Preparation Exploration Negotiation Implementation
Researcher: I am an objective researcher and can not be influenced by practitioners in data collection, analysis, and write up of findings.
Practitioner: I know the reality of the ground and the researcher does not understand this. As the funder or implementer, I want the research to reflect the reality I know to be true.
Convergence: Practitioners or researchers can unintentionally bias research based on their own preconceptions and expectations. Both practitioners and researchers need to reflect on their influence in the project and any biases they may have. While it is appropriate to have a research hypothesis, researchers and practitioners should not expect specific findings and should seek to be as objective as possible.
Questions Researchers Can Ask:
What level of objectivity and rigor is possible?
What is your goal for this research?
How will you use the evidence produced in the research?
What is the audience for the research findings?
Questions Practitioners Can Ask:
How participatory can we make the research?
How is the research practically relevant to implementation? Where are there opportunities for the research to inform implementation?
What contextual factors could influence the research?