I write this post having two different cases, but similar in some aspects, in mind:
1. The recent trial of Italian seismologists that "failed" to predict Aquila's earthquake in 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/27/laquila-earthquake-battle-science-politics
Is seismology an exact science? Aren't seismologists working in the realm of statistical models? I have the idea that statistics are not a modern form of oracle or fortune-telling... but I suppose Law Lords believe it differently...
2.The intimidation of a Portuguese researcher from University of Minho by a powerful telecom company - Portugal Telecom - after the discussion of his thesis reporting lack of transparency in the process of implementation of DTT in Portugal
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/portugal-telecom-denies-accusations-of-corruption--905549
The central point for me here is: do we want a scientific understanding of the world with the goods and bads that come with it? Or are we going back to the Dark Ages and trial our modern Galileo Galilei?
Friday 2 November 2012
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Lessons Learned
In the past few months I learned that the Phd journey involves learning several lessons. And I am only at the beginning...
The first lesson I learned is that there is always something missing in your work and it is never complete (specially if you are still doing it). There are always limitations and it is not going to be perfect, even at the end.
Second lesson, is that you can live with the limitations but you do not want to live with flaws. You want to avoid people telling you that you missed one important article in our literature review. So, now I keep in mind that I have the on-going job of rewriting it and adding sources.
Third lesson, when you are designing your project be sure you have the resources you need, namely data sources confirmed and participants agreement. This will help you avoid frustrations and worries in the future.
Fourth lesson, people who don't know you will remember you because of your work and your presentations. I think it helps a lot when you build a positive image of yourself and your work. Is important to transmit passion about what you are doing and engage others in your presentation, so they will be interested and make you questions.
The first lesson I learned is that there is always something missing in your work and it is never complete (specially if you are still doing it). There are always limitations and it is not going to be perfect, even at the end.
Second lesson, is that you can live with the limitations but you do not want to live with flaws. You want to avoid people telling you that you missed one important article in our literature review. So, now I keep in mind that I have the on-going job of rewriting it and adding sources.
Third lesson, when you are designing your project be sure you have the resources you need, namely data sources confirmed and participants agreement. This will help you avoid frustrations and worries in the future.
Fourth lesson, people who don't know you will remember you because of your work and your presentations. I think it helps a lot when you build a positive image of yourself and your work. Is important to transmit passion about what you are doing and engage others in your presentation, so they will be interested and make you questions.
Thursday 16 June 2011
Walking in circles
In the past month I started to have the feeling of walking in circles.
I have been reading many papers and, after my notes, I try to make
connections between readings and my research interests. I end up most
of the times near the beginning point. So I feel that I am too much
focused on seeing only a particular side. Maybe I am in front of a
tree and cannot see beyond it, the forest. As I am very interested
(maybe passionate) about a particular problem, I tend to see the world
in face of this problem and make many connections with this only. I am
biased to see the implications of everything on my particular problem.
Like there is nothing else... Maybe it's time to read something from a
completely different area.
I have been reading many papers and, after my notes, I try to make
connections between readings and my research interests. I end up most
of the times near the beginning point. So I feel that I am too much
focused on seeing only a particular side. Maybe I am in front of a
tree and cannot see beyond it, the forest. As I am very interested
(maybe passionate) about a particular problem, I tend to see the world
in face of this problem and make many connections with this only. I am
biased to see the implications of everything on my particular problem.
Like there is nothing else... Maybe it's time to read something from a
completely different area.
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Proposal presentation
A few impressions about the presentation of my thesis proposal. I need to control my anxiety in future presentations because I did not breathe properly... I had done the preparation, with 8 rehearsals to the mirror and to my family, and did not need to check the slides to know what to say next but I was too anxious with the time. At the end, I finished 3 minutes earlier... So, I think I need to breathe more in the future.
I enjoyed the discussion and was prepared to "fight" a little more, but I also know that at this point I am more in a listener position. Nevertheless, it does not feel good when you hear that the design of your project was poor. So, my priority now is to work on the research design. Case study, survey, experiment... I need a clearer definition of what I am going to do.
I enjoyed the discussion and was prepared to "fight" a little more, but I also know that at this point I am more in a listener position. Nevertheless, it does not feel good when you hear that the design of your project was poor. So, my priority now is to work on the research design. Case study, survey, experiment... I need a clearer definition of what I am going to do.
Thursday 20 January 2011
New year, new thesis theme
After some time reading about services and services economy, I ended up in something different but that makes more sense to me. It all started with product service systems (PSS). With a few more readings and thoughts about PSS, I was searching frantically about dematerialization and sustainability. Then I had a lecture about Technology Acceptance Model and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology where I saw the kind of research that makes more sense to me. So nice that your research can produce something like an explanatory model with relations between independent and dependent variables!
In that moment I realized that I wanted to do quantitative research. About what? Services? Could not make a proper connection of that theme with a quantitative study... A few more clicks and searches about sustainability and I found it: Green Information Systems. What an interesting idea! To use IS approach to the problem of environmental sustainability. And there are so many topics to work here because it is so new... However, there are lots of opportunities and topics to investigate but not as much established facts about this new stream of research. This implies that I have to work with uncertainty but, more important than that, I am working with a passionate theme.
In that moment I realized that I wanted to do quantitative research. About what? Services? Could not make a proper connection of that theme with a quantitative study... A few more clicks and searches about sustainability and I found it: Green Information Systems. What an interesting idea! To use IS approach to the problem of environmental sustainability. And there are so many topics to work here because it is so new... However, there are lots of opportunities and topics to investigate but not as much established facts about this new stream of research. This implies that I have to work with uncertainty but, more important than that, I am working with a passionate theme.
Monday 1 November 2010
Product Service Systems
This is the topic that hit me after several months reading about services and service systems: Product Service Systems. It hit me because of different things, but mostly: dematerialization, reuse, sustainable consumption.
While many are already moving to the next buzzword, I am still sticking to sustainability. I have heard about regeneration, renewability and thrivability here, but I am still behind. For now I share this video that shows a very interesting perspective in consumption, PSS, and web 2.0. The 21st century is supposed to be the century of collaborative consumption, after one century of incredible overconsumption. This new paradigm focuses on trust, access over ownership, primacy of experience, and is advantageous for the consumer (me and you), communities, business, and the planet. Let it grow!
While many are already moving to the next buzzword, I am still sticking to sustainability. I have heard about regeneration, renewability and thrivability here, but I am still behind. For now I share this video that shows a very interesting perspective in consumption, PSS, and web 2.0. The 21st century is supposed to be the century of collaborative consumption, after one century of incredible overconsumption. This new paradigm focuses on trust, access over ownership, primacy of experience, and is advantageous for the consumer (me and you), communities, business, and the planet. Let it grow!
Collaborative Consumption Groundswell Video from rachel botsman on Vimeo.
Friday 18 June 2010
Creative Need
I am in the need of being creative.
I know that this is not something that you can learn how to do, or follow a formula of creativity. One teacher of mine once said that to stay creative during our life we need to get out of our strong habits and specialty domains.This is easier said than done, of course. She gave us some ideas of how to do that: from time to time, read books in a completely different area. Say you are an economist, try to read a book in psychology. Other idea was to develop some hobbies not related to your job, or join on-line discussion groups, or on-line communities in different areas of expertise. Of course, you need to understand something about these discussions, otherwise it will be useless.
I have noticed from my experience that these suggestions are indeed helpful. I have read so many books lately about education and children' development that I start to relate them to problems I find in my work. I find that these sometimes crazy ideas may become an innovative solution, because it was never tried. Moreover, the on-line groups and communities I belong, such as parenting, ecology and permaculture groups are often a very good source of diverse knowledge, and some videos or texts I find there are great sources of inspiration.
I am in the need of finding a new research problem. I have a research theme, and some research problems already identified by others, but these are out of Information Systems area. If you want to do a Phd in Information Systems the least you can do is to research a problem in the area, of course. The problem does not need to be specifically in technology, it can also be related to information, which, for me, is god.
The thing is that I am really interested in addressing a few questions related to sustainability and servitization, but the problems I identify fall either in the field of ecology or economics.
Technology is important to create solutions, but I am failing to fit Information Technology in this problem.
Post Note: I had the privilege, while writing this text, to add permaculture and servitization to Google dictionary. These are indeed words that should be in an updated dictionary :)
I know that this is not something that you can learn how to do, or follow a formula of creativity. One teacher of mine once said that to stay creative during our life we need to get out of our strong habits and specialty domains.This is easier said than done, of course. She gave us some ideas of how to do that: from time to time, read books in a completely different area. Say you are an economist, try to read a book in psychology. Other idea was to develop some hobbies not related to your job, or join on-line discussion groups, or on-line communities in different areas of expertise. Of course, you need to understand something about these discussions, otherwise it will be useless.
I have noticed from my experience that these suggestions are indeed helpful. I have read so many books lately about education and children' development that I start to relate them to problems I find in my work. I find that these sometimes crazy ideas may become an innovative solution, because it was never tried. Moreover, the on-line groups and communities I belong, such as parenting, ecology and permaculture groups are often a very good source of diverse knowledge, and some videos or texts I find there are great sources of inspiration.
I am in the need of finding a new research problem. I have a research theme, and some research problems already identified by others, but these are out of Information Systems area. If you want to do a Phd in Information Systems the least you can do is to research a problem in the area, of course. The problem does not need to be specifically in technology, it can also be related to information, which, for me, is god.
The thing is that I am really interested in addressing a few questions related to sustainability and servitization, but the problems I identify fall either in the field of ecology or economics.
Technology is important to create solutions, but I am failing to fit Information Technology in this problem.
Post Note: I had the privilege, while writing this text, to add permaculture and servitization to Google dictionary. These are indeed words that should be in an updated dictionary :)
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