R3. Data Presentation to Conclusions & Recommendations
Data…. it’s a long way from data to conclusions and recommendations.
[Made a big mistake here:
I put in an image of a guy looking at a wall full of formulae just to add background interest, but, rushing, I obviously didn’t check its provenance. I should have. Turned out to be a Getty Image and naturally they have told me I must take it down because I should not have used it, not having sought express permission. I have now taken it down, as you will note by its absence! I am making this profuse apology to them as they deserve it and will be checking my images more carefully in future. Don’t make the same mistake. Sorry, Getty.].
Q.What is ‘data’ and how is it translated from its raw state into learning?
A. Data is/are the smallest components we have: it/they is/are the potential building blocks if information which, via a process of organisation, presentation, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, synthesis, conslusion, recommendation and communication can become transformed into learning which is the catalyst for change in the world.
Data (I’m going with the ‘singular’ form: technically incorrect, but sounds better and everyone uses it!) is ‘potential’ in atomic form. If I might play the metaphor a little further, it is also like an atom in that in its ‘matter’ state it appears benign, but if one can liberate ‘energy’ from its mass, in line with Einsteins famous equation, the energy derived from just a little mass can be astoundingly kinetic.
So, in research terms, how do we release the potential (learning) energy hidden in our data…..?
This mini-lecture below seeks to help you understand the process by which you can achieve this.
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Essentially it is a journey in a number of stages:
- Data + Organisation = Information
- Information + analysis & evaluation = Understanding
- Understanding + conclusions & recommendations = Action
- Action + implementation & reflection = Change/Improvement
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