Research Philosophy

As an early-career scholar, my aim is to do meaningful and valuable research. I enjoy taking on projects that are theoretically and practically rich. I value the sound and ethical application of theories and methods and ensure that my research has general applicability for individuals, organizations, and institutions – while also solving problems and helping communities thrive. My current pursuit of meaningful ideas and research falls within three broad content areas – Communication, Conflict-Transformation, and Counter-Terrorism.

While my subject areas are somewhat broad, given my independent research pursuit and professional research roles, they are synthesized to have meaningful, valuable, relevant, and practical applicability towards the ultimate goal - helping individuals, organizations, communities, and institutions experience high-functioning relationships, successful conversations and connections, resolve conflict in a peaceful and non-violent way, and ultimately reduce violence in our world. Take, for instance, the research project I am presently working on. It reimagines contemporary communication in a digital world by examining how knowledge production, media forms, and digital technology influence our digital culture.

As a qualitative methodologist, I lean towards research that involves researcher immersion. This process enables me to immerse myself in the data collected by reading and examining the data in detail. I gravitate toward research that has textual proof and makes me analyze messages while incorporating some form of lived experiences. And I enjoy approaching these kinds of research using interpretive methods - whereby the observed data guides my research.

I often describe myself as a professional text analyzer or message observer because my favorite way to understand a context is to immerse myself in texts and attempt to observe everything. I ask myself many questions that lead me to answer how the message flows in and out, who said what, when, how, and why it was said, and so on. I am the typical researcher that would first read the numerous comments on a social media post before connecting them to other factors simply because the textual elements get me all the time:).

My analytic toolbox features close reading, coding, comparing and contrasting, (critical) discourse analysis, (critical) rhetorical analysis, (visual) content analysis, textual analysis, thematic analysis, narrative analysis, digital humanities, digital storytelling, and new mobilities paradigms. These qualitatively driven orientations are featured in some of my most recent research. I also participate in mixed-methods research projects to complement them, using concepts and document analysis to explain findings.

Check out the “Portfolio” page and visit the links to read some of my published work. For more details on all things research-related, including awards, grant experience, and conference presentations, kindly peruse my scholarly portfolio.