Anxiety = Doing It Right? - For First Time Researchers

At the first seminar of Qualitative Research Method, Professor Jacobs said “ If you feel worried, you’re probably doing it right.” It sounds like a joke, but actually contains the truth. As a first time researcher myself, I would like to share some of my opinions on how we should cope with our “never-end” journey.

Building Up Knowledge Base

The first question we should ask ourselves is “what do I need to carry on a research.” As we all enrolled in different programs, we have already developed a research discipline (for example, accounting, information system, management and etc.). Through our undergraduate or even postgraduate studies, we have obtained certain skills, resources and knowledge that are essential to do research. However, these are definitely not enough to be able to carry out research. Therefore, understand there is a tough learning journey ahead, but believe in you have a strong foundation to overcome it are key to this learning process.

Blaxter et al. (2010) summarise these into four points:

1. That you already possess some of the main elements that will contribute to your successfully completing your dissertation or project. When things get tough, don’t forget this.
2. That, in terms of skills and knowledge, you have some learning needs that need addressing in either short or long term.
3. That you have resource needs that need addressing.
4. That there are some areas of skill, knowledge and resources that you are unsure or unclear about and, inconsequence, need to explore further. (P4)

We also need to be aware that this process is cyclical or spiral. We should prepare ourselves for this dynamic development. Hart and Bond (1995) provide a good graph for that.

As Professor Jacobs mentioned: “ We must understand the rules before playing the games.”

Being Mentally Capable

Blaxter et al. (2010) suggest that it is quite normal that there will be many moments when the work ahead appears daunting or tedious or seems to be meaningless. It is important, therefore, to remind yourself from time to time of why you are undertaking, or interested in undertaking, research. Blaxter et al. (2010) also provide some questions that you can ask yourselves when you in doubt of your research.

• What are the personal rewards from completing this study?
• How will the award of the qualification associated with you research enhance your career and employment prospects?
• What new skills will you have acquired?
• Will your research have enabled you to develop new contacts or visit new places?
• Will it have enable you to demonstrate hitherto hidden competences to significant others?
• What kinds of satisfaction will you experience once the last word is written on the last page?
• How will the knowledge you produce contribute to furthering understandings or changing lives? Even for only some little thing?

Another thing will need to always keep in mind is change topics does not means failure or problem. It is very common during a research, especially for PhD thesis. Many of my PhD friends have told me that their topics have become quite different from what they originally thought and a good research need modification and adjustments. Therefore, do not fear changes during the journey as most people have been through what you are going through.

Having A Heart For Innovation

“If we knew what we were doing it wouldn't be research.” - Albert Einstein                

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought.”  - Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi                 

Apart from large knowledge base and mental strength, researchers need to have the courage to explore the unknown, which most people fear to touch or enter. My supervisor has told me that, as a new researcher, it is a good chance to find a research topic that is the ugliest and filthiest, that a lot of experienced researchers refuse to select. It doesn’t mean the topic is not interesting, rather because there are some huge challenges hiding in this topic (e.g. hard to clean up data). All the easy stuffs have been done. We have to start with the hardest.

Let me finish with a quote that I think is very insightful.

“Just as the largest library, badly arranged, is not so useful as a very moderate one that is well arranged, so the greatest amount of knowledge, if not elaborated by our own thoughts, is worth much less than a far smaller volume that has been abundantly and repeatedly thought over.” 

- Schopenhauer, Arthur