We're thrilled to welcome you to the new Sage Research Methods Community. Our dedication to offering the global research community open-access resources and a supportive peer network for knowledge sharing remains unwavering. Formerly known as the Methods Minute newsletter, the Sage Research Methods News will now bring you highlights of new posts and keep you informed about upcoming community events. This transition strengthens our connection to the Sage Research Methods platform, enabling us to showcase a wealth of open and library sources, along with contributions from our extensive network of authors, editors, and subject matter experts.

The new year kicks off with a focus on the initial stages of a social research project: Aligning Purpose and Design. We'll explore fundamental questions: what will we study, why, and how? How do we identify research needs and define problems, questions, and/or hypotheses? We tackle these design steps by first thinking about power dynamics that can inform how such decisions are made. Who decides which problems merit study? Whose priorities are represented - or missing? If we want to involve stakeholders or community members, what roles should they play? On Sage Research Methods Community you'll find new posts, links to relevant articles, and media to help you think about how to answer these questions in the context of your own research.

Content from around our Community:

• Who identifies research problems?

  Janet Salmons, Research Community Manager for SAGE Methodspace, initiates the exploration of research design by questioning who defines research problems. This quarter's focus aims to uncover how researchers perceive issues, establish their significance, and align them with study objectives. The narrative emphasizes engagement with stakeholders, echoing the principles of Van de Ven's "engaged scholarship," which advocates for collaborative knowledge creation. The text offers various methodologies, from informed research to design/evaluation research, stressing the importance of understanding stakeholders' perspectives in defining relevant research problems.

• Finding Researchable Problems

  Janet Salmons, PhD, Research Community Manager for SAGE Methodspace, delves into the challenges of research design's initial steps, particularly identifying study bases. She offers insights from Booth, Columb, and Williams' classic text, stressing the importance of a focused topic and guiding readers through key questions to clarify research problems. Various open-access articles further explore problem formulation.

• The Importance of Being Disruptive: On Decolonising Creative Research Methods

  Caroline Lenette, author and keynote speaker at the International Creative Research Methods Conference, advocates for disruptive approaches to decolonizing creative research methods. With expertise in arts-based and participatory action research, Lenette emphasizes the importance of challenging traditional research paradigms for more inclusive and ethical research practices.

• Design Strategy: How to Choose a Qualitative Research Design

  In a Methodspace presentation hosted by Janet Salmons, Dr. Linda Bloomberg and Dr. Janet Boberg explore the critical decision points in qualitative research design. They emphasize aligning design choices with the study's purpose and demonstrate how each choice sets the stage for subsequent decisions. Their strategic approach helps researchers navigate the complexities of qualitative methodology.
  

• Epistemological Questions in Indigenous Research

  This collection curated by Janet Salmons, PhD, delves into the intersection of Indigenous and Western epistemologies in research methodologies. Articles explore Indigenous frameworks like Wairua and Talanoa, offering insights into incorporating Indigenous perspectives and methodologies into research practices while navigating tensions between traditional and Western approaches.

• Ethics and Engagement with Stakeholders: Interview with Prof. Lesley Wood

  Janet Salmons, PhD, explores the value of engagement with stakeholders in research design, referencing Andrew Van de Ven's concept of "engaged scholarship." Professor Lesley Wood, experienced in participatory research, discusses ethical considerations and misconceptions in community-based research. Resources from the UNESCO Chair on Community Based Research are recommended for further exploration.

• Research Stages: A 2023 Recap  

  In 2023, we dissected the social research journey, from conception to dissemination, over four quarters. The platform showcased 32 videos exploring research stages, with a focus on tried-and-true methods and emerging trends. Content included guest posts, interviews, and resources, inviting feedback to enhance user experience. Take a glance back at last year’s content.

Content coming in 2024:

In 2024, Sage Research Methods Community presents a year-long series of resources and interactive webinars aimed at enhancing research skills and knowledge sharing. Each quarter focuses on a distinct theme: Quarter 2 delves into data collection with online methods and digital tools, Quarter 3 explores conducting research across boundaries, and Quarter 4 emphasizes writing research and reaching readers, including participation in Academic Writing Month in November. Our community can engage in free webinars tailored to each theme, covering topics such as online research ethics, interdisciplinary research, and academic publishing practices.