Written in the first person so that each researcher can make a clear commitment to these goals.

Goals for My Research:

• I will aim to produce a definitive synopsis on each topic.
• I will aim to write reviews that will withstand critiques from both researchers and practitioners.
• I will seek a fresh perspective on every topic that I consider.
• I will seek to understand the human functioning behind each phenomenon that I study.

Approaches to Doing the Research:

• I will keep practical application as a guidepost as I do my research and think about each topic.
• I will seek out a wide range of articles for each topic.
• I will examine the evidence to find the truth, limiting the influence of my prejudices.
• I will approach each research article with healthy skepticism, understanding that:
  • Authors’ conclusions can be wrong, biased, or narrow.
  • The relevance of the article may be limited in scope.
  • Research articles may not generalize to the practice of training.
  • A single research article by itself is not worth much; a confluence of evidence is usually required.
  • Research articles may have methodological flaws and so may not be relevant. Sometimes, though rarely, these flaws may be tangential enough to be ignored or downplayed.
• I will examine empirical research studies and not just review articles.
• I will approach each review article with healthy skepticism, understanding that:
  • Reviews can be wrong.
  • Reviews can be limited in scope and thus not relevant.
  • Reviews may not generalize to the practice of training or workplace learning.
  • Reviews can inappropriately evaluate research articles.

Approaches to Doing the Writing

• I will write in an engaging style that promotes interest, wonder, and a clear sense of what to do.
• I will write so that practitioners will quickly and easily understand my points.
• I will seek out researchers with relevant expertise to provide feedback and insight on the content.
• I will seek out practitioners to provide feedback and insight on the writing and its practicality.
• I will write a fair and balanced synopsis and let the reader know my level of certainty.
• I will follow prescribed editorial guidelines.