Michael Kleine used “hunters” and “gatherers” to describe two kinds of models that people usually choose to do their researches. And personally, this figuration he used is excellent.
He pointed out in the article that when a “hunter” do his research, he usually walk into the world with a strong sense of purpose and direction. The hunter will use his skills and strategies to kill this game. And when a “gatherer” do his research, he usually choose to look about widely, making sense and use of the food he discovers fortuitously. Namely, a hunter finds what he is looking for, a gatherer discovers that which might be of use.
How precisely he described the ways we choose to do the research and I can even see myself from his figuration.
I remember that during the research in the archives, I read files about co-education in SCU and I googled everything that I was not sure because I needed to have the most accurate and clear understanding to these terms. I searched those interrelated files as many as possible and I chose to ignore those files which were seemed to have nothing to do with my topic. And I can see that at that time, I was like a hunter; I knew what would be effective and helpful in my research. So the moment I walked into the archives, I had a strong sense of purpose and direction that I need files about co-education and history records of big events after and before 1961. All these files can be really helpful for my research and also offered me a clear clue about what was going on at that time.
So I think I consider myself as a “hunter” during the research process and I was not a “gatherer”. I raised questions in my mind and then I went to the archives to seek the answers. I did not walk into the archives with an open enough mind. I narrowed my ideas only to co-education in SCU and never expanded any further perspectives or questions. Michael Kleine’s “gatherers” theory can be a new challenge for me. I can imagine a much broader expansion of my research if I did not finish my research with a too strong and too narrow purpose.
My research can be a totally different version if I can be a hunter in the archives, and at the same time, I also be a gatherer. As a hunter, I can collect the information which are related to my topic directly and do not get confused and lost in the archives. As a gatherer, I can seek files which may be relevant to my topic and then they might become the crucial points which can also expand my research. And then my research did not have to be only about the co-education; I can maybe talk more about the females’ college life after the changes of policies, the progress the females made after they were admitted to SCU, and the changes of the males’ attitudes to this event, etc. Just like the examples I listed that they will so many further and related topics which I can develop in my research.
Michael Kleine showed his readers two wonderful ways to do the researches. And I believe it would be extremely helpful if someone can find the balance between the “hunter” part and the “gatherer” part. The research may too narrow if the researcher is only a hunter, and the research can also be too lax if the researcher is only a gatherer. People who are smart enough that eventually can play parts will definitely become excellent researchers.
And last but not least, I do hope that I can be smart enough one day to play both parts during my research process.
Enough for today’s blog. And here comes my best blessing to all my readers and everyone:
And btw, not only every night;
Let’s make it every single day!!!