The Research Journal. Bassot, Barbara

The Research Journal - Bassot, Barbara


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over time. Don’t be afraid to add

      pictures, photographs and diagrams as

      visual reminders.

      • Finding a reflective space – this could be

      at home, or could also be your favourite

      seat in the coffee shop, your room or a study

      area in the library, or a sunny bench in the

      park or on campus. It doesn’t really matter

      where it is, as long as you feel comfortable

      and look forward to going there.

      • Treat yourself – having your favourite hot

      drink and snack while writing is bound to

      make it more enjoyable.

      • Meet up with a friend – writing doesn’t

      have to be a solitary activity, so why not

      meet up with a friend and write together,

      or meet up afterwards?

      All of these approaches mean you will be well

      equipped to start compiling your research

      journal, so do add to it often. This need not take

      up a lot of your time; you can write anywhere,

      and you will be surprised how much you can

      achieve by writing for as little as 15 minutes.

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      Theme 2

      Making

      a good

      start

      This section will:

      •encourage you to think about what you hope to achieve by the time your research is finished;

      •help you to understand more about research methods;

      •consider the term ‘criticality’ and how it applies to your research;

      •explore the importance of making the most of relevant networks;

      •explain the importance of a good research question.

      25

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      Theme 2.1

      What are you

      ultimately hoping

      to achieve?

      At the beginning of any large task, it is good

      to spend some time thinking about what you

      hope to achieve and what you would like

      your final outcome to be. Your first piece

      of independent research is likely to be the

      largest piece of academic work you have

      undertaken so far. Making a start on any

      large activity can be daunting and it is easy

      to be overwhelmed by it, particularly when

      it can make a significant difference to your

      overall results. Having a picture of what you

      hope to achieve can help you to make a

      positive start.

      Starting any large task is often one of the

      most difficult things and here is one way

      that could help you to tackle the sense of

      inertia you might feel at the beginning of

      the process. When thinking about many

      aspects of our development, Covey (2004:

      95) encourages us to, ‘Begin with the end in

      mind’ (Habit 2). He argues that everything

      is created twice – first at the psychological

      level in our minds and then at the practical

      level in our actual experience. Having a

      personal vision for the future focusing on the

      end result or outcome is one way of helping

      us begin to see things more clearly in the

      early stages.

      At this point it is worth spending some time

      thinking about what you hope to achieve in

      the coming months as you embark upon your

      research study. Here are some questions to

      help you begin to think things through:

      • What are your long-term goals for your

      research? Imagine you are logging into

      the portal (or using whatever method you

      use) to get your results; what do you

      hope it will say?

      • What are you researching? Try and sum

      this up in a short sentence or two.

      • Why are you researching this particular

      area? Again, try and write a short summary.

      • What are you looking forward to most in

      doing your research?

      • What are the key areas where you feel you

      need to develop in the area of research?

      • What could hinder your progress? Can you

      identify any particular barriers?

      • How could you overcome these barriers to

      your development?

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      Having a clear vision for your research will

      play a vital part in helping you to maintain

      a high level of motivation for your study. This

      vision will be particularly important at those

      times when you want to give up or wish it

      was all over. These feelings are common and

      are experienced by many students in your

      situation. Going back to your vision at these

      times will be particularly important as it will

      remind you why you are doing what you are

      doing, and that ultimately all the hard work

      will be worth it.

      Building on your responses to the

      questions, think about your vision for your

      research and write a statement for it. This

      should include:

      • what you are hoping to learn from

      carrying out your research;

      • why you feel it is important;

      • how


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