It must be the season for “research” on social networks. Just this past week, I received several requests to share my stories with researchers—as if my experience was research.
Some of these researchers are graduate students. Others are consultants. All of them share these goals:
- They want to write a substantial document, incorporating their research.
- They want this document to change the industry or a large segment of the population.
Those are laudable goals. I love the idea of people writing books or theses. (Well, I have sympathy for the thesis people, but maybe they can turn their thesis into a book.)
Books can help change people's minds. At the very least, books can nudge people to change their thinking.
I have trouble with the research part. I also have trouble with the idea of trying to change many people's minds. Let's start with the research problem.
What Does Research Mean to You?
When I look at the dictionary meaning of research, I see it might be:
- From wordhippo.com: Diligent inquiry or examination to seek or revise facts, principles, theories, applications, etc.; laborious or continued search after truth.
- From MeriamWebster.com: studious inquiry or examination
especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws
But what people are asking me for is anecdotes and stories of my experiences.
That's not research.
Am I being particularly snot-nosed?
Possibly.
But asking people you know online is not research. It's not diligent. Or experimentation. It's not even taking the experiences you had, finding evidence that they work or do not work, and using your experiences for your writing.
Now, if you ask people which books they recommend you read? That's a start at diligent inquiry, or examination of what came before. That might be quite useful. (If you ask me, I'll direct you to the bibliographies in my books, because I spent a ton of time organizing them.)
But if you ask me for my experiences? I'm going to decline. And if it's the fourth or fifth time today, especially on a social network, I'll be pissy and snot-nosed. (Which is not particularly congruent of me, but I'm human. And yes, I already apologized to the person I was pissy to today.)
Social Networks are Not Sufficient for Research
Asking other people for their experiences is not research.
Worse, your social network is not sufficient for diligent inquiry. (Neither is mine.) No social network is. That's because even though we have some loose connections, we tend to focus on tighter connections when we think of people to ask. Asking tighter connections about research is just as bad as asking those connections for help in finding a job.
Tight connections share too many of the same ideas. Research requires that you form hypotheses and experiment, and possibly read outside your comfort zone. Research requires that you examine your current ideas and challenge those ideas. Asking people who are just like you? That's not research.
If you want to change people's minds with a book, decide what you know about, where you do need to research, and then decide the frame of the book.
But I have a problem with the idea that we can start with research and change people's minds.
Even Well-Researched Documents Don't Change People's Minds
Do you know about Laurie Williams' Pair Programming Illuminated book? She formed hypotheses, conducted experiments, and reported on her research. (Yes, pair programming works because pairing builds continual development, review, and shared understanding.) She published the research, back in 2002.
I don't think that book changed anyone's mind. If it had, most developers would pair. However, I was happy she wrote it because I could reference it, in my blog posts, books, and workshops. But none of my clients changed their minds because of that book.
I have used Williams' research to inform how I design my experiential workshops. Those activities can help people change their minds. Their experience changed their perspective—not any research or references.
Stories can help people gain empathy with another perspective. Experiences can reinforce that change. (That's why all my workshops are experiential and all my books have stories.)
But I have never changed anyone's mind by quoting research.
Research Challenges Me and Helps Support My Arguments
Every writer chooses their own path. I tend to lead with stories and reinforce my arguments with references to research. You and I are different writers.
Write what you want to write. But don't expect to change people's minds with research. Especially not research via social media.
Asking other people for anecdotes or examples is not research. Go to the library. Read broadly. Writer shorter pieces so you learn what you think. Maybe even organize a debate or two so you can rethink what you are sure you know.
Stop asking people on social networks for research. That's not real research. And if you're the fourth person who asks me today, you'll get a pissy answer from me. (Later, I'll apologize, because I don't try to be a terrible human, even though I too often succeed.)
Write from your experiences. Use your stories. Read references to back up your writing with “real” research. (Wait till I explain how much of that “real” research was totally made up. Ha!)
And yes, I will start the series on how to write a nonfiction book soon. (See How to Start a Nonfiction Book to Educate, Inspire, or Influence Your Ideal Reader to Act so you can start.) I still have other writing projects, but people keep asking me, so I'll buckle down soonish. And expect to see how to do research for your writing as one of the topics.
See all the posts in this intermittent series of “writing secrets.”