Lessons from Data: Avoiding Lore Bias in Research Paradigms

Abstract

Based on a three-year empirical study of tutor- and writer-posed questions in writing center conference dialogues, this article does not report findings; instead, it offers a meta-analysis challenging prevailing research frameworks rooted in lore. The data defied the neat categories suggested by current taxonomies; the coding difficulties revealed not just a flawed taxonomy but also a prescriptive research framework based in a long-outdated Directive/Non-Directive (D/ND) lore paradigm. Using this research as an exemplar, the article demonstrates how unexamined paradigms limit researchers and their findings. Principles are presented that researchers--and research consumers--can use to discover and disrupt lore bias in research design, including triangulating with other disciplines and shifting research motivation from proving best practices to investigating outcomes. Finally, the article investigates how other disciplines with longer research traditions avoid constricting paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]