This blog has been created to support those brave enough to take on academic research. It is not a guide to clarify research methodology or the practicalities of the structure of the dissertation. It is a holistic guide to prepare you for what is to come and to help you stay confident, encouraged and balanced during the process.
It has been written by someone who has been there and done that. I wrote my masters’ thesis in 2012 and even though I did not find it particularly taxing intellectually, I found incredibly stressful and emotionally draining. So…while I was busy preparing for my PhD proposal, I decided that I would review my experience and do some research about academic research support services and have a look at the current literature so that I could do it better this time. My PhD research is focused on mindfulness and resilience and so it is unsurprising that my approach to surviving academic research includes mindfulness principles.
I refer above to “the brave” and I mean it. The academic research path is not an easy one. Before you are done, you will have regretted your decision to do it many times over, but you will also be very grateful that you did. An academic research project is a rich and rewarding undertaking that will not only advance your career and grow you academically, but it will push you and develop you in ways that you cannot imagine. By being present/mindful to the process, one can identify, acknowledge and appreciate that growth as it is happening.
This blog is intended as a preparatory resource, but don’t fret if you have already begun your research and have found this blog because all hell has broken loose and you feel desperate, dejected and overwhelmed. The place you’re in now is fairly common and it will pass…and then you will probably feel this away again a few times before you’re done. By taking some time now to step back and assess where you’re at and what you need to do next; you can begin to calm the chaos and find your balance. The thing to remember is that this is a process and so long as you don’t give up all together, you will eventually get it done.
If you have yet to start your research project, the posts that follow will provide insights and suggestions that will help to fortify you for the tough patches that are to come.
