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* The world _demands_ of us something beyond "normal" science at this very not-normal time
## Systems and Meta-systemicity
* Understanding research from a systems perspective
- Not: computer systems, but: conceptual and rational systems
- And moving beyond specific systems to a meta-systematic perspective
* We are told we operate in a world of rationality as researchers
- A fair bit of our discussion will be on why this is often not the case
* Research sometimes employs/requires meta-systematic thinking
- Thinking this way takes practice
* There is no clear line between systematic and meta-systematic thinking
- Lots of shades of gray, another theme we will discuss
- Key is to not get stuck in one way of thinking
## Doing, not just thinking, in a Community of Practice
* How to do good research can't be learned from a book
- Nor is thinking sufficient
- Nor is dreaming about grand results sufficient
- You must ***do*** it, *with others*; lots of hard work
- Not unique to research: many things are this way
* Example: Computational Agroecology
- I now do a fair amount of research on applying computing to sustainable agriculture
- I was trained in networking, but don't use any of it here
- I never formally studied the ostensible background topics: agriculture, sustainability, AI, etc.
- I learned the agriculture and sustainabiilty perspectives by doing, embedded in a community of practice (urban agriculturalists, mostly hobbyists but some professionals)
- I brought my own perspectives and techniques to bear
* You, and your work, get better through those around you
- Cultivate your community
## Advancement at the Limits of Understanding
* Just "doing" is insufficient; not all work is explicit or conscious
- Combination of conscious and subconscious work required
* Example: Wagner's cryptanalysis in the hot tub
* Example: ideas in the shower
* Easy to have false insights if you don't put in the work
- No shortcuts
* Hard to have insights without allowing room for the subconscious
- Fixating on rational, conscious methods is limiting
## Activities for the Semester, and Beyond
* Read widely, not just in the research literature
- The literature is a lagging indicator of where research is, sometimes as much as 4 years out of date (why?)
- You don't want to just read the "best" work
- Also: read what innovative researchers are themselves reading, so go find out
- Also: read very broadly, because you never know what might spark ideas
* Don't just read, talk with people
- The most cutting edge ideas are difficult to articulate in writing
- New ideas can come out through discussion rather than written dialogue
* Read technical *and* non-technical writing
- Read technical to learn new techniques for problem solving
- Read non-technical to consider new problems or problem framings or contexts
* Don't rely upon others to lay out a vision for you
- Point: You'll just be building their vision
- Counterpoint: don't just ignore everyone and do your own thing
- Synthesis: build a community of researchers around a common vision
* Take a lot of notes, not just of ideas but also of what you read
- Never know what ideas might connect
## Course Mechanics
* Create a new folder in the shared Google Drive folder in the format "Full Name -- CSCI 699"
- In this folder you'll put all your materials
* The first document you should now create in your folder is "Full Name -- CSCI 699 -- Responses"
- Clone the template doc and put it in your folder
- This is where you'll be writing reading responses, newest on top
- For each class date, should be heading for each class (notes taken in class discussion) and separate heading for reading responses
## Five Whys
* Ask why five times to try to get to root causes
- We'll apply this later
## Activity
* In groups of 4-5, discuss what "research" is. Do not look it up online, in a dictionary, etc.
- What is research *to you* ***in your experience***? (Not what you've been told it is, or read that it is, or think that it should be.)
- Ask each of the following five times about research: what? who? where? when? why? how?
- Take notes in your new document
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