Types of Research

There are 3 broad types of research: descriptive (what's happening now?), historical (what happened in the past?), experimental (what happens if...?). The choice of questions determines the type of research, and the type of research directs the questions. It is a matter of the chicken or egg, which comes first?

Using my figgy topic, question choices for each type would be:

Descriptive Research
How do figs compare to other fruit for baking?
What do middle school students think about figs as a lunchbox snack?
What relationship do figs have with the economic climate in the US today?

Historical Research
How prevalent were figs in colonial America?
What are the fig references in the Bible?
What is the evolution of fig production across continents?

Experimental Research
If figs were sold as individually packaged snacks, would middle school students eat them?
What would happen if figgy pudding was made with different sweeteners?
At what point do figs become a tasty treat instead of a bitter orb?

The essential question for my research project will determine the kind of research ultimately done. Right now, I am leaning toward descriptive research since I want to develop a fig orchard and make figs a farmers' market commodity so my interest will be how things need to be done now.

thefoodpoet.com

Fig Ripening Time

It seems to me the time between a ripe fig and a rotten fig is very narrow, unlike apples that can be stored for winter use. From what I understand from The Garden Web, so many variables go into ripening that there can be no official timeline. So, it comes down to appearance and fragrance and touch. Wait too long and the figs go soft, get too sweet and birds are all over them.

I watch for a color change from green to burnished purply-brown, what some people call 'bronze'. The fruit is still firm, but with a little give when touched (unlike a green fig that feels hard to the touch).

Even then, once picked the figs seem to have a short shelf life!  Eat fresh within a couple days, or dehydrate, because they will not last long. According to EatByDate fresh figs will last on the counter for 2-5 days, in the fridge for 5-7 days, and frozen in the freezer for 6-8 months.

BUT, the longer you wait to eat them, the softer they get and the sweeter they get....a game of wait and watch and see who gives in first. Either I give in and eat them before they go bad, or the figs give in and go bad before I eat them.

rachaelray.com
Birds got this fig. Sad, it was too late.

What If?

What if the compounds in figs have cancer-curing properties?

What if the compounds in figs reduce acne?

What if figs, made into fruit leather, is the most nutritious form of food for survival?

What if growing figs in my backyard causes a neighborhood issue?

What if fig-selling can help me afford a new driveway?

www.lahoracero.org

Asking Good Questions

Another aspect of questions as the driving force of research is asking mind-stretching questions. From lower order thinking skills (What is a fig?) to higher order thinking skills (What would a fig be like if the fig plant were grafted onto an apple tree?), questions will determine the level of thinking and the level of answers that result.

Putting a topic through these 7 mind-stretching questions helps push a point of view beyond the obvious:

Quantity Question -- How many ways might a fig be used?
Reorganization Question -- What would happen if figs became the most valuable fruit in the United States?
Supposition Question -- How would fig commodities change if they became the most commonly used medicine for common ailments?
Viewpoint Question -- How would a story of figs be interpreted by JK Rowling and Avi?
Involvement Question -- If you started a fig orchard, what would you do?
Forced Association Question -- How is a fig harvest like gifted learning?  
Evaluation Question -- What is the ultimate value of growing figs in a backyard?

Each of these questions would, of course, generate further questions. Several could actually serve as an Essential Question for a research project. The question in italic may serve as my Essential Question; they are certainly options.

www.path.upmc.edu
Not that figs gets rid of corns...but WHAT IF THEY DID?

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy identifies the 6 levels of learning. There are typical questions associated with each level of learning that breaks the taxonomy into two parts, lower order (basic learning) and higher order (critical thinking). Using figs as my topic, here are some examples of how the 6 levels would work, starting at the lowest level, Remembering:

Lower Order Thinking Skills

logcabincooking.com

1. Remembering -- basic facts about figs: What is a fig? Where does it grow? Are they food?
Basically, questions at this level generate one word, or one fact, answers.

projectwelcometomygarden.com

2. Understanding -- understanding the basic facts: What makes a fig sweet? What parts of the fig can be used for food and what part for propagation? How are fig plants planted?
This level takes the basic facts a bit further into understanding how the plants propagate and grow.

readsnursery.co.uk

3. Applying -- make a chart showing how planting a fig should look in a cross-section: What does the fig plant look like when it is properly planted?
At this level, the basic information is joined to the deeper understanding and applied in some way to show the learning, in this case to make a drawing showing how the plant should look.



Higher Order Thinking Skills

scielo.br

4 Analyzing -- now the critical thinking starts: How does soil ph affect fig growth? What does plant placement on a property affect fig growth?
Analyzing is figuring out how the surrounding information impacts the topic. It become a comparison between types of figs, types of soil ph's, and sun/wind patterns.

mathewwills.com

5. Evaluation -- making a judgment based on information: What type of fig plant would do well in my garden environment?
At this level, I'd be considering which fig types would do well in my garden, given my soil, weather, and sun access. It's a judgement call. I weigh the information and make  decision.

jonathanplant.com

6. Create -- once information is found, understood, can be applied, analyzed, and evaluated a final product can be made, in this case, a fig garden!  I'd make a schematic of my new garden, showing the sun access, rain accumulation, and fig placement. This one is not mine of course because I'm just beginning and nowhere near ready for a plan, but it is an example of future work hopefully!

Calendars and Project Planning

Project planning and the use of a calendar takes the shape of two extremes among gifted thinkers: micro-managing and none at all. Each kind is inspired by perfectionism. 

englishtjejinsverige.blogspot.com

In one case, the person feels the need to control all aspects of the process to every detail. This has value because research can be full of details and documenting those pieces of information can insure nothing gets lost. However, this does not work in the researcher's favor if so much time is devoted to making and checking dates that the real work of questions-and-answers is relegated to a back burner.

In the other case, perfectionism can lead a person to procrastination where nothing gets done until the last minute. 

aspirekc.com

This can look like two things: 1) because only the perfect answer will do, and criticism is dreaded, the gifted thinker becomes frozen until the deadline is so close there is no choice but to do something, often far less than what could have been done and/or 2) because past experience proved that waiting until the last possible moment to complete a project worked out fine, why bother until it's due?  Either way, the missing link with waiting is that the time it takes to pull together facts and authentic data to justify research gets lost. Each day, something needs to be done or the project becomes grains of sand, slipping away. 

Micro-managers or procrastinators: time can be on your side, or work against you. Project planning is a choice. Set the dates, and work toward them.

For the project, make use of either a digital or paper calendar.
Mark the Deadlines (final dates with no negotiation)
and the Target Dates (negotiable, self-appointed dates for completing parts of a project; they can be moved as situations arise).
Work backward from a deadline and guesstimate how long things will take to get done...then make target dates, allowing for 3 extras days to whatever time you think will be enough. This allows a cushion.

Tufte Charts

Tuft Charts are visual representations of a research project using the information generated to tell as much of the story as possible....and that's the bottom line, they tell a story. Where a chart or graph shows one or two pieces of information (usually the most or least of something, or possibly a ranking/comparison of items), a Tufte Chart has enough information to engage the viewer about many pieces of knowledge -- giving the chart more depth and interest, thus making it more valuable.

www.caes.uga.edu

For example, in the graph to the right, the University of Georgia has identifies the kinds of figs that would prosper in areas of Georgia. The graph shows
1- areas of the state where figs can grow
2- fig plant suggestions for the areas
3- the towns associated with the different areas

That's a lot of information in one drawing.

This comical example of what a Tufte chart is NOT is from
www.skreend.com. It illustrates how a simple pie chart can be too simple. The one on the shirt only gives one piece of information, leaving the viewer wondering about the rest of the story.

When presenting my fig information in January, I want to present several layers of information: What kinds of figs can Virginians grow? What soil considerations need to be noted? Where can they be sold? What is done with them?

Of course, the information might take another turn entirely: How many poeple have ever eaten figs? How many people would try them if available? What price would people pay for a pint of figs? How cost effective are figs per planted tree?

Lots of questions. Time to find some facts!