Nelson, Lindsey and Alice L. Pawley. “Using the Emergent Methodology of Domain Analysis to Answer Complex Research Questions.” Presented at the 2010 American Society for Engineering Education National Conference and Exposition, Louisville KY, June 20-23 2010.

1. Using the Emergent Methodology of Domain Analysis to Answer Complex Questions Lindsey Nelson, School of Engineering Education, Purdue University Alice L. Pawley, School of Engineering Education, Purdue University

2. complex questions situated in a social environment answered differently by different people open-ended connected to other questions 1 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

3. complex questions situated in a social environment answered differently by different people open-ended connected to other questions everywhere in engineering education research 1 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

4. complex questions What is change in engineering education? What knowledge characterizes engineering? How do engineering education researchers conduct research? How does engineering culture shape engineering teaching? What is engineering design? What are best practices to encourage diversity? The Research Agenda for the New Discipline of Engineering Education. 2006. 2 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

5. answering complex questions situated in a social environment people behavior 3 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

6. answering complex questions situated in a social environment people behavior How is design understood within engineering education? 3 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

7. answering complex questions situated in a social environment people behavior How is design understood within engineering education? Why is innovation valued by engineering? 3 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

8. answering complex questions situated in a social environment people behavior How is design understood within engineering education? Why is innovation valued by engineering? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 3 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

9. domain analysis Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 4 Iterative Steps Locate a social environment to observe Decide what evidence already present in the environment helps you answer your question Identify the inter-relationships between the evidence Organize these relationships according to a question tree Spradley, James. 1980. Participant observation. How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 4 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

10. domain analysis Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 4 Iterative Steps Locate a social environment to observe Decide what evidence already present in the environment helps you answer your question Identify the inter-relationships between the evidence Organize these relationships according to a question tree Spradley, James. 1980. Participant observation. How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 4 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

11. domain analysis Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 4 Iterative Steps Locate a social environment to observe Decide what evidence already present in the environment helps you answer your question Identify the inter-relationships between the evidence Organize these relationships according to a question tree Spradley, James. 1980. Participant observation. How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 4 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

12. domain analysis Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 4 Iterative Steps Locate a social environment to observe Decide what evidence already present in the environment helps you answer your question Identify the inter-relationships between the evidence Organize these relationships according to a question tree Spradley, James. 1980. Participant observation. How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 4 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

13. 1. choose a social situation Questions to ask How can I draw a boundary around my inquiry? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 5 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

14. 1. choose a social situation Questions to ask How can I draw a boundary around my inquiry? Will I see what I am hoping to see multiple times? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 5 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

15. 1. choose a social situation Questions to ask How can I draw a boundary around my inquiry? Will I see what I am hoping to see multiple times? Do I have access to the environment? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 5 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

16. 1. choose a social situation Questions to ask How can I draw a boundaryaround my inquiry? Will I see what I am hoping to see multiple times? Do I have access to the environment? Will my participation be discreet? Who do I need to ask if I wanted access? How might I participate within the environment? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 5 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

17. 1. choose a social situation Questions to ask How can I draw a boundaryaround my inquiry? Will I see what I am hoping to see multiple times? Do I have access to the environment? Will my participation be discreet? Who do I need to ask if I wanted access? How might I participate within the environment? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 5 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

18. 2. identify evidence use “common sense” what features do you notice? but go deeper Space Activity Object Time Feeling Actors Act Event Goal How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 6 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

19. 2. identify evidence use “common sense” what features do you notice? but go deeper Space Activity Object Time Feeling Actors Event Act Goal How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 6 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

20. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

21. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

22. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

23. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

24. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

25. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

26. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

27. 3. identify inter-relationships Spradley (1980) Spradley’s 9 types of inter-relationships Strict Inclusion: X is a kind of Y Spatial: X is a part of Y Cause-effect: X is the result of Y Rationale: X is a reason for doing Y Location-for-action: X is a place to do Y Function: X is used for Y Means-End: X is a way to do Y Sequence: X is a step in Y Attribution: X is a characteristic of Y What characteristics are common among researchers conducting research at the intersection of gender and engineering education? How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 7 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

28. 4. construct a question tree begin with your complex question describe your initial observations rely on inter-relationships explain your sense-making path How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 8 emergent domain analysiscomplex questions

29. reflections on the method How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 9 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

30. reflections on the method strongly iterative avenue for rich description of social situation requires systematic gathering of evidence valuable for identifying things present and absent easily grows out of scope can inform future practice How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 9 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

31. reflections on the method strongly iterative avenue for rich description of social situation requires systematic gathering of evidence valuable for identifying things present and absent easily grows out of scope can inform future practice How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 9 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

32. reflections on the method strongly iterative avenue for rich description of social situation requires systematic gathering of evidence valuable for identifying things present and absent easily grows out of scope can inform future practice How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 9 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

33. reflections on the method strongly iterative avenue for rich description of social situation requires systematic gathering of evidence valuable for identifying things present and absent easily grows out of scope can inform future practice How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 9 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

34. our findings How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? Engineering education researchers rely on a demographic definition of gender. Most research cites underrepresentation as motivation to conduct gender research. Engineering education researchers incorporate very few theoretical frameworks when researching gender. In preparation, Journal of Engineering Education 10 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

35. our recommendations How do engineering education researchersresearch gender? 1. Identify other theoretically appropriate reasons to conduct research around gender 2. Explore how engineers and engineering perform masculinities and feminities 3. Translate and test theories of gender from other disciplines within specific engineering contexts 4. Incorporate gender and other forms of diversity in “holistic, integrated engineering education” In preparation, Journal of Engineering Education 11 emergentdomain analysis complex questions

36. Domain analysisQuestions, questions and questionsDirections emergeLocate site to workRemember study’s purposeVery importantConnect the questionsDeepen our understandingAnd locate the gapsMain goal of methodPractical and relevantRecommendations

37. Using the Emergent Methodology of Domain Analysis to Answer Complex Questions Lindsey Nelson Alice L. Pawley lnelson@purdue.eduapawley@purdue.edu feministengineering.org