Who Me? Do Research?
Yes, you can do research.
Believe it or not. The only real requirement is being able to find a
question you want answered. This is by far the hardest part in
research and most people don’t progress beyond this point. Once you
have a question, these qualities are important in determining whether
research happens and, if it does, the quality of the research:
- motivation
- ability to put ideas forward
- willingness to receive feedback on one’s ideas and make appropriate changes
- ability to think analytically and creatively
- political savvy
- project management skills
- self-direction and self-discipline
- having an applied context in which to conduct research
- willingness and readiness to make use of technology
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Support & Mentoring
Especially when starting out, having
the support or mentorship of a knowledgeable person makes for greater
learning and better quality research. Hook up if you can with
someone who has had previous research experience, possibly through a
university or other organization. Share ideas regularly, and get the
person's critical feedback on your ideas and research as it progresses.
Research is not really research unless its subject to peer review and
public scrutiny, and so its important that your work is supported from an
early stage by someone who can help to guide your efforts. |