What’s in a name? And why CMT Accessible Research?
I have long been interested in the intersection between research and practice, particularly in the area of education, technology and change, and pretty much since I embarked on postgraduate studies way back in 2000. First completing my Master of Education in Educational Computing part-time whilst I was teaching in a primary school setting, and then my PhD which I also completed part-time whilst working in the higher education sector, in both teaching and research positions. My PhD focused on technology-related initiatives, leadership and change processes in education settings. It is certainly a dynamic area which continues to evolve rapidly, providing both challenges and opportunities.
For me, practice and research have always been very closely entwined, but what do we actually mean when we say ‘at the intersection of research and practice’, or what does the phrase ‘research-practice nexus’ mean when it is used?
If we take the phrases literally, it means where research and practice meet or it can refer to the connection/s between them. But how the connection or link is enacted/realised or what it looks like in reality can vary substantially. Sometimes a connection can be tokenistic, making a forced link because there is an expectation that there should one to serve a particular purpose. Sometimes it is a very vague connection between some practice somewhere and a piece of research from somewhere else, and if you look at it from some obscure angle, squinting whilst leaning to your right, you might just be able to make out the link. I’m being facetious of course, but you get my drift.
Some argue that research comes first to then inform practice, whilst others argue challenges and opportunities in practice drive research agendas. Personally, I don’t think it matters too much, it is perhaps a bit of a chicken and egg scenario, but I do reflect on some key considerations when I think about the intersection of research and practice. These include, the identified/defined problem, the need, curiosity, innovation, ethics, including biases and sound design and these can arise from agendas in research, in practice, or both.
Perhaps most importantly for me is that research when conducted is accessible, relatable, and translatable/useable, especially for those who may be able to benefit from it. This means that research may need to be communicated in different ways to ensure that the messaging, evidence/findings are conveyed in a way that best meets the needs of target audiences and users of the research. So hence, the inclusion of Accessible Research in my business name.
Now to the CMT part of my business name. Whilst some of you may have guessed that these letters could be my initials (which they are), there is coincidently another reference, one which is closely aligned to my PhD research and the research I have conducted to date – so if you said the letters may have something to do with change, you’d be right… specifically Change Management Theories (CMT). There isn’t any one change theory in particular this refers to, because the change theory considered, needed or applied is likely to depend on the situation, setting, individuals/groups and context involved, but because not much happens (good or bad) without change. So, most of what I do considers and is informed by change theories to help ensure the research delivered is accessible and underpinned by the relevant change (and learning/education) theories to best inform decisions, outputs and outcomes.
So, there you have it, a somewhat condensed explanation of the origins of my company, CMT Accessible Research! Please feel free to reach out for a chat if there is anything on my website that resonates with you or if you think CMT Accessible Research can advise or provide you with one of our listed services. I look forward to hearing from you!
Warmest regards,
Carmel