Researcher Interview: Dr. Laura Maurer

Dr. Maurer has recently published the paper: Board Member Perceptions of Small Nonprofit Organization Effectiveness through JSBHS, which can be seen at: http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/jsbhs/vol10/iss1/3/

1. Please briefly describe your current research.

The focus of my current research is to understand the process by which boards of directors, the fiduciary agents, of small nonprofit organizations become effective (or ineffective) in meeting their organizational missions.

2 How did you come to be in this area of study?

I came to this area of study from two directions.  One was pragmatic.  I have been a member of the board of directors of four unique, small nonprofit organizations over the past fifteen years.  I experienced firsthand the stresses and constraints, as well as the rewards, of participating in the dynamic of nonprofit board operations.  I committed myself to contributing to positive social change in my community by trying to alleviate the stresses that compromise the abilities of nonprofit boards to provide quality services and programs.

At the same time, I developed an intellectual curiosity, independent of any practical application, as to how current social scientists interpret the empirical interactions among nonprofit board members.  Small nonprofit boards are made up of volunteers who devote much time, energy and financial resources to the achievement of their organizational goals.  Why would anyone do this?  I wanted to understand this phenomenon from a theoretical and academic point of view.

3. What do like best about doing research?

Academic research is surrounded by the structure of the disciplinary literature and methodology. Within that structure, I found liberation.  I was not constrained to a particular outcome.  My data directed me.  I did not direct my data.  I was as free to challenge current conceptions in my field as I was to confirm them.  This is what I like best.

4. What do you dislike the most about doing research?

I experienced frustration in maintaining adherence to APA 6th guidelines.  I took the time to familiarize myself with details of citation, in particular, and still fell woefully short in execution. (No pun intended.)  I am conflicted about whether to devote more time to perfecting these skills or whether my time could be put to better use.

5. Advice for new researchers who would like to be published?

If you believe that your research will contribute to positive social change and/or to furthering knowledge in your academic discipline you should pursue every avenue available to publication.  Your commitment will see you through any hurdles. Also, you should be able to articulate your research problem, methods, and results in language that is accessible to people outside of the academic community.  That’s what really gets people on board.

Rewriting Your Dissertation into an Article: Rewriting and Polishing

Once you have a draft of your article, it is time to begin the rewriting and polishing phase. Everyone has to do it, including very experienced writers. Accept that rewriting is part of the process, and spend that extra time now to save you pain later.

Where to start? I suggest reading through the draft in full, make notes to yourself (I use track changes) and mark areas that are not complete, that may not be clear to someone reading it for the first time, or that need more support with citations. Then start at the beginning and read each sentence aloud, is there a way to make it clearer, more concise? Picture your grandmother who knows nothing about your topic reading it, would she understand that sentence? Have you explained any terms that might be considered jargon? Check for any pronouns (they, he, and she), is it clear who the pronouns are referring to? Check your plurals versus possessives (this makes me crazy when they are wrong): plurals (e.g. “girls”) do not have an apostrophe, possessives do have an apostrophe (e.g., “the girl’s bike;” “the girls’ bikes”).

Do you know a former English major? Someone who is a great writer? If so, ask them to read through your paper and offer suggestions.

Check your results sections' APA format. There are very specific ways that statistics should be written, check the APA Manual that you are doing it correctly. If you are including tables or figures, then PLEASE read the sections on these in the APA Manual, not only on how to do them but also when to use them.

Print out your references, then go through the paper crossing off each time you have cited the reference. They should come out even. Double check if the citation has 3+ authors (e.g., Smith, Jones, & Johnson, 2015) then use et al. after the first citation (Smith et al., 2015).

Researcher Interview: Dr. Tiffany Rush-Wilson

1. Please briefly describe your current research.

I am in the middle of several research projects. My primary research interest falls under the larger umbrella of “women’s issues”. Specifically I am interested in eating disorders, pregnancy loss and relationship issues in “under-researched” populations of women. Currently I am finishing some research that has been ongoing on for a few years about retrospective self-perspectives of adolescent relationships among adult women. Essentially, we interviewed adult women who discussed their significant adolescent romantic relationships and reflected on how the relationships impacted their romantic choices in their adult lives. I am also beginning research on help-seeking attitudes for women who self-identify as members of a minority and/or disenfranchised group who experience elective, or spontaneous, pregnancy loss. Both of these projects have been incredibly interesting, yet emotionally impactful, for me as the researcher and for the participants.

2 How did you come to be in this area of study?

Quite honestly, having the experience of being an African American woman, students and clinician provided me with opportunities to understand that there are gaps in the literature. By that, I mean that there is not always research available that addresses the needs, or experiences, of all people. This has been true for my own circumstances, and for those of many of my clients and students. There have been times when I read information, understood it, but also had an awareness that the study did not fit my circumstances. While I believed the oversights to be inadvertent and unintentional, I wanted my experiences (and those of my clients, and others) to be included in the literature so I decided to make an effort to investigate what I believe is missing.

3. What do like best about doing research?

Speaking with participants and finding unexpected results is exciting. My research is primarily qualitative so I have the honor of being able to speak with participants as they share aspects of their lives with me. Qualitative research is similar, in that respect, to my clinical work. As a therapist people share interesting, personal information with me and allow me to help them find solutions to concerns they have in their lives. In research people also share personal, intimate information with the purpose of allowing their experiences to inform and guided the literature, and thus experiences of others. Invariably I learn from the personal accounts  of others. Their level of resilience, and uniqueness of expression, in various approaches to coping with life’s unexpected events fascinates me. I am energized and charged by hearing and learning about the different ways in which people engage life. Clinical work and research both allow me to develop this interest.

4. What do you dislike the most about doing research?

I can be perfectionistic. In doing so I can ponder, write, and rewrite, and rewrite the same paragraph, chapter, or proposal many times trying to perfect it. I want to share information and represent my participants in the best possible way. Having such a perfectionistic approach can absolutely slow down progress. This is the part I most disliked because in my zeal for having information be disseminated about a given experience I can become frustrated, and even overwhelmed which may thwart my desired result….but revising after submission is a close second.

5. Advice for new researchers who would like to be published?

Work with someone. A few years ago a colleague shared with me, after having published several articles and books as a sole researcher, that she will “never again” publish by herself. While she is a very prolific, impressive researcher, she identified the benefits of collaborative research. I recommend that students, beginning researchers, and seasoned researchers consider collaborative research. Not only does it allow for different perspectives during the investigation but, although seemingly paradoxical, it also allows for accountability and adherence to strict deadlines. Things are likely to be submitted on time out of necessity. Approaching faculty members and asking if they have research projects open for collaboration is a start. One of my favorite research projects was a group of students and one colleague. We ultimately presented this research at a conference in Austria. Collaboration allows me to both engage with other faculty members and students while sticking to deadlines. It’s a great experience.

Happy Independence Day!

Today, in honor of the 4^th of July, I would like to talk about courage and publishing. One of the reasons that many people do not attempt to publish their research, is because of the fear of putting themselves out there, and be criticized. It is difficult to go through all of the pain of doing a study, writing it up, and then have someone criticize what you did!

Yet, isn't one of the reasons you did the study was to cause social change though an awareness of your results? Publishing is part of being a professional researcher; it is painful, but also critical to your field of study and profession.

Here at the Journal of Social, Health, and Behavioral Sciences, we are committed to helping new professionals get published. That does not mean it is easy, but we will give you the opportunity to revise and get editing help, if needed. We will work with you to develop an article that you will be proud to call your own.

Researcher Interview: Dr. Lisa A. Hollis-Sawyer

Dr. Lisa A. Hollis-Sawyer is an Associate Professor in the Psychology department and Coordinator of the Gerontology program at Northeastern Illinois University. Dr. Hollis-Sawyer has more than fifteen years of experience in publishing research and writing books. Dr. Hollis-Sawyer has co-authored four books, with two books as the first author and primary book developer, and has authored or co-authored 22 scholarly publications. She is also a reviewer for JSBHS.

1. Please briefly describe your current research.

My general research agenda is best conceptualized as encompassing the topic of positive aging and quality of life outcomes into later adulthood. My recent research interests range from the impact of an aging global population on many aspects of individual and societal functioning (e.g., quality of life standards in living environments and associated community planning strategies) to psychological reactions to specific social and environmental contexts (e.g., “aging in place” needs and motivations). 

2. How did you come to be in this area of study?

I have always been interested in working on improving older adults’ quality of life outcomes since I was a young girl growing up with my maternal grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease.  My grandmother’s behavior and memory lapses had a long-lasting impact on my desire to help improve older adults’ lives in a meaningful manner.

3. What do like best about doing research?

I enjoy every step in the research process, from the conceptualization of the research idea to the analyzing and writing of the research study’s culminating results.  It is an exciting process of discovery that stimulates my teaching and community service initiatives also.

4. What do you dislike the most about doing research?

Nothing!  I am always excited to work with colleagues and students to discover new ways of thinking and possible solutions to existing issues of concern with a growing aging population.

5. Advice for new researchers who would like to be published?

My best advice for new researchers who would like to be published is to never be discouraged when receiving feedback from the manuscript submission process and to utilize all feedback received as an opportunity for growth and improvement as a writer.

Rewriting Your Dissertation into an Article: Discussion

The final text section of your paper is the Discussion, similar to the dissertation's Chapter 5. In your discussion, you will evaluate, interpret the results, and draw conclusions about them. Emphasize the theoretical or practical consequences of your findings. Be very careful that you are not misinterpreting or misrepresenting your findings (e.g., "the results are clear that older adults…" Did you examine ALL older adults? No? Then do not over generalize).

Begin your discussion with a clear statement of support or nonsupport for original hypotheses (it can also be structured in term of your research questions). Relate the findings to the previous literature, how do your results fit in with others' work? Your interpretations should take into account sources of bias and threats to internal validity. Also, consider limitations or weakness or your study. Bring in the theoretical implications of the study; does it fit with previous theories- why or why not? If not, could the theory be modified to account for your findings? Finally, end with problems remain unsolved, and what future areas of research have you identified?

Now you should have a draft of your paper, in a future post we will consider polishing the paper before submitting it to a journal.

Researcher Interview: Dr. Ellen Levine

1. Please briefly describe your current research.

             Right now we are still conducting data analyses and writing up results from a longitudinal study of breast cancer survivors who we followed for two years after end of treatment, measuring quality of life, mood, spirituality, and social support. We have a lot of qualitative and quantitative data that we are mining. I’d also like do conduct similar research with ovarian cancer survivors.

2 How did you come to be in this area of study?

             When I was nine years old my father developed prostate cancer. He was an ophthalmologist but he began to examine the cancer literature, looking for the most recent medical breakthroughs in prostate cancer. So by the time I got to college I knew a bit about cancer. I had already decided that I didn’t want to be a MD (I’m too squeamish) but the year I started college was the year the term “behavioral medicine” was coined. My father sent me an article on that and I immediately decided that’s what I would do with a focus on cancer. The term “Psycho-oncology” hadn’t been coined yet (it would be around 10 years later) but that’s what I knew I wanted to do.

3. What do like best about doing research?

             I love working with the people involved-other researchers, students, participants as well as writing and data analysis. It’s like solving a mystery, collecting clues and analyzing them. I like grant writing but it’s so hard to get funding these days that it gets very frustrating so I much prefer actually having the grant and carrying it out.

4. What do you dislike the most about doing research?

             Coping with rejection from grant sources and journals. Putting my heart and soul into something just to have it rejected.

5. Advice for new researchers who would like to be published?

             The person with the most grants and publications has the most rejections. I live by that thought. Be tenacious and don’t give up. Somewhere there’s a journal for you. But make sure it’s a reputable journal and not one that will make you pay to publish. If your grant covers that OK. But don’t spend your own pocket money on it.

Some sample publications I have had recently:

Levine, E. G., Yoo, G., Aviv, C., Ewing, C., & Au, A. (2012). Spiritual coping among breast cancer survivors from different ethnic groups. In CA Stark & DC Bonner (eds.) Spirituality: Belief Systems, Societal Impact, and Roles in Coping (p. 61-84). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Levine, E. G., Yoo, G, J., & Aviv, C. (2016). Predictors of quality of life among breast cancer survivors from different ethnic groups. Journal of Applied Quality of Life. DOI: 10.1007/s11482-016-9447-x

Yoo, G. J., Sudhakar, A., Le, M-N., & Levine, E. G. (2015). Exploring coping strategies among young Asian American women breast cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Education, Published online October 8, 2015.

Levine, E. G., Vong, S., & Yoo, G. J. (2015). Development and initial validation of a spiritual support subscale for the MOS Social Support scale. Journal of Religion & Health. Published online Feb 14, 2015. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0005-x

Lagman, R. A., Yoo, G. J., Levine, E. G., Donnell, K. A., & Lim, H. R. (2014). “Leaving it to God” Religion and spirituality among Filipina immigrant breast cancer survivors. Journal of Religion and Health, 53(2), 449-460. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-012-9648-z 

Yoo, G. J., Levine, E. G., & Pasik, R. (2014). Breast cancer and coping among women of color: A systematic review. Supportive Care Cancer, 22, 811-824. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-013-