Developing A Research Pipeline:

Increasing The Special Education Knowledge Base

Author: Robert B. Cooter, Jr.

The University of Memphis
(Article Review)

National Forum of Teacher Education Journal

Volume 17, Numbers 1&2 2007

Presenter
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Professor of Educational Leadership
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
Purpose

The purpose of this article was to outline a

sequentially useful method in identifying and
successfully implementing a productive,
pragmatic, and publishable writing and research
agenda.
Content
1. The importance of professional writing and
research for educators
2. To define a research pipeline?
3. Six steps to create individual Cylinders
4. The spigot: Publication
5. Some final thoughts
 Introdution
The academic triad: Teaching, Scholarship, and
Service.
Educators who do not succeed in professional
writing and cannot establish an ongoing research
agenda may (1) stifle their professional growth, (2)
influence the opportunity of the tenure and
promotion committee or, even (3) end their careers.
Research Pipeline Concept
It begins with the creation of a reservoir
of researchable ideas
Flows into the selection of a worthwhile
problem to investigate
Continues on to the various stages of
designing a study
Exits through a spigot of publishing
activities.
Six Steps
to Create Individual Cylinders

C1: Enter
through the C2: Problem C3: Literature
classroom identification & Review
Validity Screen

Publication

C5: Implement C6: Present

C4: Select Experiment;
Research paper to a
Data Analysis learned society
Design
Cylinder I
Enter the pipeline through the classroom
The way to identify worthy researchable
topics is to immerse oneself in the life of
the classroom.
Living within a classroom culture will
cause ideas to ferment.
Cylinder II
Problem Identification using a Validity Screen
Maintain a consistent theme Focus.
The best way to choose a researchable
topic is to use practicing teachers as a
kind of validity screen.
Master teachers have a ability to help the
researcher discern what is germane to
classroom realities and, conversely.
Cylinder III
The literature review
The purpose of the literature review is to
locate and summarize all information
related to the topic in your investigation.
Function: Inform readers about prior
research, contributions of the new study
being reported to the knowledge base, and
suggest future avenues for research.
Cylinder IV
Research design selection
It is difficult to have expertise in the
research field and be equally well-versed
in quantitative (qualitative) research
design and statistics at the same time.
Solution: cooperate with outsource.
Cylinder V
Study implementation and data analysis
Three steps:
1. Collected
2. Collated
3. Analyzed
Rich description tempered by the power
of statistical analysis is an effective
modus operandi to use as ones basic
formula.
Cylinder VI
Paper presentation to a learned society
Present findings to peers and record their
feedback.
How to get the feedbackwrite your email
on the cover sheet.
Ask for help, even strangers.
The Spigot: Publication
Find a journal that fits your topic.
Draft the article using the prescribed form
which is available online or upon request
form the journal editor
Follow the guidelines
Some Final Thoughts
No one-size-fits-all formula for
professional writing
Organize common elements used by
many social science research into a
cogent paradigm
A research pipeline has the potential of
helping scholars develop insightful
research