The Research Journal. Bassot, Barbara

The Research Journal - Bassot, Barbara


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tended to try to type the lecturer’s every

      word, while those who wrote by hand had to

      be much more selective about what they wrote.

      This forced them to begin processing the material

      17

      straightaway; this is what helped them to perform

      better in their studies. So, writing by hand does

      seem to have some benefits. However, it is

      important to bear in mind that if you have a

      particular learning support need (for example,

      dyslexia) using a keyboard might be a much

      better option for you. So, remember, it’s all about

      knowing what suits you best and not being afraid

      to experiment.

      Think about the resources you will need

      for your research journal. What are your

      own particular preferences: handwritten

      or electronic? If you enjoy writing by

      hand, what kind of notebook might you

      find most helpful? Will you use other

      devices (for example, your tablet or

      smartphone) for some aspects? If so,

      which ones, and if not, why not? If you

      prefer using technology, which device

      will you use? Remember, there are no

      correct answers; it is all about how you

      learn best and finding what works for

      you. You could note down your thoughts

      in the space oppositite.

      Try this

      Notes

      18

      Theme 1.4

      How to get started

      with reflective

      writing

      Many of you will have done some reflective

      writing already on your course; for others this will

      be a new and different kind of writing. Reflective

      writing is generally more personal, and much

      of what you write in a research journal will be

      written in the first person. When I was struggling

      to write the methodology chapter of my doctoral

      thesis (I found out later that many students find

      this difficult), one of the most helpful things that

      an experienced supervisor said to me was ‘Tell

      me the story of your research; what you did

      and why, and what you didn’t do and why not’.

      Immediately the task felt doable, and I began to

      speak and write much more freely. Much of what

      I said and wrote was in the first person, because

      it was about my study. We know that it is rare for

      a research project to go completely to plan and

      that robust research considers issues of subjectivity.

      This means that being aware of our feelings during

      the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ of the process and any

      assumptions we might be making will be important

      aspects of being critically reflective.

      Many students who are new to reflective

      writing need to know how to start, and Bolton

      and Delderfield’s (2018) guidance on this is

      invaluable. In it they encourage us at various

      points to do what they call ‘the six minute write’

      and give us these pointers:

      • Write whatever comes into your head.

      • Don’t worry about the order of what

      you write.

      • Time yourself and write for six minutes

      without stopping.

      • Don’t stop to examine what you have written.

      • Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation,

      grammar and so on. You can correct this

      later if you need to.

      • Give yourself permission to write anything.

      • Remember, whatever you write, it can’t be

      wrong – it’s yours and it’s private; no one

      else needs to read it.

      When I have asked students to do a ‘six minute

      write’ as part of a session, I usually receive a

      range of responses in return. Some find it easy

      and are surprised by how much they can write in

      six minutes. Others struggle and ‘dry up’ before

      six minutes is over. However, most appreciate

      that it helps to get them started in the reflective

      writing process. Keeping going is important, and

      many find that it gets easier with practice.

      19

      Notes

      Have a go at doing a ‘six minute write’.

      Think about your research and, using

      the points on the previous page, write

      whatever is in your head. How easy or

      difficult did you find it? How useful was

      it for you?

      Try this

      20

      Theme 1.5

      A model for

      reflective writing

      People who are new to reflective writing often

      find that a structure or framework helps them

      in the early stages. It helps them to make a

      start, and they will then discard it later as

      writing reflectively becomes easier. Mantell

      and Scragg (2019) offer a helpful structure for

      writing a reflective journal, which is based on

      three stages. Each stage has accompanying

      questions to encourage a deeper reflective


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