Erin Moore EDUC 352 09/25/2013

Good research is research that matters. In other words, it is worth caring about, and as Hostetler (2005) argues, it requires our careful, ongoing attention to the questions of human well-being (16). This is the forefront of good research, but good research involves more than the end results of the study being conducted. Good research involves a process, and this process also needs to be focused on human well-being. Researchers need to conduct research in a way that respects the research subjects. Therefore, the research measures should not drastically alter the environment, nor should research favor one group over another group. The subjects of research should be observed; however, it is not in their best interest to be used as experiments. In addition, good research should not be limited to a small sample group. If the subjects are a small group, the actual research should have broader implications. When conducting good research, researchers need to honor their own beliefs and as Hostetler (2005) points out stand for something worthwhile that gives their personal and professional lives meaning, and to articulate that thing to themselves and others (17). Researchers should be reflexive and flexible when conducting research. If they find their beliefs compromised or compromising their subjects during research, are researchers really conducting good research? They need to understand their own process and alter that process if necessary. Good research is ongoing. It starts with questions that involve how or why, and ends with potential for more questions and research. Often, good research does not provide the answer to questions, but offer[s] new circumstances for exploring the persistent question of what is good for people (Hostetler, 2005, p. 21). While the research methods themselves can lead to additional questions, the presentation of the findings matter in good research as well. The manner in which a researcher presents findings can have a profound impact on the quality of research. This is one more example of a step in the

research process in which researchers need to be reflexive. They need to select the information from their research and determine how to present the information that is most useful and honest.

The topic of good research will continue to be an evolutionary topic. Each researcher will develop a personal concept of what makes good research, and that personal concept will change shape as individual researchers take on different studies. While researchers need to have some consistent concepts of good research, these concepts may have room for interpretation. In all, good research will continue to develop from researchers continuing to have conversations with one another about research methods.

References Hostetler, K. (August 2005). What is Good Education Research? Educational Researcher, 34. Retrieved from http://er.aera.net at PACIFIC UNIV LIBRARIES