WilliamsCommentproposalLangeJon

Proposal Review - Jonathan Lange DUE: Monday, May 04, 2009 MEMO: PROPOSAL REVIEW __REVIEWER: Logan Williams__ __**TITLE**__ Does the title reflect both the //**specific focus**// of the project, and why it will be of more //**general (theoretical or social)**// interest? __**ABSTRACT**__ Does the abstract clearly specify the //**aims**// of the project? //"rapid changes not only in its practice, but also in its organizational structure and its relationship to other scientific and technical fields. Moreover, the type of knowledge which hydrologists produce is undergoing enormous changes. The goal of this study is to document these changes and analyze how the relationship of hydrology and hydrologists to states and global economic forces is shaping this transformation."// Does the abstract clearly articulate how the project will create //**new knowledge,**// and respond to theoretical or social concerns? //"In so doing, this study will extend and elaborate upon theoretical concerns in the emerging “new political sociology of science” research program within the field of science and technology studies, as well as, create new knowledge about the nature of social structures and their effect on the social construction of knowledge."// Does the abstract provide a succinct yet clear description of //**how the project will be**// //**carried out**//? //This is not clear besides the international comparison aspect// __**OVERVIEW**__ Does the overview clearly describe the aims of the project – //**empirical, conceptual,**// //**methodological and practical**//? Does the overview describe the **importance** of the project – empirically, conceptually, methodologically and practically? //Its kind of present in your discussion of literatures but needs to be drawn out more maybe// Are the **aims of the project reflected** in (clearly articulated) primary research questions? //Yes// Does the overview explain and **justify the type of data** that will be collected for the project? //"Interviews and participant observation with hydrologists will provide data on the changing nature of hydrological knowledge and practices. By interviewing hydrologists of different ages and at different points in their careers, I will be able to understand how these changes are affecting the organizational trajectory of hydrologists as well as the changing relationship between hydrology and other scientific and technical fields. Participant observation with water activists and archival research will reveal the political and economic structures which constrain and enable the production of hydrological knowledge"// Does the overview provide a “snapshot” of the //**various components**// of the research project, and a sense of the //**schedule**// on which they will be completed? //Yes components; No schedule// Does the overview convince you that the //**project is feasible**//, and that the researcher has the //**appropriate expertise**//? //Yes (implicitly), it looks like you know the literature very well already. Awesome.// __**BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE**__ Does the proposal provide an adequate (not too long, nor too short) and compelling description of the //**“object” of the study**//? //Yes; great historical overview/background// Does the proposal clearly explain what //**literatures**// the project will draw on and contribute to? //Yes; This is in the overview too// __**PREPARATION AND WORK THUS FAR**__ Does the proposal describe the relationship between this project and //**previous work**// carried out by the researcher? //Yes; cool your honors thesis was ethnographic study// Does the proposal provide a //**plan**// for pilot studies, literature reviews, language training or other initiatives that need to be undertaken before the project begins? //No I did not see this …never mind it is in the table in the methods section// __**METHODS**__ Does the proposal provide an understandable and compelling “snapshot” of //**what the**// //**researcher thinks is going on**//, based on preliminary investigation and existing theory? //Yes this is in the overview// Does the proposal indicate how the research questions //**build on existing literature**//? //Yes In the abstract and overview// Does the proposal clearly explain what //**data will be used**// to answer the research questions, and how and where this data will be collected? //In the overview and methods sections// Does the proposal provide a very clear sense of what the researcher will do in various //**phases**// or components of the project? //Yes good schedule in tabular format// Are you convinced that the proposed data collection plan is both f//**easible, and**// //**appropriate to the aims**// of the project? //Seems eminently reasonable to me// Does the proposal convince you that the researcher has a strategy for //**validating his or**// //**her data**//, and for //**acknowledging the biase**//s that he or she will bring to the project? //No; This was hard to see// Does the proposal provide a clear and compelling sense of how the data will be //**analyzed**//? //New political sociology of science and Bourdieu fields?// Does the proposal provide a compelling sense of how the data analysis will be //**written**// //**into a text**// – through the development of chapters that develop particular core concepts, for example? //Yes in discussion of dissemination// Does the proposal provide a strategy for addressing the //**ethical dimensions**// of the project, and a sense that that the ethical dimensions have been thoroughly thought through? //No, not that I could tell// __**DISSEMINATION**__ Does the proposal provide a compelling description of the //**scholarly publications**// that will result from the project? Does the proposal describe the //**scholarly audiences**// that will be interested in the books and articles that result from the project? //Yes in abstract and dissemination sections// Does the proposal describe a creative strategy for //**circulating project results**// among informants, and to particular lay audiences? //The web conference idea is awesome! I might steal it.//