What you really need to know about conducting field research in training and development

✍ Scribed by Lisa A. Burke

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 796 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1044-8004
• DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.3920070408

✦ Synopsis

When I embarked 04 my first piece of field research-a field experiment dealing with the transfer of training-I felt that I was armed with knowledge of research methods and fully capable of conducting a sound, empirical study. But then I hit a brick wall: the actual experience! Since that time, I have become thoroughly convinced that the nuts and bolts of conducting field research are given short shrift in research design literature and course work. Indeed, one of the more important outcomes of that field experiment was the accumulation of knowledge that I can now pass on to others.

Unfortunately, students participating in research design courses, and in particular academics in their doctoral education, are often exposed only to traditional methods textbooks that discuss field research in a very sterile fashion (for example, . Although established methods texts are undoubtedly useful and necessary in helping the novice understand research methodology and critical concepts such as validity, generalizability, and reliability, they do a poor job of preparing one to go out into the field and actually conduct a study This article intends to help meet this need and stems from the multitude of lessons I learned in conducting field research. When conducting a field research project, all begnners should be aware of and proactively address the eleven steps discussed here and listed in Figure . Numerous suggestions are provided to ensure the successful execution of each step. It is my hope that this information will be helpful to anyone conducting a research project in cooperation with a field organization, and particularly to novice researchers performing experimental research in the area of training and development.