Running head: WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

What is Good Research

as Defined by a Budding Researcher
Youlin Aissa
University of the Pacific

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

What is Good Research as Defined by a Budding Researcher

Good research is not easily defined, though many scholars have written on the topic.
Their ongoing discussions have made it obvious that this is not a black and white issue. While a
discussion of the parameters of good research continues, a concrete definition has yet to emerge.
There are certainly common components of good research, however even within those, grey
areas exist. As a new doctoral student, I have refined my definition of good research over the last
several weeks. I arrived at my definition through exposure to a variety of research articles and
through lively discussions in class. I examined qualitative, quantitative and mixed studies. I have
been exposed to articles that spanned the spectrum of good to bad research. As a result of all this
analysis, I have confronted my assumptions of what good research is, most of which were rooted
in my eighth grade science class. My current definition was particularly influenced by Karl
Hostetler (2005) in his article What is Good Education Research? (2005). Hostetler
acknowledges that the question of what is good research is too often concerned with soundness
of methodology. He proposes that a broader view must be applied good research requires our
careful, ongoing attention to questions of human well-being (Hostetler, 2005, p.16).
My definition will continue to evolve as I journey through my doctoral program, however
it currently encompasses the following components;

guiding question that aims to better human well-being,

founded in solid research methodology, utilizing sound practices,

presented in an easily understood manner,

does no harm and complies with ethical practices,

and promotes deeper understanding and further inquiry of the topic.

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

An area of educational research I find particularly interesting is the effects of social class
on childrearing and educational achievement. A scholar who focuses on this topic is Annette
Lareau. I find her work on this topic intriguing. For the purposes of this paper I focus on one of
her articles examining childrearing variations across social classes. The example article of good
research is, Paradoxical Pathways: An Ethnographic Extension of Kohns Findings on Class
and Childrearing by Elliot B. Weininger and Annette Lareau (2009). The research examined in
this article was originally conducted and presented by Lareau in her 2002 piece Invisible
Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families. I find Lareaus
writing to be easily accessible; her articles are well-organized and structured to be easily
readable and digestible. I appreciate that she does not write as an elitist, her writing style is for a
general audience. This article fits within my definition of good research given that it contains all
of the components mentioned.
Weininger and Lareaus study seeks to extend the findings of Melvin Kohn in the
exploration of childrearing and its variations across social classes. Their purpose statement is to
extend the analysis of the class-childrearing relation beyond an acknowledged (Kohn, 1977, pp.
xxxxii-xxxxiii) limitation of previous studies: their reliance on reports of behavior rather than
direct observation (Weininger & Lareau, 2009, p. 680). They analyze the roles self-direction
and conformity play in the childrearing practices of middle-class, working-class, and poor
families (Weininger & Lareau, 2009, p. 680). The authors go on to discuss Kohns findings
during his decades of research in the area of child-rearing and social class and its multiple
implications. They explain that their study seeks to extend and deepen the understanding of the
connection between childrearing values and parental behavior by applying different

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

methodology. This guiding question meets the first component of my definition; it is a worthy
question that seeks to better human well-being by providing insights into behaviors and values of
different social classes.
This article also complies with the second part of my good research definition: good
research is founded in solid research methodology that utilizes practices that are reliable and
trustworthy and that are applied in a valid manner. After explaining the purpose and theoretical
background which frames their study, Weininger and Lareau then go into an extensive
explanation of the methodology utilized to gather the data they then analyze. The explanation
clearly describes the qualitative study that was conducted by the second author, careful attention
is paid to explaining the nonrandom sample recruitment and the methods used to gain data from
the samples. The observation and interview methods that are utilized are common practice in
qualitative designs and the authors are careful to fully disclose the method and reason behind the
nonrandom sampling used to identify and recruit participants. Additionally, the article goes on to
describe the process of the fieldwork entailed in gathering the data and the process of analysis
once the data was gathered. Within the analysis step the article describes a qualitative treatment
of the gathered data. What is particularly noteworthy is the authors disclosure of the original
purpose of the study that provided the data for this article. Lareaus research on social class and
childrearing was originally done through the lens of Bourdieus concepts of intergenerational
reproduction of advantage (Lareau, 2002). Moreover, the subsequent publications by Lareau
using the data from this study made little reference to the work of Kohn. Not until Weininger and
Lareau partnered for this article were the studys data re-analyzed through the perspective of
Kohns work. I would argue then that the research methodology and results were even purer in
this case given that they were not originally intended for this article.

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

The third component required under my definition of good research is that research
results are presented in a clear and easily understood manner. This article, as did the original
Lareau piece, easily met this requirement of good research. The article is written in a non-elitist
voice that can be understood by a more general audience. It is very well-organized making the
process, discussion and findings easy to follow. The organization of the article takes the reader
through the authors purpose, theoretical background discussion, description and explanation of
methodology, discussion of data findings, synthesis of findings and authors initial claims, and
finally implications for further inquiry, all of this is easier to pinpoint by the formatting of the
article. This format is logical, making the discussion and findings easier for the reader to access.
The authors include tables that are clearly understood and their implications are fully discussed
within the data discussion. Overall, the research is presented in a manner that provides the
consumer an opportunity to truly digest the material instead of focusing on wading through
research presented in a muddled mess.
This research also met the requirement of being conducted in an ethical manner. The
participants were fully informed as their participation was solicited through individual letters
sent directly to them. Secondary, more extensive research was conducted with fewer families
who were paid for their participation. The topic of study was communication patterns and
participation rates of the children in extra-curricular activities. Neither of these topics is
particularly controversial or resulting in ethical conundrums. More importantly, all steps taken to
identify the participants were fully disclosed in the methodology section of the article. This
allows consumers the ability to conclude for themselves if they believe that no ethical lines were
crossed.

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

Finally, my definition of good research requires that the research promote a deeper
understanding of the topic and promote further inquiry into the subject. This article exemplifies
the notion of research leading to further inquiry. The production of this article was a result of the
responses to Lareaus original piece on social class and childrearing. Readers inquiries led
Weininger and Lareau to reconsider the original findings through the perspective of Kohns
work. This is a perfect example of how good research should lead to further study into the
subject matter, in this case by the original author with a new co-author. Furthermore, this
research deepened and extended the research questions that were not fully explored by Kohn.
The authors stated purpose was to extend Kohns original findings concerning the relationship
between childrearing values and social class. This research not only promoted deeper
understanding and was itself a result of further inquiry but it prompts new questions and areas of
further examination by its own findings. While Weininger and Lareau find that parental
commitment to self-direction or conformity are congruent with Kohns findings, that their
behavior is at times incongruent with these commitments and it is within this juxtaposition that
more research using empirical investigation is required.
It has been said not only by our instructors but also within some of the articles we have
read, that as doctoral students we must move from simply being consumers of knowledge to
becoming producers of knowledge (Lovitts, 2005). Arguably, before we can become reputable
producers of knowledge we must become critical consumers. This course has forced us to reflect
on what we consider good knowledge, good research. It has required us to reflect on the type of
researcher we want to become and by examining varied artifacts it has required us to define for
ourselves what is good research. Holistic judgments of what is a good or bad article are set aside
to be examined through a much more critical eye with required elements and an evolving rubric.

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

It will be interesting to discover that if my definition of good research will still give Weininger
and Lareau a passing mark two years from now.

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH

References
Hostetler, K. (2005, August). What is Good Education Research? [Electronic version].
Educational Researcher, 34, 16-21. doi:10.3102/0013189X034006016
Lareau, A. (2002, October). Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families
and White Families [Electronic version]. American Sociological Review, 67(5), 747-776.
Lovitts, B.E. (2005, April). Being a good course-taker is not enough: a theoretical perspective
on the transition to independent research [Electronic version]. Studies in Higher
Education, 30(2), 137-154. doi:10.1080/03075070500043093
Weininger, E. B. & Lareau, A. (2009, August). Paradoxical Pathways: An Ethnographic
Extension of Kohns Findings on Class and Childrearing [Electronic version]. Journal of
Marriage and Family, 71, 680-695.