Lesson 3 – Te Rangahau / Research Skills for Active Citizens

Introduction

Research is the foundational cornerstone of any effective civic action. It provides the essential knowledge base needed to accurately define an issue’s scope, identify all relevant stakeholders, learn valuable lessons from historic or current initiatives, meticulously avoid repeating past failed approaches, and carefully select achievable first steps that can lead to meaningful change. Good research is inherently a continuous and iterative process: new events, emerging data, and evolving perspectives continually reshape the dynamic context in which we act, necessitating ongoing inquiry.

Key opening reminders:

• Well-intentioned efforts, despite their genuine aims, can fail catastrophically if underlying complexities and nuanced systemic issues are ignored.

• Early, thorough, and disciplined investigation significantly strengthens all subsequent planning and execution phases of a project.

• The demanding semester timetable means you must judiciously narrow your focus to a manageable and realistic problem that can be adequately addressed within a 4–5 week timeframe, avoiding overly ambitious scopes.

What Do We Mean by “Research”?

“Research” is a multifaceted term used in multiple ways. At the undergraduate level, it primarily involves the systematic locating, critical reading, and intelligent synthesising of existing knowledge from various sources, rather than the generation of entirely new, primary knowledge through original experiments. In this course, you are specifically expected to:

• Conduct comprehensive searches using both online databases and hard-copy library sources to gather information.

• Engage in informational discussions with people you already know, such as friends, whānau (family), colleagues, and classmates, to gain diverse perspectives.

• Actively participate in discussions with your home-group peers, leveraging collaborative insights.
  

You will NOT be permitted to conduct broader public surveys or cold-call strangers. This restriction is in place to avoid over-burdening community members with unsolicited inquiries and because the primary objective of this course is for students to become well-informed consumers and synthesizers of existing information, not to run primary research projects requiring ethical clearance.

Typical forms of research that exist in various fields:

• Experiments, systematic observation, and rigorous theory-building methodologies.

• Re-analysis or comprehensive synthesis of existing academic literature and empirical data.

• University-level research projects, which are typically vetted and approved by stringent ethics processes to ensure participant welfare and data integrity.

• Primary data collection methods such as in-depth interviews, focused group discussions, and structured surveys.
  

All of the above methodologies vary significantly in their rigour, methodological professionalism, and generalizability of findings.

Cartoon example: The widespread scepticism among New Zealanders regarding Japanese claims of “scientific” whaling clearly demonstrates why any claims made under the guise of “research” must be examined critically and with a discerning eye, especially when commercial or national interests are involved.

Getting Started & Narrowing Your Topic

1. Begin broadly, then progressively refine: This iterative process allows for a comprehensive initial scan before zeroing in. The refining process moves from a general topic to a highly specific, actionable focus.

   • Example ladder illustrating the narrowing process:

     • Initial broad area: “Health & disability”

     • More specific topic: “disability”

     • Narrowed focus: “hearing loss”

     • Highly specific, actionable problem: “over-65s who cannot afford hearing aids” within a defined local community.

2. Accept that your focus may change during early weeks: Pivoting your topic is a normal and often necessary part of the research process as you uncover more information and gain a deeper understanding of the complexities. This flexibility is key to finding a truly manageable and impactful issue.

3. Collaborate if useful: Engaging with peers can be highly beneficial. Two students can choose to explore the same overarching issue, sharing research findings, discussing perspectives, and cross-pollinating ideas, which often leads to richer insights.

4. Use critical questions to interrogate any broad area: Applying a structured set of questions helps to deconstruct the issue and reveal its various facets. Examples include:

   • How do different professionals (e.g., doctors, social workers), various cultural groups, or distinct age categories define and understand the key term or problem?

   • Which specific difficulties or sub-issues within this broad area am I genuinely interested in and capable of addressing?

   • What personal experience or connection do I bring to this topic? Is this experience generalisable and representative, or is it unique and atypical?

   • What existing services, relevant laws, governing organisations, or prevalent societal attitudes already exist in relation to this issue, and how do they function?

   • What constitutes a realistic, tangible, and achievable first step that I can take within my own community to address a component of this issue?

5. Visual diagram analogy: Initial brainstorming is often “chaotic” and fragmented, much like the ancient parable of the blind men describing parts of an elephant. Each individual perceives only a small piece of the larger reality. Only by collating and synthesizing multiple diverse viewpoints can the true, holistic picture of the issue be revealed.

Accessing & Evaluating Sources

You must demonstrate both BREADTH (utilising a variety of source types) and DEPTH (exercising critical discernment and analysis of each source). Required categories of sources to consult include:

• Academic literature: Peer-reviewed journals, scholarly books, and theses that provide rigorous, evidence-based research.

• Official/government documents, policies, legislation: Publications from public sector bodies that outline formal positions, data, and legal frameworks.

• Corporate, NGO, charity reports: Documents from non-governmental and private organisations that offer insights from different sectors.

• Media coverage (news, blogs, social): Current reports and public commentary that provide a pulse on ongoing events and societal sentiment.
  

Critical reasons for seeking variety in sources:

• Facts are not neutral; they are inherently interpreted through various values, beliefs, and ideological lenses, which profoundly shape conclusions and recommendations.

• Systematically comparing and contrasting competing perspectives and arguments from different source types exposes potential blind-spots, inherent biases, and even outright propaganda within individual sources.

Ethical responsibility: Engaging in superficial Googling or relying solely on a limited set of sources is utterly insufficient for truly informed and engaged citizenship. Robust research requires diligence and a commitment to understanding complexity.

Spectrum of Research Sources

Official Sources

Definition: These are documents and data produced by public-sector agencies (e.g., government ministries, departments, local councils) or inter-governmental bodies (e.g., United Nations, World Health Organization). They tend to be well funded, rich in statistical data, and often undergo internal review processes. However, they still critically require critical reading because political agendas, bureaucratic priorities, or specific policy objectives can subtly or overtly intrude upon the presentation and interpretation of information.

Where to look (NZ examples):

• NZ Government portal: This acts as a central hub, providing a comprehensive list of all government agencies, departments, and Crown entities, each with its own publications.

• Add “govt.nz” to search terms: Including this domain filter in your search engine queries can significantly narrow results to official government websites, increasing relevance.

• Parliamentary website: This is the authoritative source for tracking the progress of bills, debates, Supplementary Order Papers (amendments to bills), and the overall progress of legislation through the parliamentary process.

• NZ Legislation database: This official database provides access to all current and repealed Acts of Parliament and Regulations (e.g., the specific clauses and impacts of the ext{Resource Management Act 1991} or the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015).

NGOs, Charities & Businesses

• Their operational and research priorities are significantly influenced by their funding model (e.g., government grants, private donations, for-profit revenue streams). For instance, an NGO heavily reliant on a specific government grant might tailor its research to align with that grantor's objectives.

• Always check relevant registers to understand their legal status and financial transparency: the Charity Register (for NGOs), the Companies Register (for businesses), NZX filings (for publicly traded companies), and their annual & shareholder reports. These documents often provide insights into their mission, governance, and financial health, which can color their stated positions.

Lobbyists, Activists & Think Tanks

• Lobbying: This refers to well-organised attempts to influence government policy, legislation, or public opinion, often on behalf of specific interest groups or industries.

• Activist groups: These are valid sources of information, especially regarding grassroots perspectives and direct impact on communities. When citing them, it is good practice to simply acknowledge their inherent stance (e.g., “SAFE, an animal rights advocacy group, argues that…”) to frame the information appropriately for your audience.

• Think tanks: While they employ researchers and produce extensive reports, think tanks are often ideologically driven. It is crucial to investigate their funding sources and affiliations to understand their potential biases (e.g., comparing the pro-market positions often taken by the NZ Initiative, which is business-funded, versus the more progressive economic and social research from ESRA, which may have different funding streams).

Media Sources

Uses: Media provides valuable background information, helps in the initial identification of key stakeholders, documents very recent or unfolding events, and offers insights into prevailing public sentiment and discourse. It's often the first place to find information about breaking issues.

Limitations: Media coverage may frequently be incomplete due to reporting deadlines, sensationalist to capture attention, or overtly biased due to ownership, political leanings, or advertiser influence. For higher reliability and a more balanced perspective, prefer public-service outlets such such as Radio New Zealand (RNZ) or Māori Television, which often have mandates for impartiality and in-depth reporting.

Political blogs: These are often strongly aligned to specific political parties or ideological viewpoints (e.g., Kiwiblog typically reflects a conservative perspective, while The Standard often aligns with left-wing views). To ensure a balanced and informed understanding of political discourse, make it a practice to “read across ideological divides” – consume content from sources with differing viewpoints to avoid reinforcing your own biases and to gain a more complete picture of the “media lunch.”

Academic Sources

• Accessing: Utilize dedicated academic search tools like the Massey Library’s “Discover” platform or Google Scholar. Always employ advanced search functions to refine your queries and identify highly relevant, peer-reviewed material.

• Evaluating quality: Simply possessing “Dr” or “Prof” titles does NOT automatically guarantee academic rigour, methodological soundness, or impartiality. Critically assess the publication venue (is it a reputable, peer-reviewed journal?), the research methodology, the evidence presented, and potential conflicts of interest.

• Inclusion of international comparisons: Where relevant to your topic, include academic research from international contexts. This allows for comparative analysis, helps identify universal trends versus context-specific issues, and offers different approaches or solutions that might be applicable (or not) to the New Zealand context.

Personal Communication

• Value: Anecdotal evidence and direct insights gathered from whānau, friends, and community members can provide invaluable local context and ground-level perspectives that formal research sources might miss. When insights are specific and unique, cite them as personal communication following APA guidelines if necessary for academic work.

• Expert contact: Only initiate contact with recognised experts if you have an existing professional or personal relationship that makes such an outreach appropriate. Cold-calling or emailing experts without prior connection is generally discouraged due to their limited time and the volume of requests they receive.

• Brainstorming: Engaging in brainstorming sessions across diverse age groups, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences can effectively surface hidden variables or overlooked aspects of an issue (analogy: what might appear to be inherent “dog behaviours” could, upon closer inspection, be environment-created problems resulting from how humans have interacted with or trained the animal).

Library Skills Refresher

Process for effective searching:

1. Brainstorm keywords & phrases: Begin by generating a comprehensive list of potential search terms. This should include subject-specific jargon, broader conceptual terms, relevant cultural terms, and, where appropriate, te reo Māori terms (e.g., whānau, hapū, iwi).

2. Utilize “Discover” and Advanced Search: In the Massey Library’s “Discover” platform, ensure you tick/untick “Library Collection” depending on whether you want to search only physical items or also extensive digital databases. Always switch to the “Advanced Search” option to gain more control over your query.

3. Combine terms with Boolean operators: These powerful logical connectors refine your search results:

   • ext{OR}: Expands your search to include synonyms or related concepts (e.g., teen OR youth will find results containing either word).

   • ext{AND}: Narrows your search by requiring all terms to be present (e.g., suicid* AND zealand will find results containing both