ElBea B

Chugging along .............

It's been some time since I posted anything here. And the PhD tweetchat on 4 April about blogging about your research has prodded me into doing something about it.

I'm making slow progress on my PhD - chugging along. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was getting frustrated, even stuck that I couldn't find the hook or real focus for my research. Yes, I had a working title, and the concept that I wanted to explore and try to define. I could talk about the broad scope of what I researching until my listener ((it was usually one if I was lucky) got bored. But if you asked what I was going to interview people about, I'd wave my hands around and try to look nonchalant and as if I knew what I was doing. 

I was waiting to find the theory or conceptual model that I could apply that would give me a ‘ha ha’ moment, and away I’d go. And then one evening I was writing up my PhD log (my research diary where I explore ideas), looking at words on the screen and suddenly I realised that the focus was obvious, and it was in front of me.  It had been all the time.  And when I shared this ‘revelation’ with my PhD buddy, she mentioned something and I realised that she’d given me my third research question. 

So this has given my reading a fresh impetus or focus.  And now I going in the deep end to start writing the first section of my literature review or at least try to write first draft.  So I’ve read Patrick Dunleavy’s book on “How to Author a PhD” (and I highly recommend it) about constructing chapters and how long each one should be.  I estimate that I need to come up with 8,000 words, and with 4 main sections/areas to explore that roughly follow my research questions, I need to come up with about 2,000 words on this first section.  I’ve sorted my notes and I’ve worked out the subheadings (below the section heading) and I need to make a start – and I will tomorrow.  I’ve also plenty of material for one of the other main sections.  Once I’ve written a first draft of the first section, then I need to go back and do some more reading. What is making it harder is that I’ve received my marks on my research methods coursework, and I did better than I expected.  So it’s set a kind of benchmark that I’m not sure that I can live up to.

I’m starting to think about a possible pilot study and applying for ethics approval.  I'm also looking at possible software for mixed methods research. I don’t have the time to learn how to use both NVivo and SPSS, which the University provide free of charge to students.  I’m looking at Dedoose, a web-based package and also QDA Miner. I’ve also worked out a draft agenda for the next meeting with my supervisor later this month. 
All of this is going on at a time of major life changes in moving from full-time working to part-time (2 days a week).  So plenty of stress in adapting. 

And yes, it is tiring and challenging, and exciting and mind stretching - all at the same time.