Lesson Report:
### Title:
**Data Collection Strategies & Supervisor Feedback Integration**
This session focused on refining approaches to data collection for various research projects, emphasizing primary and secondary sources such as interviews, surveys, academic articles, and governmental records. Students also reviewed feedback from their supervisors on initial thesis chapters, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement while engaging in peer collaboration to address challenges.
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### Attendance:
– **Absent students:** 1 mentioned (Mirza Badella joined but indicated he lacked previous semester participation).
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### Topics Covered:
#### **1. Data Collection Plans (Interactive Exercise):**
– **Overview:** Building on last session’s exercise, students were tasked with creating concrete strategies for how each identified source of data would inform their research.
– **Instructions:** Students were asked to list both primary (e.g., interviews, surveys) and secondary (e.g., academic articles, treaties) sources and write bullet-pointed notes specifying:
– The type of data expected from each source.
– How this data would contribute to their research outcomes.
– **Examples:**
– A student researching Turkish soft power in Uzbekistan proposed coding speeches by Turkish politicians to identify repeated themes and narratives. Additionally, bilateral agreements on cultural exchange were highlighted as primary data to analyze thematic language and decision-making patterns.
– Another student focusing on Taliban resistance movements considered using social media reports, UN publications, and interviews with resistance leaders, though ethical and logistical challenges with interviews (e.g., safety of participants, risk of bias) were discussed.
– **Key Recommendations by Instructor:**
– Address potential biases, especially while consulting experts or conducting interviews.
– Ensure a systematic approach to interviewee selection to avoid arbitrary data collection (e.g., “just whoever responded”).
– For sensitive topics, account for ethical considerations and ensure full IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval, including clear protocols to protect vulnerable participants.
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#### **2. Supervisor Feedback Reflection (Individual Exercise):**
– **Activity Details:** Students reviewed the feedback provided by their supervisors on their research introduction and first chapter.
– **Reflection Questions:**
1. What were the identified strengths of your submission?
2. What weaknesses were highlighted?
3. How did these align (or differ) from what you anticipated during the previous session?
– **Purpose:** To encourage alignment between self-assessment expectations and supervisory feedback, preparing students for revisions.
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#### **3. Peer Feedback (Partner Discussion):**
– **Partner Assignments:** Students were divided into small in-person and virtual groups (one group of three, one of two; Mirza listened in due to lack of prior participation).
– **Task Objectives:** Partners discussed:
– The most pressing issues noted in their feedback.
– Specific areas of their research or thesis requiring significant attention.
– **Specific Example:**
– A student researching Taliban resistance movements struggled with sourcing safe and unbiased interviewees. Due to family safety concerns, she opted to avoid emotionally charged survey data involving hate speech.
– The instructor recommended prioritizing expert interviews (e.g., researchers in Central Asia) and reaching out promptly with targeted, professional requests.
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#### **4. Final Group Task:**
– **Integrating Feedback into Research:**
– Students were instructed to prepare actionable plans based on feedback. For example, identifying short-term tasks such as reworking sections of their research or refining hypotheses.
– Groups also identified alignment (or lack thereof) between their plans and supervisor comments, ensuring clarity in revisions.
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### Actionable Items:
#### **1. IRB Approval (High Urgency):**
– For students conducting interviews with participants from vulnerable populations (e.g., in Afghanistan), submit IRB applications immediately.
– **Follow-up:** Check upcoming IRB deadlines listed online (instructor’s note suggests the end of the month).
#### **2. Data Collection Planning (Time-Sensitive):**
– Determine interview participants, primary documents, and secondary resources within two weeks.
– Begin reaching out to interview subjects or experts via email:
– Include concise project descriptions.
– Request interviews scheduled at least a month in advance to accommodate their timelines.
#### **3. Supervisor Feedback Integration:**
– Revisit supervisor comments:
– Emphasize addressing any unexpected weaknesses noted.
– Confirm that challenges raised align with previous self-assessments.
– Share refined research frameworks with partners or the instructor for validation.
#### **4. Peer Communication (Groups):**
– Online partners (e.g., Mirza joining Tuba and Hamdam) to collaborate further using Telegram or WhatsApp to complete pending discussions about research objectives.
#### **5. Sensitive Topic Management:**
– For political topics (e.g., Taliban resistance), assess ethical concerns and decide whether interviews are worth the risks. Non-interview methods like media analysis or expert consultations may suffice.
#### **6. Final Instructor Office Hour for Mirza:**
– Instructor to schedule a session with Mirza post-class to account for his lack of supervisor feedback and missing prior semester context.
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### Additional Notes:
– **Class Environment:** Engaged discussions on ethical challenges and practical concerns highlighted the complexity of working with politically sensitive or safety-heavy topics.
– **Next Steps:** Students are to finalize their plans for data collection and begin revising their thesis drafts based on supervisor and peer input.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK
No explicit homework assignment was presented during this lesson. While the session included discussions and exercises around data collection, source evaluation, and feedback reflection, all activities were intended to be completed during the class session itself. For instance, students were directed to list expected information from their sources, analyze feedback from supervisors, and engage in peer discussions, without mention of extending these tasks beyond the class time.