Jenkins Academy of Applied Technology

JAAT 101 · Research Literacy and the Research Lifecycle

Noncredit professional training for Jenkins-affiliated researchers and independent learners.

School of Adult Learning & Training · 100-level

Not open for enrollment

Course purpose

Build a practical foundation for asking researchable questions, finding and evaluating evidence, choosing suitable methods, writing clearly, and handling data responsibly. Learners work with fictional or public examples only; this introductory course is not authorization to conduct a study or handle restricted research data.

By the end, learners should be able to

Describe research as an iterative process and identify where a question may need revision.
Refine a topic into a focused question and compare public sources in context.
Match a preliminary approach to a question and state a limit on the conclusions it can support.
Identify when to consult an IRB/HRPP, sponsor, data steward, community partner, or other authorized contact.
Prepare and self-review a one-page Research Starter Brief.

Course structure

JAAT 101 includes six lessons, practice activities, and a one-page Research Starter Brief. Learners use public or fictional examples and can study independently.

Learner route and safe practice

Jenkins-affiliated learners use work examples only when they contain no confidential project details, personal information, restricted data, or unpublished protocol material. Independent learners use public-interest topics, public sources, fictional cases, or datasets cleared for educational use. This course is not a process for deciding whether a real project may proceed. Do not recruit participants or collect identifiable information for its assignments.

Learning sequence

Module 01

Research as a process

Read the lesson and practice activity

Research is iterative. A search may show that a question is too broad; an early analysis may show that a measure is not useful; a result may raise another question. Disciplines use different approaches, but responsible work connects a question, existing evidence, a plausible approach, interpretation, and communication. A course map helps identify when a decision needs specialist guidance; it does not replace that guidance.

Practice

Draw or list a lifecycle for a public or fictional topic: question, existing evidence, approach, evidence or data, interpretation, communication, and next question. Add one arrow back to an earlier step and mark one place you would seek expertise.

Discussion prompt

Share a public or fictional question and one stage where it may need revision. Explain why. In your response to a peer, identify one assumption to check or one source that could help; do not make a regulatory determination.

Module 02

From topic to question

Read the lesson and practice activity

A topic names an area of interest; a research question says what should be understood, for whom or in what context, and sometimes over what period or comparison. A useful first question is clear, focused enough to search, connected to an information need, and answerable with a plausible approach. Avoid wording that assumes a particular result. Discipline-specific frameworks such as PICO or PCC are optional tools for particular purposes, not universal templates.

Practice

Complete: broad topic; who needs an answer; what remains unclear; first question; why it may be too broad or narrow; revised question; one decision or understanding the answer could change.

Discussion prompt

Post your focused question and explain one choice you made while narrowing it. Respond to a peer with a neutral clarification question rather than a replacement question they must adopt.

Module 03

Find and judge evidence

Read the lesson and practice activity

A search is iterative: identify key concepts, related terms, and synonyms; record where you searched and which terms you used. A result is a lead, not a verdict. Judge sources in context: creator, purpose, date, evidence, audience, limitations, and fit for the claim. Peer review tells you something about a publication process, but does not prove that every claim is true or relevant. Authority depends on the claim being supported.

Practice

Compare three public sources. For each, record its citation, source type and creator, audience and purpose, main contribution, evidence or method, limitation, relevance, and what it cannot establish. End by explaining how the sources relate.

Discussion prompt

Share one source, why it is useful, and one thing it cannot establish. Ask a peer what evidence or perspective may be missing; explain your reasoning rather than labeling a source simply good or bad.

Module 04

Match questions and approaches

Read the lesson and practice activity

Quantitative approaches can describe amounts, patterns, associations, or defined comparisons; numbers alone do not establish cause or explain experience. Qualitative approaches can explore meaning, process, and context; a purposive sample may provide depth without estimating how common a theme is in a wider population. Mixed methods can answer complementary questions but require a plan for integration. Evidence synthesis and program evaluation also need a defined purpose and method. No approach is automatically best.

Practice

For your question, name one approach, the evidence it would produce, one conclusion it could support, one conclusion it could not support alone, and an alternative approach and what it might add.

Discussion prompt

In the discussion board, compare two approaches for one public or fictional question. Explain how the resulting evidence would differ.

Module 05

Responsible next steps

Read the lesson and practice activity

Before moving from planning into activity, researchers check which permissions and responsibilities apply. These may include institutional review, consent, privacy, data access, sponsor terms, community partnership, authorship, conflicts, and other safeguards. An AI assistant, course quiz, or colleague cannot decide whether a real project is exempt from IRB review. Ask the responsible IRB/HRPP, sponsor, data steward, community partner, or other authorized office.

Practice

For a fictional or public example, mark each item not relevant, need to check, or know where to ask: participants, identifiable information, access/privacy/sharing rules, sponsor or institution requirements, partners, authorship/conflicts, AI use, and who to consult.

Discussion prompt

Describe one type of consultation you would make for the fictional scenario. Do not share real protocol details or advise peers on official IRB, exemption, legal, or sponsor decisions.

Module 06

Research Starter Brief

Read the lesson and practice activity

The brief integrates the course into a bounded next step, not a complete protocol or authorization to conduct research. It should show the question, why it matters, how sources contribute and where they are limited, a tentative approach, an alternative, what the course cannot decide, and what to check before proceeding.

Practice

Prepare one page with: topic; audience or decision; question; purpose; three sources with contributions and limitations; tentative approach; one alternative; what the brief cannot decide; unresolved permissions, data, ethics, or partnership questions; and a next step/contact. Self-check question clarity, evidence use, approach fit, consultation boundaries, and readability.

Discussion prompt

Share a short summary of your fictional or public-source brief. Ask peers to identify a question, evidence gap, or limitation to consider. Revise your brief after discussion; do not include restricted or identifiable information.

Human research protections

HHS OHRP Human Research Protection Training

OHRP’s five self-study lessons cover human research protections under the revised Common Rule. NIH-funded investigators and key personnel can fulfill NIH’s human-subjects education requirement by completing this course. Check with your institution or funder about the requirements that apply to your role and study.

Open OHRP’s course overview ↗

Discussion prompts

Lesson prompts support optional reflection using public or fictional examples. Do not share confidential project details, personal information, restricted data, or unpublished protocols.

Training designation

JAAT 101 is noncredit professional training offered through Jenkins Academy of Applied Technology.

External standards and references

Return to Jenkins Academy of Applied Technology Researcher Training →

Course developed by Todd Jerome Jenkins, MS, CSP