”. Not really sure what appeal outdoor enthusiasts may find from a butterfly knife, but it sounds like a fun challenge for him.

Do you feel qualitative data was the best choice for David? How might he benefit from taking a more quantitative research position?

I personally believe numerical values would have provided useful information on how desired a product like this would be. You can get ratings of the idea, or how many people desire this product. Do you agree? 

Im about your thoughts on using quantitative data.

Great Blog!

[okoutd2511]

Thunder Bay Museum

https://www.thunderbaymuseum.com/member-survey/

https://www.thunderbaymuseum.com/teachers-survey/

Introduction/Initial Analysis

I chose to review two surveys that were posted by the Thunder Bay Museum because I felt it was relevant considering it’s location, but also considering the purpose of museums is to share historical information. For a museum you would assume they would have effective methods of collecting marketing information, however I feel there are some flaws with how they survey. 

One of the first issues I found was how specific the demographics for the surveys were, and I felt they were missing out on a very large target market. The two surveys they present on their website are titled “Teacher’s Survey” and “Membership Survey”. In order to take these survey’s you have to either be a Teacher, or already be a member. They have no reach to new potential consumers other than by the means of students which isn’t necessarily sustainable (Do the students come back on their own time?).

The goal of the Teacher’s Survey is to help them plan future programs both in-house and online. The purpose of the membership survey is to gain feedback and learn what their members prefer when it comes to new initiatives. At first glance their proposed goals seem very broad and unidirectional, but when I began to analyze the questions that changed.

Teacher’s Survey

1st Question: Did you know that the Thunder Bay Museum offers programming?

I don’t really see what value the responses to this question may hold. The information they would gain is an Idea of how many Teachers already knew that the museum offers programming, and if they did know then they definitely know now. A question that may have provided better information would be something like “Do you know a lot of people interested in Museum Programming?”. Since it’s a teacher, this question could also apply to their students which would give them an idea of potential consumers.

Question 3 and 5: These two questions are very similar, question 3 asks “What sort of programs/topics would you like to see us do and provide?” And Question 5 asks “Which activities would you like to see?” And then provide a multiple choice selection.

- In contrast to the first question, I believe these two are actually quite meaningful. From an academic point of view, they are getting first person preferences one what should be taught to students. They are also getting an idea of what program activities are going to help the museum succeed in an academic setting.

Membership Survey

This survey had a lot of good questions, such as; “What do you feel the Museum should do to improve its exhibits both permanent and virtual?” And “The Museum is investigating bringing in larger traveling exhibits with topics about Canada and the wider world. The goal would be that these exhibits would be of the quality and broad appeal that would generate significant public interest and possibly generate revenue for the Society. Would this be of value to you and would you be willing to pay an additional admission fee to see them?”. A lot of these questions were quite lengthy, similar to the second question here. However, they shared a lot of detail about their intentions and want specific answers that will give them a good idea of wether or not they should go through with certain operations. A lot of the questions were specific to members, but I think the museum could benefit from posting a survey to the public as well.

[demoutd2511]

Engineering Research Presentations

Of all the events at the Research and Innovation Week Conference, I attended the Undergraduate Student Conference Oral Presentations - Session 3. The hour-long session was composed of 4 presentations and was focused on Engineering projects.

The first presentation was about the structure of a two-story building and how it handles different loads. In their research, the loads they considered included snow, wind, and crane load. Wind is one of the only horizontal loads they had to consider. Wind also is a large factor for all buildings, not just tall buildings like the CN tower or the ATAC. They explain how all these different loads would affect the building they were designing. They used something called Etabs to create their design.

The second presentation started with statistics about car-bridge collisions and the fatality rates. Their project was about designing bridge support that would not collapse if it was hit by a car or truck. They explained their research process and all the factors they had to consider. One cool thing they shared was how the car creates vibrations after hitting the supports, similar to earthquakes, and that is what causes all the damage. They also explained the method and systems they used in their design and process. I think this was a good idea, as many people watching might not have known what they were talking about.

The third presentation was on the Slope Stability of the Nipigon River. They started their presentation by defining what a landslide is and then talked about the landslide that occurred along the Nipigon River in the 1990s. They explained the possible causes for that landslide and provided recommendations for each. They think if there had been a Cantilever Retaining Wall that that landslide would haven't occurred. For their project, they designed a retaining wall and picked a good spot farther up the river to place it.

The fourth and final presentation was about a sensor system that could detect when someone had fallen or had a fever. I knew one of the speakers in this presentation; Chris Silver is another RA. Their sensor is located in a room, such as a hospital or nursing home room, or something similar to that size; they programmed the sensor for a room around that size.

One challenge they had to overcome was the technology they were using. Their sensor would send the data to a PSW or nurse, but there was a time delay; so, they are hoping with a better sensor they could get real-time data to help the fallen people faster. They also think with a better sensor, they could program it to ID faces, which would provide better fever readings, along with not signaling on a warm cup of tea, for example. They also showed a video where they demonstrated how their current sensor works and the information the PSWs and nurses would be emailed.

The four projects I saw and learned about were very interesting, but very confusing at points, as I don’t know a lot about engineering. I think all the groups had amazing ideas, designs, and clearly showed their research methods and the time they put into their projects.

References:

LU Engineering Students (2022). Undergraduate Student Conference Oral Presentations - Session 3. Presentation, Lakehead University Research and Innovation Week.

[okoutd2511]

I enjoyed reading your blog this week, I found it very interesting. I’ve wanted to take some civil engineering courses at Lakehead because they all sound so interesting, unfortunately those classes are only for Civil Engineering students. Reading your blog post reminded me a lot of those classes (ex. Road Design, Reinforced Concrete Design). You summarized each presentation very concisely and in a fashionable order. It really seems like you paid attention during the presentation and took a lot out of it which is good considering that was the goal of each of the Research and Innovation talks. I think the sensor is a great idea, but like you said there is the chance of false notifications. 

Based on the presentation and how developed the technology is currently, would you trust this kind of technology to provide you with accurate information?

Also for the slope stability presentation; Did they mention what the outcome was after providing that retaining wall? Maybe any specific results?

Great blog post!

[okoutd2511]

“Strength-Based Strategies for Parents and Educators to Promote Mental Wellness and Resiliencies in Children and Youth”

By Dr. Ed Rawana

The topic being researched is using strengths to build competencies and encourage positive personality development. He focuses on how adults can be a positive influence on children, and how adults are their greatest supporters. Dr. Rawana talks a lot about strength-based education which is the idea of preparing the students to learn compared to teaching them only when they are engaged. He believes that by focusing on individuals strengths it can be the basis for positive development. This includes avoiding forced teachings that aren’t necessary, as well as developing more engaging teachers. Dr. Rawana’s studies don’t end with teachers, he goes on further to explain that parents play a vital role in the engagement and desire to learn developed in children. As parents they are supposed to focus on their strengths instead of maybe forcing their child into an activity they don’t enjoy for example. 

I understand Rowana’s idea behind focusing on developing strengths over weaknesses, but I disagree with such a focused approach. I believe our weakness are equally as valuable in education because it within our weaknesses that we learn the most. Our best learning environment is one that requires interpretation of our weaknesses or uncomfortable stature. This presentation didn’t focus on the research methods what’s so ever, it was hard to fact check because not many references were made. It is difficult to relate it to course content as I expected there to be more information pertaining to his research methods. I will now go on to explain the weaknesses and challenges of this presentations main idea.

Weaknesses

A major weakness is the lack of citation, the statements made about research were broad. I believe the reason this was the case is because he is already well established among Lakehead psychology department. He has a couple of books and research initiatives that students and other facility members are well aware of. There was also a section about the speaker that explained his past, which seemed to have answers about where he may get his information from, however the presentation didn’t really dress these. As a new viewer It was quite easy for me to get lost in the topics of conversation and its relatability. Considering I am a student, I expected this presentation to be more relatable however I feel that may have been the case more so for parents. The presentation could have tried focusing on relating it more to its target audiences.

Challenges

He had challenges showing consistency in his results. Proving mental wellness and resiliences is a very specific study that expects a very specific result. I think he had challenges proving a lot of what he would say as well, the introduction was quite long which seemed to take up a lot time which made him rush information and his results near the end of the presentation.

Successes

He seemed to have a lot of good parenting advice. If I were a parent attending that presentation I feel as though I would have gotten a lot more out of it rather than a student. I think it is important to include both of the demographics he’s researching in that target audience, however he did have some interesting parenting views. He has a boy of his own and made connections from the presentation with his personal life which made it more believable.

[zhoutd2511]

Blog 6 Interview

Who I am interviewing

I would be interviewing a professional red bull athlete who does extreme sports such as cliff jumping. The main reason why I would be so invested in interviewing him is that I enjoy cliff jumping, and I do it a lot. Obviously, I am not as good as a professional, but I would like to learn more about the sport.

My five questions

What got you into cliff jumping?

This question is an introduction question that will give the audience a brief glance into cliff jumping and how an average person who enjoys doing extreme sports started cliff jumping. Follow-up questions to the main one. What sports did you start in as a kid, and how did it transfer into cliff diving?

What type of training do you have to do?

This question is helpful for people who want to start training when they are younger to be able to compete or do crazy jumps when they are older.

What made you choose Red Bull over other extreme sports companies such as Monster?

This question compares why the person chose Red Bull over other extreme sports teams and what is different from other teams, such as the management? The benefits? And the overall team that is associated with cliff jumping.

Do extreme sports help with your well-being and mental health?

This question is vital as extreme sports have been linked to helping with mental health and well-being. The importance of the question is to get a professional who does cliff jumping daily to explain if it does help them at all.

What would you recommend to people who expire to join an extreme sports team and what steps do they need to take to achieve their goal?

This question is more of closure as it provides the viewers with a way for how they can get involved or start training to reach their dreams.

Summary

The goal of the interview is mainly for people who are curious about extreme sports such as cliff jumping as the interview will mention the start-up of a professional. The interview will also ask questions that help people who are interested in joining an extreme sports team, for example, what teams are better to join for cliff jumping. The interview will also cover what a person must do in training to be able to compete. Finally, the most vital question is if mental health and well-being improve when doing an extreme sport.

[okoutd2511]

Hi Zach, very interesting interview idea. Your questions are good at providing lots of information, however a lot of the information are things that could most likely be found through some secondary research. I think “What made you choose Red Bull over other extreme sports companies such as Monster?” is a great question because it is personal to the person being interviewed, it gives a personal outlook on one of the subjects of your research. I feel the purpose of interviews is to acquire information that can generally only be found from the person being interviewed, or those in close relation to that person. The only major change would be the question:

“What types of training do you have to do?” into; “What routines do you have that help you improve at cliff jumping?” - This makes it more personal, and less about the necessary training that all cliff jumpers need to know.

All around a good idea with strong objectives for information retrieval. I have a question for you, what personally makes you so interested in cliff jumping?

and how can you relate that reason to why professionals got into the sport?

Thats all from me, great post!

[okoutd2511]

Interviewing Members of the Inter-Mural Hockey Teams for their Point of View on Skate Trails

Who: I will be interviewing Nick Spanyi, the captain/coach of the Inter-mural hockey team.

Why: Because of his experience in kinesiology, playing hockey, and frequent participation within the schools athletic communities. He can give an interesting perspective on the appeal of skate-trails and how he feels they benefit communities.

Interview Questions:

Have you ever heard of or seen a skate-trail before? - With this question I hope to gain an idea of how well-known skate-trails are within our schools athletic community. I am trying to see if skate-trails are ever talked about or been used by members of primarily the schools hockey community.

Do you see the appeal of skate-trails? If so, what is so appealing? If not, why might you think other people find it appealing? - Asking about the appeal answers one of the most pressing objectives of the interview. This was a necessary question to ask in order to obtain the perspective I was looking for. It is an adaptive question and works whether the answer is yes or no.

How does Hockey benefit communities? How would you compare skate-trails to hockey in terms of impact on communities? - This question allows me to understand how legitimate someone from the Hockey community might feel skate-trails are. He may be unaware of how huge skate-trails are in Ontario, examples include places such as the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, or Bentway in Toronto.

What importance do you feel accessibility has on the success of a recreational organization? - This question ties into one of the main subjects covered in our podcast. We talk about how accessible the skate-trails are, and the importance behind that accessibility. The goal is to make the question seem unrelated to the topic of skate-trails to get a more general answer at first. We can then narrow down the specificity of the question and compare the two answers to get either a differing or similar perspective.

How much potential do you believe Skate-Trails have to be successful? - This is a follow up question to the last. By asking the last two questions in this order, I hope for him to factor accessibility into the equation of success without me directly telling him to do so. This will prove his answer in the 4th question even further (unless there is a chance he gives completely different answers which can make for intriguing data).

Summary:

The goal of this interview was to get an idea of how athletes view skate-trails, and whether or not skate-trails is something that would appeal to the athletic demographic. This is meant to prove that skate-trails are much more than a leisurely stroll through the park. 

I was also hoping to use this interview almost as an advertisement for why you should visit skate-trails. By showing the excitement of an experienced hockey player, and displaying the popularity of the recreation; this can entice athletes to give skate-trails a try. I wanted to use questions that had a lot of depth, and could be answered in many ways. This was because I am not looking for a specific answer. What I am looking for is a genuine response that can give me topics of discussion I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. 

The first question is an opener to give us an idea of how immersed in the skate-trail community Nick may already be. From the answer to the first question, we can make our responses accordingly to continue the discussion, for example; If he says that he has seen skate-trails before we can ask follow up questions such as “did you participate in the activity?” Or “how do you know about them?”. 

The second questions is the crux of the interview in order to find out what makes skate-trails more appealing. A few topics of discussion in our podcast assignment include how accessibility effects the skate-trails, and the impact skate-trails have on its local community. The last few questions pertain to those two topics and give us first person information to consider when conducting our podcast research.

[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 

[okoutd2511]

Wow! I would have never thought there would be the chance of seeing a Lynx here in Thunder Bay. I know that they are incredibly cautious of people and are difficult to spot, but I was unaware that they are here in the Thunder Bay area. 

I like how straight forward your blog is to reflect the structure of the article you’re reviewing, it makes it easy to follow and more interesting. I totally agree that Dean is qualified to give valuable knowledge on the situation, I also believe that his knowledge is reputable because of his professionalism in the topic. He has proof of his active engagement with the trapline to show his level of experience, which can often times be more valuable than the degree itself.

Im curious for you opinion on the matter.

Do you feel like it is a good idea to introduce this new predator to the ecosystem of Thunder Bay? What possible repercussions could occur? What benefits may occur?

I ask these questions because it may be very exciting knowing about the arrival this wild cat in our area, however, we should probably still consider the reasons why these Lynx may be in Thunder Bay. Do you believe Thunder Bay is ready to support a possibly growing Lynx population in the future? Im also curious to know what drove this newfound population of Lynx to Thunder Bay, and where they came from. What is your opinion on this idea?

Overall I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week, it was a very interesting topic because it is so closely related to our location of study.

I hope to see a Lynx myself one of these days now! (Preferably not too up close)

[okoutd2511]

Tourism during and after COVID-19: An Expert-Informed Agenda for Future Research; a Critical Evaluation by Owen Keeler

A. George Assaf, Florian Kock, Mike Tsionas

Introduction / Key Message

The article I am critically reviewing is called “Tourism during and after COVID-19: An Expert-Informed Agenda for Future Research” by A. George Assaf, Florian Kock, and Mike Tsionas. I chose this article to review because I feel it is relevant to the course and the current global situation. The articles goal is to address the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global tourism industry by surveying 3 distinct questions to the industries academic experts;

1. What potential future topics are needed to address the impact of COVID-19 on tourism?

2. What existing research areas/topics will become more relevant?

3. What changes are recommended for better data collection?

The key message of this article was an agenda they formed for tourism research post-COVID-19. The agenda can be summarized into 6 different considerations when conducting research on tourism; consumer behaviour, demand and performance modelings, forecasting, destination and facility management, informational technology, and quality of life and sustainability. They then provide steps on how you can apply this agenda to your research. The authors then attempt to back up their informational suggestions with bold claims but hardly any references to original/primary research.

This I will touch on later.

Research Methods and Resources

The 3 sources listed under the article are other research articles conducted by the same authors. The 3 articles are related to the Coronavirus, tourism paradigm, and developing research Ideas. When you look at the sources for those articles, they are all secondary resources posted from credible peer review articles such as Google Scholar or Wiley Online Library.

We can tell by the order the information is presented in the article that they took a nonlinear path of conducting research. It begins by presenting indisputable information and a couple of posing questions. They present no theory, instead it is an observation of the impacts of COVID-19 on tourism industries.

Through these observations, they achieved 19 responses from different experts on the topic. This information formed an idea of necessary actions required to recover the global tourism industry and increase sustainability for future pandemics/viruses.

Concerns About the Research

For a research article that claims to get it’s conclusions from experts, it does not references who those experts are specifically. There are very limited amounts of in-text citations for claims that are being made by the proposed primary research method. It is also concerning that the sources mentioned only lead to other written articles, this means there is no validation for who they conducted their surveys to and what they are experts in.

I believe the research questions could have been given some more consideration. I don’t feel that they met the criteria of clear, focused, or concise. The questions also weren’t very complex, nor did the spark any possible argument to be made or point to be proven. It was a survey that was conducted with no clear desired outcome.

Conclusion

The research topic was really intriguing and the information provided was interesting (it would have been more interesting with better backing). There were a lot of ideas that were unique and deserve some consideration, however there are a lot of flaws in the presentation of their information that impact the seriousness of this article. There are many limitations on the research proposal (because of limited information on COVID-19), there are hardly any outside sources or in-text citation, and the lack of specifics takes away from the professionalism of the writing.

Citation

Assaf, Kock, F., & Tsionas, M. (2022). Tourism during and after COVID-19: An Expert-Informed Agenda for Future Research. Journal of Travel Research, 61(2), 454–457. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211017237

[gboutd2511]

The Ultimate Showdown

Something that has been on my mind a lot recently has been if I could successfully beat a kangaroo in an MMA fight. I always see pictures and videos of kangaroos looking all tough hopping around flexing their jacked biceps and ripped abs. Kangaroos think they are all that just because they can throw a few punches, but really I don’t think they are all that tough.  That is why I think I could beat a kangaroo in an MMA fight. 

Since this is a research class, I figured I would do some research into this scenario. Firstly, we have the underdog in this fight, which is the kangaroo. Some facts about the kangaroo to take into consideration for the fight are: Kangaroos are illiterate, kangaroos can process their food without producing methane, kangaroos hop because they have to, kangaroos don’t sweat, kangaroos can’t move backward, kangaroos can use their tail as a third leg, kangaroos are mainly left-handed and they weigh around 90kg with a top speed of 56km/h. I then researched the kangaroo’s opponent, which was myself. Some facts about me to consider for the fight are: I don’t have to hop for transportation, I can tie a shoelace, I can make a coin appear behind someone’s ear, I can skip a rock more than 3 times on the water, and I have successfully slain the ender dragon multiple times. 

After looking at the information, most people would assume that the odds are very against the kangaroo. The kangaroo may have some hard punches, but with my spidey reflexes, I could counteract the punches. Understanding that kangaroos are dominantly left-handed, I would be able to easily expose the kangaroo knowing the more powerful punches are coming from the left arm. I think we could all agree that if it was a boxing match, the kangaroo would have me beat easily. The reason why I think I stand a better chance in an MMA match is that it allows me to throw the saucey moves that I couldn’t do if I was boxing. I would describe kangaroos fighting style like a wild boar while my style is more like a majestic gazelle. 

Kangaroos roam around Australia like they are a bunch of gangsters who get what they want for beating people up in a boxing match. But a kangaroo would not know what to do if they got challenged to an MMA fight especially by me. 

In conclusion, based on the facts I have collected. I believe that after a close match, I would be able to beat a kangaroo in an MMA fight simply because I am superior intellectually, I am better looking, and I doubt the kangaroo has slain the Ender dragon as many times as I have.  

Who do you think would win in an MMA fight a Kangaroo or Griffin? 

   Photo: Vice

  15 fun facts about kangaroos. The Fact Site. (2021, March 17). Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.thefactsite.com/kangaroo-facts/

Kangaroo facts! National Geographic Kids. (2020, June 2). Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/kangaroo-facts/

[okoutd2511]

Sorry Griff but I have to disagree, I don’t believe you would be able to beat a Kangaro in an MMA match. Unfortunately the random list of skills you have will do you no good in the ring. It would also be quite difficult to have the kangaroo abide by the rules of an MMA fight, the kangaroo could bite, claw, low blows, back of the head, all while you’re following the rules putting yourself at a disadvantage. I think your best bet at defeating a kangaroo is in a street fight.

In a street fight, you can use those random skills of yours creatively enough to have an effect, lets take your magic for an example. Perhaps you could bring a coin to pull from behind the kangaroo’s ear, this may confuse the kangaroo allowing you to land a cheap shot. You could also take your rock throwing skills and skip a rock at the kangaroo from a distance, or maybe your limited Minecraft experience might help you out. There are much more opportunities for you to win in a street fight, which is why I believe you should reconsider you MMA match with a kangaroo.

[okoutd2511]

Nordic Ski Trip

Last Friday OSAT II took the students on a day-long Nordic Ski trip to Kamview Nordic Center. It was a ton of fun since I hadn’t been on ski’s since middle school. Im used to skateboarding and snowboarding so hopping on ski’s was a totally new experience for me. 

I learned a lot about the technique of Cross-country skiing, for example; I didn’t know there was different types of wax for the purpose of grip underneath the foot section of the ski. The purpose of this was so we could push down on one foot for grip against the snow, push off, and launch onto our other foot to create a gliding motion. This was very similar to skateboarding in a sense, except in skateboarding you’re pushing with one foot at all times whereas cross-country skiing you alternate skis. This took some getting used to since I predominately push with my right food. Turning was also difficult because of the position of your body when curving. Since in skiing you face the direction you are moving in, I found turning was way more in the knees; on a skateboard or snowboard you turning by leaning in the direction you want to go.

I fell a lot and was extremely sore by the end of the day but I had a blast. It was an incredible work out, especially in the thigh muscles. 

Is this something I would do again? 

I definitely would try this again, maybe at a different skiing centre. I found it was very hilly terrain and going up hill can be somewhat frustrating. Im not sure if this is a sport I would get into consistently; my interests still lay on the board. If I am riding on snow, I would prefer it be on a board. I would still definitely do this again sometime, just for another day trip and to get a good leg workout in.

If you’re into different types of cardio, I definitely recommend checking out the Kamview Nordic Center.

- picture of Kamview Nordic Center Kamview Nordic Centre, 27 Jan. 2022, https://www.tbnordictrails.com/trails/kamview-nordic-centre/. 

[sick-not-tired]

Women’s Outdoor Apparel: In Historical Context

If I had the opportunity to conduct a research project with unlimited funds, I would do it on the history of women’s outdoor gear. Historical Fashion has always fascinated me, and in recent years my attention has been drawn to the severe gaps that remain in outdoor gear and apparel aimed toward women. For instance, there is an ongoing joke between my friends and I (that has proved true many a time) that all financially accessible women’s outdoor apparel companies only make outdoor wear in the colours black, fuchsia, or teal. Historically, women’s active and outdoors wear has always been a few steps behind that of men.

For example, in 1943 most male sports players were fighting overseas in World War 2, and Philip Wrigley formed the All-American Girls Professional Baseball team, on which the players wore a one-piece skirted uniform as opposed to pants. Women were meant to “look like ladies, but play like gentlemen” (Porter, 2020). From my 11 years playing Softball, I can tell you that sliding into home with anything less than full length pants and sliding pads will leave you with some very unladylike scars. 

Dorothy “Dottie” Kamenshek, First Basemen for the Rockford Peaches jumping to catch a ball in her uniform, from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, from:  https://www.enidnews.com/news/league-of-their-own-women-baseball-players-together-again/article_aa96deac-d474-5e3e-8fa6-9443f239aa89.html

In another example, the 19th century and industrial revolution led to much more expendable income in families and led to more women joining their husbands in outdoor pursuits like yachting and mountain climbing. MacIntosh rubberized-cotton raincoats were patented in 1823 and became quite popular in 1830 following their roll-out to military men, but the popularization of waterproof outerwear for women and subsequent design of fashionable styles would not come until the 1880s and 1890s (Shepard, 2012).

If I had unlimited resources, I would do a deep dive into the history of women’s outdoor wear from woolen shawls and tunics to Helly Hansen Jackets, complete with trips to fashion museums to view extant garments, conversations with historians and modern garment makers, and a look into why so many gaps between men’s and women’s outdoor wear exists.

Ethically, this project would ideally not be a large undertaking. It would focus mainly on compiling existent research and speaking with experts only on the basis of their past research and findings, so factors like engagement with vulnerable persons, power imbalances, and most risk factors would likely be easier to avoid. However, there is always economic and social risks to these experts should they speak ill of their institutions or design companies, so this would need to be addressed. Of course, free and informed consent is also a factor in these interviews, as is respecting participant privacy.

This research would be proposed as a way to help outdoor gear and apparel companies better connect to the wants and needs of outdoorswomen, and as a way to bridge the gap between fashion design and user practicality. It would help gear companies and women by furthering the conversation around past and current inequities between men’s and women’s ability to access the outdoors. It would help expedition leaders and companies in better addressing the gear needs of women who enter their programs.

Reference List:

Porter, M. (2011, March 27). When women ruled baseball: The AAGPBL. HowTheyPlay. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://howtheyplay.com/team-sports/When-Girls-Ruled-Baseball

Shephard, A. J. (2012). Waterproof dress : An exploration of development and design from 1880 through 1895. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 30(3). https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/6182

[okoutd2511]

Hi Morgan,

I think this is a great example of an invisible knapsack in our program that I haven’t heard anyone speak on. Going through outdoor recreation courses, each one has professors speaking on the importance of what you wear during outdoor activities; none have really addressed the differences in options or quality of outdoor apparel between men and women.

It is easy to overlook a social equity issue like this because the value of clothing and outdoor equipment can be underestimated. I think your research would shine light on how far outdoor and sports equipment has come. Now a days, a lot of outdoor equipment is specific to men or woman, for example; women specific sleeping bags are insulated differently to account for the differences in heat loss.

I tried looking up women’s sports uniforms to get a better idea of the differences, and right off the bat I noticed something concerning. All of the pictures and top links were connected to sex apparel. Why is it that we are sexualizing women’s sports? It is clear that this has been an ongoing issue throughout history, looking at your example of Dorothy Kamenshek we see that companies value the look over the efficiency of their products. In short, I feel that the over-sexualization of women in general is a very big barrier between equality for men and women. Sexualizing women sports does no good for the professionalism of the leagues or industry.

I just wanted to elaborate on a quote you mentioned earlier in your blog. "Look like ladies, play like gentlemen” (Porter, 2020), I am curious about your opinion on this quote; 

What do you believe is the true meaning?

And what do you think is the goal of saying that statement?

[okoutd2511]

My Ultimate Research Project

Breakdown

My focus of research would be on the influences that social class has on climate change, and the effects that climate change would have on social class. This would include researching the degree of environmentalism among upper compared to lower class citizens, and what effects climate change would have on those groups. This would also include the ethics behind government decisions, and how legislature takes advantage of natural resources.

This research project would be exploring the ethics behind human motivations, and how those less effected by the environment are less motivated to prevent climate change. By analyzing information on government funding directories, donation services provided to the public, and other socioeconomic factors related to climate change, we can gain a wider scope of how motivated the general public is to do something about climate change. I think the biggest barrier to solving our global climate crisis is ignorance; we do not understand the scale of how serious the problem, therefor we have trouble caring about it as much as we should.

Proposal

The way I would propose this research project is of urgency and fear. The true effects of climate change are real, serious, and within the next 15 years. It has been clear from the start that the sooner we deal with this issue the better, however nothing has been done; we still burn just as many fossil fuels, the amount of government focus on electric vehicles is still very small, and there is little monitoring of international waters.

The goal would be to debunk common conspiracies about climate change while bringing awareness and forcing urgency for reduction in consumption of environmentally damaging products.

Who would this benefit?

A project like this would benefit those living in poverty, coastal areas, or places heavily dependent on nature. Realistically it would benefit everyone in the long-run, however in the short run it would be difficult. An immediate change in consumption would put a lot of people out of a job; companies would go under considering the economy for every country would be effected negatively.

However,

We have the capabilities and technology to slowly transition into an electric powered society, except the government funding to push the use of electric power is lacking. The EV industry is completely monopolized, people should be advocating for new EV companies which would create a steady market. More companies focused on environmentally friendly products results in new jobs to replace old ones.

In summary, transitioning between carbon consuming industries to environmental friendly ones is extremely difficult but possible. By shifting our demand to help our planet, companies will do the same by creating a supply to meet that demand.

Me as a researcher 10 years from now

I hope me as a researcher 10 years from now has connections and first person experiences to pull information out of. I hope to be experienced and have met many people with valuable information (similar to many podcasts with guests). Nard Wuar is a great example of the type of researcher I would wish to be. He has information that no one else is able to gather because of his connections and diligence in his research. I couldn’t imagine being as great of a researcher as Nard Wuar, but I can strive to be just as credible. 

This is Nard Wuar. 

Photo from Wikipedia.

[tgoutd2511]

Surviving 70 years in the Siberian Wilderness

Prompt:

Outline the case study (who, what, where, when, why, how). Identify the research techniques being employed - to the best of your ability at this point in the term. Determine the invisible backpack of the documentary filmmaker – as best you can. Comment on whether this is directly identified or somehow noted in the film. Describe some key ethics considerations that were made in the production of this film and how they might have been addressed. 

If you were given the same opportunity (to both research the family and to communicate your findings to a larger audience of peers), how would you approach this research assignment? Outline your own identity and “who” you are as a student researcher approaching this topic. What are some key ethical considerations you might have and how might you address them?

Response:

The case study in question highlights the life of 70-year-old Agafia Lykov who was born into the Siberian wilderness. Agafia was born into the off-grid lifestyle in 1944 after her family of Old Believers fled Russia seeking refuge from the dangers of Stalin in 1936. Her family survived in the wilderness 160 km from the nearest city for 40 years with no contact to the outside world. Life was by no means easy in this harsh wilderness; Agafia’s mother starved to death in 1961 in order to feed her four children. When they were finally discovered by a group of geologists in 1978, illness was passed on to the family and took the life of Agafia’s three siblings. Her father passed in 1988 leaving her alone in the mountains for 25 years until one of the geologists moved into a cabin down the hill from her.

Agafia Lykov photographed by Alexander Ryumin / TASS  https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/11/11/famed-siberian-hermit-agafya-lykova-gets-billionaires-help-ahead-of-harsh-winter-a72014 

The video was made in 2013 sponsored by North Face and was a collaborative effort between Americans and Russian employees of Vice. The filmmakers carry with them an invisible backpack that goes unnoted in the film. The backpack includes large amounts of funding that allowed the filmmaking process to take place. The funding allowed them to fly in by helicopter during the winter rather than experience the 7-day canoe trip that’s possible in the summer. They were able to bring expensive cameras and camping gear in order to document Agafia’s life and live along side her for a brief time. The filmmakers also have the privilege of returning home after the trip while they leave Agafia behind to continue living her day-to-day life in the wilderness. Although this case study is only possible out of the kindness of Agafia, it seems that she has very little to gain from the experience in comparison to the filmmakers who are being financially compensated for their work. Despite being given a goat and rooster, it seemed that the chance of visitors transferring disease poses more risk than reward to Agafia. The privilege of the filmmakers in this situation should not go unnoted.

The filmmakers utilized interviews with Agafia as well as direct observation of her daily life to collect information. This is primarily qualitative research as discussed in class. In regard to key ethics considerations made in this film, we are left largely in the dark. They failed to provide a lot of background information regarding how the film took place to begin with and how they received consent from Agafia to visit, film, ask intimate questions, leave abruptly, and then share her story with the entire world. It is clear that she has been a part of numerous studies over the years, but it isn’t clear if she enjoys the attention or fears it due to her family’s history. They directly addressed this danger, but then failed to mention any precautions they were taking to keep Agafia safe during their visit.

If I was making this film, I would make sure to visit in the summer months when it’s less work for Agafia to have visitors. It’s unclear exactly how the crew survived while they were out there and how much Agafia provided for them (food, water, firewood, etc.). This also would have allowed them to stay for a shorter or longer period of time to film depending on what Agafia wanted. Having the helicopter leave them and only return at a set time seems like it could be very restricting to both Agafia and the filmmakers. I also would have taken precautions to avoid transferring illness to Agafia and then made that process very transparent in the film. I am curious to know what other students may have done if they had the chance to research and document the life of such a unique person like Agafia Lykov. 

References

The Moscow Times. (2022, January 24). Famed siberian hermit gets billionaire’s help ahead of harsh winter. The Moscow Times. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/11/11/famed-siberian-hermit-agafya-lykova-gets-billionaires-help-ahead-of-harsh-winter-a72014

VICE. (2013, April 9). Surviving in the siberian wilderness for 70 years (full length) [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68

- Tait

[okoutd2511]

Invisible Backpack Response

I hand’t taken into consideration the invisible backpack given their financial situation. During the film I had quickly pondered on how it was so easy for them to purchase a goat and chicken for her. They could have possibly provided more for her, however given her living habits she doesn’t seem to need much.

Unaddressed questions

You brought up some great questions, such as “what does she get out of agreeing to this” and “does she enjoy this kind of attention”. The filmmakers didn’t focus on getting information information that only Agafia is able to provide. Due to the nature of the open ended questions, there was no direction in terms of the information they were trying to obtain. I had originally thought the open-ended questions were good, however after reading your response I realize that maybe their interviews could have been conducted more professionally (especially given their funding).

I am also curious about how much Agafia provided for the filmmakers, and vice versa. I think it would be very irresponsible to expect her to feed them, I would assume they brought their own food and resources.

How I would have conducted the research and presentation

I think focusing too much on the topic of research can have it flaws as you ignore presenting the information on how you conducted you research. I believe that showing how you got your information is much more important than the actual answers you receive. Every math teacher has always told me to show my steps, I was surprised to see little information on the steps they took.

Considering the background information was things you can find on the internet, I wouldn’t have spent as much time talking about the past. I would have used that time to talk about the documentary practices being used.

My goal would differ from that of the filmmakers because I would strive towards quality over quantity, I am afraid that the quality of information they received was not substantial enough to prove their thesis.

[okoutd2511]

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years *Documentary

Who: The lykov family

What: Observing how Agafia Lykov has survived for 70 years in a rough conditioned remote area

Where: Russia, Siberia, taiga

When: First half of documentary 1936 - 1944, second half 1944 - 2013

Why: Because there are not many people now a days who live of the land the way Agafia does, especially individuals who are open to interviews and cameras. Trying to share her way of life.

How: By recording and using standard research methods to attain information

Research Techniques:

The main research technique being used in this case study is Inquiries based in a natural setting. This research technique is a mix between two others known as observation and interviewing. It includes the field-visit research method which involves going to the area of research and interviews that provide us with first person research. They do a good job posing open-ended questions that result in a lot of information being given through the stories told by Agafia.

Invisible Backpack

There is definitely an invisible knapsack involving the convenience that is taken for granted in the urban areas. It is easy to forget how many different resources we have within our reach, Agafia is forced to craft, forage, or trade in order to get any of her essential needs. There are no companies she can call to shovel her roof or area. She also has no money to purchase anything from an urban area.

They don’t really address much about any challenges she has faced as a woman in the Taiga, other than when learning about her relationship with Yerofei. It is assumed that because he is the only man in the area and her the only woman that they must have had a fling. It is a bit of a rude assumption and I don’t understand how her past love life relates to the goal of the video. I believe there are other assumptions made about their relationship however its hard to make out exactly what the filmmaker was trying to achieve with the questions posed in the interviews between Yerofei and Agafia.

Ethics

They talk about some ethically questioning scenarios such as how Agafia had lost her family. Her family had died to pneumonia that was allegedly contracted from geologists who had came to visit her home. The interviewer asks if she blames them for her family death, it was clear that a part of her did, but it was also apparent that she had forgiven them and moved on. Despite everything she has gone through (escaping the oppression of Stalin, mother starving to death, and losing the rest of her family), Agafia remains grateful and content with the life she has.

Considering her family has passed away due to outsiders visiting her home, does it seem ethical for these filmmakers to be conducting their interviews while living with her? They never addressed what made Agafia agree to having them live on her property, or why she would allow outsiders. I feel this was a posing ethical question that was left unanswered.

My Own Research Method

I personally feel the best way to research different cultures is to visit the area of research as a participant. It is still important to have questions ready, but living with Agafia and experiencing her everyday life first hand makes for good observation information. This illustrates a proper understanding of what is needed to be done in order to survive the Taiga. A good example of this type of research method is the documentary “Departures” by Scot Wilson and Justin Lukach. They visit different places around the world participating in their cultures and way of life to build relationships and connections while collecting information.

This is the thumbnail for the show for anyone curious: