Fig.1. Research questions spider map

When reading an academic paper give it due consideration by using this spider map as an aide-memoire.

It runs from Structure in a clockwise direction through to Implications.

I’ve only just counted the number of ‘issues’ – 12 is a coincidence.

The reality so far is that 8 will do it, 12 if I want to be thorough and probably just a few of these if I am going to look at title, abstract, authors.

I create a standard template using these as I go along – two columns minimum, sometimes three depending what I want to take, or share or develop from the paper.

In time these should become automatic.

‘Paradigms’ still throws me.

I’m not hot on ‘Concepts’ or ‘Frameworks’ either.

All the more reason to be on the postgraduate module H809 : Practice-based research in educational technology with the Open University