Collaborative Research Kit Overview

Last modified: July 8, 1998 (version information at the end of this page)

This is an HTML template suggests a format for describing collaborative research projects, which we call Collaborative Research Kits (CRKs). We visualize the following rough timeline for setting up and using an CRK:

Come up with an idea:
- Write it down
- Consider the previous literature
- Create a CRK by using this template to create a new web page. Edit each section to describe your idea for a CS education research project that could involve researchers from other schools. You need not have answers to all of the questions in order to post your CRK.
- Send either the URL for your CRK or the page itself to <almstrum@cs.utexas.edu> with a request that it be added to the CRK summary.
- Share by posting a notice of where your CRK is located and what it is about to the csed-research mailing list
Refine the idea with help from collaborators. Update the CRK as the design evolves.
Run the study
Evaluate the results
Propagate the results

Title Short, descriptive title of CRK content

Version history Since the description of any CRK will evolve, it is important to provide version information. I recommend a numbering system, date, and responsible person on a line. See the end of this template for an example.

Executive overview Briefly describe what is being studied and the approach to be used in the proposed research.

Proposer / contact information Who are you? How can you be contacted (email, web, phone, snail mail)?

Motivation and goals of project What is your motivation for setting up this collaborative project? What goals do you have for the project?

Stage of project What have you accomplished so far? For example: "brainstorming", "literature review underway", "planning of research design", "trial run", "under execution locally", "replication", "evaluation of completed study" ...

Level of course(s) under study
What is the level of the students/courses? How flexible is the level? Could collaborators apply the study to populations that differ from yours? Possible levels include:

pre-college (K-12)
lower-level undergraduate (CS0, CS1)
upper-level undergraduate
graduate / postgraduate
industry / government

Description of methodology / design Describe the study as you visualize it or have already developed it.

Time estimates

How much time do you estimate a collaborator will need to spend in setting up and preparing to participate?
How much time will participants be required to spend?
How much class time will be needed?

Resources Does the study require specific hardware or software?

Materials What materials are needed? Which materials have you developed that will be / must be used in the collaborator's setting?

Limitations or constraints What could limit the study? Under what constraints will the study need to operate?

Specific steps to participate What exactly would a collaborator be expected to do?

Form of results What is the data that will be generated? Which tool(s) will be used for collecting the data? It is important that this section be as specific as possible, since the exchange of data can be one of the most challenging aspects of a collaborative project.

Evaluation and analysis methods How will the data be analyzed and the results evaluated at each individual site?

Coordinating researcher (s) Who will be the coordinating researcher(s)? Someone needs to take the lead in checking progress, answering questions, and collecting the results. Often, this will be the person who creates the CRK. Include their institution and contact information.

Current collaborators Who else is involved in the study? Include institution and contact information.

Form of collaboration Will collaborators be contributors, co-authors, or play some other role(s)?

Collection and synthesis of data What will be the procedure for gathering the data of all of the collaborators into a single pool and making sense of it?

Plans for publication and presentation How will the results be propagated? For example, the results could be published in a paper for a SIGCSE Technical Conference.

Additional ideas Any topic not covered above could go here.

Version history of this template:

V. 01 (980709) by Vicki Almstrum, almstrum@cs.utexas.edu
V. 00 (980429) by Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersv.edu

Title	Short, descriptive title of CRK content
Version history	Since the description of any CRK will evolve, it is important to provide version information. I recommend a numbering system, date, and responsible person on a line. See the end of this template for an example.
Executive overview	Briefly describe what is being studied and the approach to be used in the proposed research.
Proposer / contact information	Who are you? How can you be contacted (email, web, phone, snail mail)?
Motivation and goals of project	What is your motivation for setting up this collaborative project? What goals do you have for the project?
Stage of project	What have you accomplished so far? For example: "brainstorming", "literature review underway", "planning of research design", "trial run", "under execution locally", "replication", "evaluation of completed study" ...
Level of course(s) under study	What is the level of the students/courses? How flexible is the level? Could collaborators apply the study to populations that differ from yours? Possible levels include: pre-college (K-12) lower-level undergraduate (CS0, CS1) upper-level undergraduate graduate / postgraduate industry / government
Description of methodology / design	Describe the study as you visualize it or have already developed it.
Time estimates	How much time do you estimate a collaborator will need to spend in setting up and preparing to participate? How much time will participants be required to spend? How much class time will be needed?
Resources	Does the study require specific hardware or software?
Materials	What materials are needed? Which materials have you developed that will be / must be used in the collaborator's setting?
Limitations or constraints	What could limit the study? Under what constraints will the study need to operate?
Specific steps to participate	What exactly would a collaborator be expected to do?
Form of results	What is the data that will be generated? Which tool(s) will be used for collecting the data? It is important that this section be as specific as possible, since the exchange of data can be one of the most challenging aspects of a collaborative project.
Evaluation and analysis methods	How will the data be analyzed and the results evaluated at each individual site?
Coordinating researcher (s)	Who will be the coordinating researcher(s)? Someone needs to take the lead in checking progress, answering questions, and collecting the results. Often, this will be the person who creates the CRK. Include their institution and contact information.
Current collaborators	Who else is involved in the study? Include institution and contact information.
Form of collaboration	Will collaborators be contributors, co-authors, or play some other role(s)?
Collection and synthesis of data	What will be the procedure for gathering the data of all of the collaborators into a single pool and making sense of it?
Plans for publication and presentation	How will the results be propagated? For example, the results could be published in a paper for a SIGCSE Technical Conference.
Additional ideas	Any topic not covered above could go here.