Final Reflection

In research you have the possibility to accomplish something that will make an impact and that will generate new knowledge. What is knowledge? It is a question worth to reflect upon in the start-up, in all different types of research.

Though there are frameworks and rules you have to conform to in order to make a valid research.

But there are also many different ways to accomplish a research. Depending what field and which subject you intend to investigate there are different theory frameworks and different methods suitable for that area. Or when we want to explore a phenomenon that is specific or one of a kind, we can apply a case study research and build theory upon that study.

A scientific theory starts as a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an idea that hasn't been proven yet. If enough evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, it becomes known as a theory in the scientific method and becomes accepted as a valid explanation of a phenomenon.

Every different method gives their own perspective. With this in mind it is also most possible to develop own theories and methods and combine the different standards if the aim is to cover the question you are examining. Methods can be considered as tools with properties of which we can use in order to conduct a research.

As a researcher it is important to distance yourself from the subject and not project your own prejudices and emotions on the subject of matter. Either you want to do a qualitative or a quantitative study or even a combination.

There are many elements that can influence a research such as social influences, cultural attitudes and behaviours. Both your own background and the participants, if you choose to include such in your study.

In studies that include human involvement it is important to keep in mind that perception is always subjective. The comprehension of a phenomenon is personal.

The complexity of time and space is always present but maybe more in social science studies. In qualitative studies you will get a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. While quantitative studies can provide data that can be generalizable. The data itself is not knowledge. It is the result of the analysis that will contribute to new knowledge. Different methods fulfill different aims. In combining them you can safe up to cover many perspectives. By working iterative and to be flexible facilitate fault finding in a research process.

When people have different educational backgrounds such as social science, communication or engineering the view on knowledge differ quite much. The integration of the abstract and the philosophical part with a more structured method and case studies are very important. Then we can learn to understand where everyone else are coming from what they mean and our communication with each other will improve.

The course has going through different concepts which has been developed through different historical epoques. All has been important in order to be able to understand method and theory on a more fundamental and deeper point of view. It all points towards what the human species has accomplished by research and testing. The nominalistic movement and the enlightenment shows how we as human try something out, an idea or thought and makes it to a practise until we find out that it was not as good as it was supposed to be, it actually became worse or did not make any impact at all. Then we revise, rethink and move on. We test our abilities and break boundaries.

What has been most significant to recognize is that media technology is a combination of the natural sciences and the social humanities. The systems that are build upon raw data and logic must be translated into understandable interfaces that are usable for humans and easy to maneuver.

This requires an understanding in how humans think and act. While systems themselves are complex and are optimized by iterative processes. Even though you won't get a desired result in the end of a research the process itself can generate new knowledge. Or it can be a foundation to further studies and research.

It is very enlightening to read other papers. To see and reflect on others mistakes and accomplishments you can more easily plan and design your own research.

In many cases the process itself is the knowledge generating part. Many time researchers fail to conclude an improvement or a solution. But the documented way to get there can display many other things that we have not reflected upon before.

Technology makes it both easier and more complex when we conduct a research. We are provided with a range of tools that hasn't been available earlier before. With the technological advancements we need to consider if we are using them right and if we understand what we are doing. When doing research in technology with technology makes it even more complex and this is a meta form which will evolve further during our time of  studies.

Knowledge is therefore a familiarity, awareness or understanding of an object. It can come in any form such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills and is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering or learning.