5 Key Research Insights You Need to Know
Authors: Dr. Chanel Beebe, Dr. Michole Washington
Research continuously evolves, bringing new insights and discoveries that shape our understanding of various fields. Staying up-to-date with the latest research developments is crucial for academics, professionals, and anyone interested in understanding the world around them. This article explores five key research insights currently making waves, offering valuable knowledge that can help guide future studies, applications, and entrepreneurial strategies—particularly for those focusing on STEM education, engineering, and mathematics. This article explores five key research insights currently making waves, offering valuable knowledge that can help guide future studies and applications.
The Power of Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Collaboration across disciplines leads to more innovative and comprehensive research outcomes. In STEM education, particularly in engineering and mathematics, bringing together diverse perspectives can help tackle complex problems more effectively. When experts from different fields come together, they often produce more creative and impactful research. In a study supported by the National Science Foundation, Justin Reeves Meyer and their team wanted to see how blending perspectives could make engineering research easier for the public to understand. Participants from aviation, math, music, and even theater worked together on a shared theme of “movement,” the results demonstrated that audiences found the research more engaging and easier to understand when different disciplines were involved. They brought in people from various backgrounds—aviation, math, music, soil science, and even theater—and asked them to create presentations about their fields. Then, they worked together to make a joint presentation about a shared theme: Movement.
The results were precise—audiences found engineering more relatable and engaging when researchers collaborated than when presentations were done solo. This approach also helped bridge gaps between fields, making connections that aren’t always obvious. The takeaway? Consider bringing in diverse perspectives if you want your research to reach and resonate with a wider audience. It’s not just about making things more interesting—it’s about making them more meaningful.
This insight is crucial for entrepreneurs in the STEM field: fostering interdisciplinary teams can make your product or service more innovative and help you communicate its value more effectively. By integrating knowledge from diverse fields, you can create solutions that address multiple aspects of a problem, potentially giving you a competitive edge.
At Beebe Arts Consulting, we take a holistic approach to our Research Design Consulting Services. Our interdisciplinary team combines expertise from diverse fields, including research design, community engagement, and project management, to offer comprehensive solutions tailored to your unique needs.
2. The Importance of Open Data
Making research data openly accessible is more than just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for building transparency and trust and sparking discoveries. When data is publicly available, researchers, educators, and companies can collaborate more effectively, test findings, and drive meaningful innovations. One example is Open Educational Resources (OER), which offers free access to teaching and learning materials. Experts like Dr. Edmundo Tovar and Dr. Nelson Piedra emphasize that OER should be well-organized, easy to update, and clearly labeled to ensure their impact and usefulness.
The same principles apply to all types of open data. Think about it: if educational data is easily accessible and well-structured, it can overlap knowledge across fields and cultures. This isn’t just about sharing information—it’s about turning research into a true public good that anyone can use, adapt, and build on to tackle real-world issues, from improving education systems to addressing social inequities.
Entrepreneurs focusing on STEM education should take note: open data can fuel product development, providing access to information that might help you improve or expand your offerings. By leveraging public datasets or contributing your findings, you can foster collaborations and innovations that keep your business at the forefront of the education field. Prioritizing transparency and open access can also build customer trust, enhancing your brand’s reputation.
Making open data a priority and integrating it into standard research and ethical development practices will unlock new opportunities for domestic and global collaboration and progress. At Beebe Arts, we provide Data Analysis and Reporting so that our clients can share their research findings to their broader network. We have a proven track record, including successful collaborations with organizations such as Global Detroit and Ford Motor Company, where we have collected and analyzed data that later turned into impactful results that drove positive change in their respective communities.
3. The Rise of Citizen Science
Citizen science—the involvement of the public in the research process—is becoming a powerful tool in STEM research, especially in education. Research outcomes are more grounded in real-world contexts by tapping into local knowledge and engaging communities in data collection. This approach is particularly useful in environmental science, public health, and even mathematics education, where local insights can lead to more impactful solutions.
For STEM-focused businesses, this is an opportunity to develop products or services that incorporate user feedback or engage customers in the data collection process. Not only does this lead to more robust research findings, but it can also strengthen customer loyalty and create more personalized experiences. Entrepreneurs can also leverage this approach to demonstrate a commitment to community engagement, which can differentiate their brand in a crowded market.
Engaging the public in research processes through citizen science initiatives enhances data collection and provides valuable local knowledge, leading to more impactful research outcomes.
4. Ethics in Research Practices
Ethical considerations are becoming increasingly central in research, especially in data collection fields, such as STEM education. Ensuring participants' privacy, obtaining informed consent, and maintaining transparency are essential to building public trust. Failing to adhere to these standards can result in reputational damage and legal issues.
For entrepreneurs, particularly those developing educational technologies or conducting research, embedding ethical standards into your business practices is a legal requirement and a way to build credibility. Being upfront about how you use data, protect it, and engage with users is critical in today’s market, where privacy concerns are at an all-time high. Ethical practices also help you maintain long-term relationships with educators, institutions, and customers.
Ethical considerations are becoming increasingly central in research. From data privacy to informed consent, ethical research practices are essential to protect participants and maintain public trust.
5. The Growing Role of Technology
Advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, are transforming research methods, including in STEM education. Tools like AI enable researchers to analyze vast datasets more efficiently, uncover new patterns, and generate deeper insights. For instance, platforms like Khan Academy are using AI to personalize learning experiences, adapting the content to the learner’s needs and pace, which is revolutionizing education.
Entrepreneurs in the STEM field can capitalize on these advancements by integrating AI into their products or services. Whether it's through developing personalized learning tools or using AI-driven data analysis to refine your offerings, the possibilities are endless. Leveraging these technologies can not only make your business more innovative but also more efficient, providing value to both customers and stakeholders.
Advances in technology, such as AI and machine learning, are transforming research methods. These tools enable researchers to analyze vast datasets, uncover new patterns, and generate insights faster than ever before. This will focus more on AI in education. I can mention platforms like Khan Academy’s education. But I also need to…
Implications
Clients and potential clients can use these insights to enhance their research strategies and outcomes. By embracing interdisciplinary collaboration, they can approach problems with a broader perspective and find innovative solutions. Utilizing open data and engaging in citizen science can improve the transparency and impact of their research. Adhering to ethical standards ensures the protection of participants and maintains public trust, which is vital for the credibility of their work. Lastly, leveraging new technologies like AI can accelerate data analysis and uncover deeper insights, making research more efficient and effective.
Ready to apply these insights to your own work?
Book a call with Beebe Arts Consulting today to see how we can help you transform your research and achieve impactful results!
Relevant Articles
Meyer, J. R., Weiss, L., Hayde, D., Longmeier, M., Cai, M., & Gopalakrishnan, S. (2022, June). How interdisciplinary collaboration helps communicate engineering research to community audiences. In Zone 1 Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education.
Anderson, T., Gaines, A., Leachman, C., & Williamson, E. P. (2017). Faculty and Instructor Perceptions of Open Educational Resources in Engineering. The Reference Librarian, 58(4), 257–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763877.2017.1355768
E. Tovar and N. Piedra, "Guest Editorial: Open Educational Resources in Engineering Education: Various Perspectives Opening the Education of Engineers," in IEEE Transactions on Education, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 213-219, Nov. 2014, doi: 10.1109/TE.2014.2359257.