Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: NRI funding provided support for a conference that brought together scientists whose research addresses the Rural Development research priority. Conference time (April 26-29, 2007 in Kansas City) included 15 presentations and a panel discussion led by four scholars in rural development. The objectives of this proposed conference were addressed in the following ways: 1) evaluate commonalities and gaps in previously collected data pertaining to the rural community marketplace (i.e. local consumers, small businesses, and technology)--Abstracts were distributed in a booklet form organized around the research sample population - consumers and small businesses. 2) examine challenges to rural community development from multiple viewpoints --A panel discussion was followed by participant dialogue generating a list of topics relevant for potential study. 3) generate research manuscripts for publication in research journals focusing on findings from our research and offering insights
as to what warrants further attention in future research --Participants were divided into subgroups according to their research focus and discussions were held to determine the potential of combining datasets. The potential for collaboration appeared to be more in future work than in attempted to combine past work. 4)stimulate new research through collaborative efforts in grant writing --Plan for Preliminary Data -Collect Qualitative and Quantitative Data, definitions developed; qualitative data collection - interviews Community Merchant - retailer and city leader; quantitative data collection - gather secondary data addressing the Quality of Life indicators for the community. Outputs --Twenty participants attended representing 13 universities. Conference attendees gathered again on November 7, 2007 with 24 completed transcriptions. Coding was discussed for 12 community leaders and 12 retailers with in the communities. Small sized communities in 7 states were represented. Conference
participants also worked to develop a grant proposal (that was submitted 2/14/2008 to NRI) based on this data. This work took place during the NCCC-65 Pre Conference Workshop. Other interested researchers were invited to participate. A Mixed Methods Research Breeze Conference was held September 12, 2007 Presentation by Dr. John Creswell author of Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. There were researchers from 23 universities across the U.S. Mixed method examples were discussed in relation to on-going and future rural community research projects. A mixed method approach was used by the collaborators generating grant proposals from the NRI Building Research Conference attendees. Dissemination: An electronic copy of the booklet of the NRI Conference abstracts can be obtained from Nancy Miller. The breeze conference is available on a URL site and power point slides are available through Nancy Miller at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A blackboard account was established
at Iowa State University for placing reference materials and announcements. All conference attendees have access to the account. A listserv was established for communications needed for grant writing.
PARTICIPANTS: Linda Niehm, Iowa State University; Barbara Frazier,Western Michigan State; Leslie Stoel, Ohio State; Patricia Warrington, Texas Christian University; Rita Kean - University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Diane Vigna, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Young Ha, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Sandra Scofield, University of Nebraska -Lincoln; Bruce Johnson, University of Nebraska -Lincoln; Terry Besser, Iowa State University; Cornelia Flora, Iowa State University; Richard Goe, Kansas State University; Mark Drabenstott, University of Missouri; Jihyun Kim Virginia Technical Institute; Vanessa Wickliffe Jackson, University of Kentucky; Laura Jolly, University of Tennessee; Holly Bastow Shoop, North Dakota State; Jana Hawley, University of Missouri; Kim Johnson, University of Minnesota; Hyun-Hwa Lee, Bowling Green State University; Nancy Miller, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Professional development was provided from NRI funding for the conference, a post conference workshop on mixed
methods, and qualitative data collection. A special sessions presentation has been proposed for this group's profesisonal organization, Nov. 2008. This session will highlight the project, the benefits, and an invitation to join if rural development is a research interst.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Permission was granted to use NRI Conference funds for a follow-up breeze conference on mixed methods; to attend a half-day workshop on grant writing with NCCC-65, and for participants to collect and analyze data.
Impacts
Evaluations from the NRI Conference suggests participants valued the experience and considered the conference an opportunity to change their approach for conducting research - as a single investigator to a team approach. A change in knowledge occurred from participation in the NRI conference. Researchers' perspectives on the rural development topic were broadened from a single-state to a regional or national level through interactions with other participants and through the post-panel discussions. Further change in knowledge occurred from the additional follow-up conference conducted with breeze technology. Participants who are familiar with qualitative and quantitative research methods were introduced to mixed methods by an well-known scholar in the field who is also the textbook author and editor of a mixed methods journal. Questions were addressed via the breeze set-up and all participants could enter into the discussion. A change in action occurred with the meeting
of researchers at a professional meeting seven months following the conference. Individuals have been attending this professional meeting for approximately 8 to 15 years, but have never before met as a large group to discuss planning of collaborative research and grant writing. Further changes in action are suggested by the adoption of a sequential mixed method approach to research. The qualitative step has been completed and data analysis is underway to advance social capital theory development. The quantitative step was included in the NRI grant proposal to advance theory testing. A change from working independently to collaboratively has occurred as a result of the NRI conference and subsequent activities. The quality of the research design has improved with input from multiple scholars. Protocols have been developed and followed to insure comparable data. Decision-making knowledge has been transferred and advanced. This group has proposed a special session presentation for a
professional conference November 2008. This presentation profiles the building of research collaborations and the advantages individuals have incurred from participating in the NRI 2007 Conference. Others interested in rural development will be invited to join the group.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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