Rabu, 27 Desember 2017
A. how to do a research
references : https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/how-do-research-project-6-steps
A
year ago I had this crazy idea of experimenting with the final semester of my
two-year course. Being an international student in Australia, doing two
postgraduate degrees and working at the same time was apparently not enough for
me. So instead of choosing to do a professional project and finishing my
degree, I decided to do a research project.
If
you must know, I literally had no idea of how to do a research project or how
to write a thesis. So I went to my professor and told him about my plans to
complete a research project for my final semester. “If students imagine
completing a research project in three months, I ask them to come and see me.
And they later un-imagine it,” came my professor’s reply.
I
was then given special permission to take two semesters to finish this research
project – and hopefully in a few weeks’ time I will submit my first completed
piece of research. In the past few months I have learned a lot of lessons that
I want to share, in case you also decide to follow this route without any prior
knowledge of how to do a research project!
1.
Find the right supervisor
My
professor asked a faculty member to become my supervisor. I floated an idea
about what area I was interested in working on, and she agreed to keep an eye
on me. In terms of a supervisor I couldn’t have asked for anything better. She
is patient with me, she knows my shortcomings and she always motivates me even
if I am unable to see myself progressing. Having such a supervisor makes this
journey very comfortable and easy.
2.
Don’t be shy, ask!
I
told you earlier that I did not have any clue about how to do a research
project. That was my reality and I didn’t try to hide it. I communicated my
weakness openly to my supervisor and warned her in advance that I would be
asking stupid questions throughout the duration of my project just so I could
get an idea of what I was doing. “No question is stupid,” she assured me. The
credit indeed goes to her, but it is ultimately your responsibility
to communicate with your supervisor and ask as many questions as you need to.
3.
Select the right topic
Your
topic will determine your project. It should be interesting and it should be
something that you really want to investigate. So never rely on others for
recommendations about what should be your topic of research. Try to read and
think a lot and you will find an area of interest. Explore your inner self,
even if it takes time. In a few weeks you will start gathering your thoughts
and realize what you actually are interested in researching.
4.
Keep your plan realistic
Your
topic could be the best in the field, but do you have enough resources to
finish the project? Suppose your research project involves travelling halfway
around the world to conduct a field investigation. The question you must be
asking yourself is: can I afford that much time and money? If not, then no
matter how brilliant your idea is, you need to think of something else. Save
this one for when you receive a healthy research grant.
5.
Prepare a project timeline
Having
a project timeline is everything. It keeps you on track all the time. You
should have a timeline set out in the first week, stating targets that you must
achieve throughout the duration of your research project. Things could go wrong
here and there, and you can always adjust dates, but it is very important to
have a schedule, ideally broken down further into weekly targets. Ask your
supervisor about what kind of targets you should set and try to achieve these
on a weekly basis. Doing this should help you avoid becoming overwhelmed.
6.
Write, write and write
If
you’re unsure how to write a thesis, the best advice I can give is not to leave
the writing stage until last. Start writing from day one. This is something I
learned the hard way. My supervisor always suggests writing, but I don’t feel
comfortable doing that unless I have all the information in hand. However, I’ve
learned how important it is to write down whatever you do, and make notes of
whatever you read. Documenting the whole process as you go will help you
finalize the project in a very effective way. So don’t worry about writing
things that are “wrong” or that don’t make sense. Remember, it only has to make
sense once the whole project is finished. So even if it seems raw, keep on
writing and get regular feedback from your supervisor.
These
are some general rules that apply to every research project. You will
definitely have to alter a few things here and there depending on your area of
interest and your topic. I wish you good luck for this. And if you need to talk
to me, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. Finally, remember that
persistence is the key. You may feel like giving up when things go off track,
but stick with it and you’ll not only emerge with a completed project, you’ll
also gain lots of invaluable skills along the way.
references : https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/how-do-research-project-6-steps
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