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Main Authors: Russo, Mayra, Jorgensen, Mackenzie, Scott, Kristen M., Xu, Wendy, Nguyen, Di H., Finocchiaro, Jessie, Olckers, Matthew
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.05880
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author Russo, Mayra
Jorgensen, Mackenzie
Scott, Kristen M.
Xu, Wendy
Nguyen, Di H.
Finocchiaro, Jessie
Olckers, Matthew
author_facet Russo, Mayra
Jorgensen, Mackenzie
Scott, Kristen M.
Xu, Wendy
Nguyen, Di H.
Finocchiaro, Jessie
Olckers, Matthew
contents While some research fields have a long history of collaborating with domain experts outside academia, many quantitative researchers do not have natural avenues to meet experts in areas where the research is later deployed. We explain how conversations -- interviews without a specific research objective -- can bridge research and practice. Using collaborative autoethnography, we reflect on our experience of conducting conversations with practitioners from a range of different backgrounds, including refugee rights, conservation, addiction counseling, and municipal data science. Despite these varied backgrounds, common lessons emerged, including the importance of valuing the knowledge of experts, recognizing that academic research and practice have differing objectives and timelines, understanding the limits of quantification, and avoiding data extractivism. We consider the impact of these conversations on our work, the potential roles we can serve as researchers, and the challenges we anticipate as we move forward in these collaborations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_05880
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Bridging Research and Practice Through Conversation: Reflecting on Our Experience
Russo, Mayra
Jorgensen, Mackenzie
Scott, Kristen M.
Xu, Wendy
Nguyen, Di H.
Finocchiaro, Jessie
Olckers, Matthew
Human-Computer Interaction
While some research fields have a long history of collaborating with domain experts outside academia, many quantitative researchers do not have natural avenues to meet experts in areas where the research is later deployed. We explain how conversations -- interviews without a specific research objective -- can bridge research and practice. Using collaborative autoethnography, we reflect on our experience of conducting conversations with practitioners from a range of different backgrounds, including refugee rights, conservation, addiction counseling, and municipal data science. Despite these varied backgrounds, common lessons emerged, including the importance of valuing the knowledge of experts, recognizing that academic research and practice have differing objectives and timelines, understanding the limits of quantification, and avoiding data extractivism. We consider the impact of these conversations on our work, the potential roles we can serve as researchers, and the challenges we anticipate as we move forward in these collaborations.
title Bridging Research and Practice Through Conversation: Reflecting on Our Experience
topic Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.05880