There is very little written regarding developing the skills of doing peer reviews. In this piece we use our own experience as postdoctoral fellows to offer our reflections on how to get the most out of doing peer reviews as a trainee researcher. We touch upon the variety and complexity of peer reviews, the debates concerning the nature and…

Arguments for significantly improving doctoral programs have long been made, both nationally and internationally. The nature and variety of doctoral programs makes it difficult to single out specific changes that would be equally applicable to every discipline-specific doctoral program. Therefore, this commentary will focus on doctoral programs…

A disconnect exists between teaching and research; and it has become easy, if not automatic, for K-12 teachers to be enthusiastic about teaching and less supportive of research. As a student teacher, the first author found herself adopting the stereotype that research is associated with the sciences and is less pertinent to K-12 education. She…

This article is a reflective account of the emotions generated by the research journey, and the challenges these pose for doctoral students, particularly when researching organisations and topics close to their interests and background. By reflecting on my experience, and engaging with the literature to explore other novice researchers' reflective…

In the past decade, significant shifts have occurred in the nature of the Internet and the conceptualization of classrooms. Such shifts have affected constructs of learning and instruction and paths for future research. In this article, the authors build on three ideas set forth in comments on their article "Web 2.0 and Classroom Research: What…

The academic style (conduct) of academic circles has become a hot topic in the media. This article presents an interview conducted by "China Newsweek" with Vice Director Yuan Zhenguo of the Ministry of Education, Social Sciences Department. In this interview, Zhenguo talks about the Ministry of Education's plan to set up such…

The author examines how problem-based learning (PBL) and technology may be combined in the English literature classroom in order to inspire various types of collaboration, which, in turn, improves critical reading, thinking, and writing skills; hones research skills; encourages interdisciplinary study; energizes discussion; enforces connections…

A well-constructed, step-by-step protocol is a critical starting point for teaching undergraduates new techniques, an important record of a lab's standard procedures, and a useful mechanism for sharing techniques between labs. Many research labs use websites to archive and share their protocols for these purposes. Here we describe our experiences…

This commentary considers some of the challenges of applying mixed methods research in undergraduate research degrees, especially in professions with a clinical health focus. Our experience in physiotherapy academia is used as an example. Mixed methods research is increasingly appreciated in its own right as a "third paradigm," however the success…

This keynote address argues that in order for baccalaureate and masters degree students to apply research to make better judgments and decisions in their life-affecting practice and in response to the information revolution, the helping professions need to redesign (from the bottom up) not overhaul (make a few changes in) the way research methods…

In their article "Scholars Before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation", David N. Boote and Penny Beile argue that the literature review is the fundamental task of dissertation and research preparation. They claim that doctoral students receive minimal formal training, and little guidance…

This article is a response to the critique by Joseph Maxwell on the article written by these authors entitled "Scholars Before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation". Maxwell argues that dissertations should emulate research articles and include a conceptual framework that only discusses…

Last year, Franci, a very knowledgeable Lakota scholar and writer, arrived to teach at this author's university. The author's friend, Malea, had left, so she was pleased to see another American Indian face in the department. The past year it had become clear that Indians faced many hardships at the university, but most strikingly they continued to…

We reflect on methodological issues arising in two of our own research projects as a form of practice, as a way of engaging in a praxis of project research. The projects chosen for this purpose are themselves concerned with teacher education and curriculum development in environmental education: they include participatory "reflective…