My wife told me a joke a few weeks ago to tease me. The joke progressed along the lines of ‘I am a carpenter; yes I do talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice.’ At the time I chuckled as the joke contained a certain element of truth to it, and as a carpenter I often do talk to myself when I am attempting to solve a problem. After reading Reasearch Diary: A Tool for Scoffolding by Marion Engin I realized there may be something insightful about talking to oneself, other than just a silly joke. 

Engin describes the communication that the expert engages with oneself as “the expert other.” She continues to write that, “The expert other can also be the literature with which the writer is interacting and the other interlocutor then becomes the co-constructor of knowledge in the dialogue.” (pg 298) Though Engin is clearly describing the act of diary writing, the act of engaging in conversation with oneself, although not a substitute and perhaps not as effective as writing, helps one to question self and fill in knowledge gaps that may exist.  Analyzing the process of self reflection, through writing or even speech, while using the lens of the 4R’s (researcher, research, researched, and reader) vastly improves data collection. 

As a researcher who is working on a project, discussing the information at hand with oneself provides an avenue to interact with the data collected. Engin writes that “The diary then becomes a colleague… someone to confide in.” (pg 299) According to Engin this is especially the case when a researcher is working alone; but I believe that a positive reflection on data obtained is a reasonable way to make sense of what was collected. Indeed, when posed with a complex carpentry problem I find the best way to make sense of it is to write down what I am trying to achieve and interact with the problem until I am able to find a solution.

The research is the topic in which the researcher is seeking to understand. In other words, it is what the researcher is trying to find. In the article Autoethnography: An Overview by Carolyn Ellis, Tony E. Adams and Arthur P. Bochner the research is denoted as the cultural experience attempting to be understood. In my own carpentry practice the research may be considered the specific problem I would be looking to understand and solve.

The researched includes those, or what, are involved in the research topic. Referring back to Autoethnography: An Overview the researched pertains to the personal experiences of the individual. Relating this to carpentry, the researched may be my own understanding of how to resolve a particular problem. It may also be an outside expert or agency which is queried to aid in the research. 

Finally, the reader is the person or people that seek to learn about what has been written. In the case of an autoethnography it may be an individual which is seeking to read first hand knowledge about a culture or a cultural experience. In the case of a carpentry problem, the reader is a more abstract concept, as the information is not necessarily written, but may exist as an object or project. The reader could henceforth be considered the individual or people that utilizing the completed project. 

In conclusion, the act of interacting with data is an effective tool, not only for research, but it can also have merits in any field. In the field of carpentry a research diary may help the builder reflect on resolving problems and record any pertinent information encountered during the build. Indeed, Engin describes the benefit of writing to “include serving as a reminder of past ideas and events which guided subsequent action.” (pg 298) In any field where positive practices are a must – the research practice of diary writing will prove invaluable.