application to research.
Stage 1 – Reflecting
Here you focus on an issue or a concern
that you have in relation to your research.
Like Bolton and Delderfield (2018) Mantell
and Scragg advocate free and spontaneous
writing in order to capture your thoughts
and feelings.
Stage 2 – Analyse
This is the most complex of the stages and
involves responding to key questions:
• What is happening here?
• What assumptions am I making in relation
to my research?
• What does this show about my beliefs
(for example, my belief in my ability to carry
out research, how the research process
should run or what a good outcome would
look like)?
Stage 3 – Action
The focus here is on the action you take
following the analysis. Again, the authors
suggest considering some key questions:
• What action can I take to move my
research forward?
• How can I learn from what has happened
so far in my research project?
• Would I do anything different if similar
things occurred again?
• What does this experience tell me about
my beliefs about myself, and my research
capabilities?
While a model like this can be useful, there is no
single correct way to write in a research journal.
Here are two examples of extracts about
reflective writing to illustrate this.
21
Remember, there are no rights and wrongs;
do what comes most easily and go from there.
Write your next journal entry and try
using Mantell and Scragg’s framework.
Did it help? If so, why, and if not, why
not?
Try this
My supervisor says I need to keep a
journal. What a pain! Some people seem
to find this easy and I can see they’ve
already written pages and pages of
handwritten notes. It’s early days but I’ve
tried, and I just can’t get the hang of it.
I seem to get completely stuck and can’t
think of anything to write. Why is this so
difficult? Today I’m going to try something
different and use the notes app in my
phone to see if that works any better.
What would I do without my notebook?
I love it! I think I’ve always loved writing.
It’s such a great way to offload and de-
stress. This project is definitely going to be
stressful, so this journal will be like my best
friend – listening to me, supporting me
and never criticising or answering back!
But hopefully it will help me to organise
my thoughts too and give me a way of
keeping on track.
Now think about the story of your
research project. How did it start? How
far have you come now? Why not start
writing your story here.
More food for thought
22
So, it looks like I need to give this reflective writing thing a
go. I’ve never done it before but seems like it’s worth a try.
Some people say it’s helped them a lot; others say they can’t
be bothered with the extra work. I’d love to do well and make
everybody proud, so here goes.
It’s early days and I’m going to try some different things to see
what might work. That brilliant notebook I was given at a fair
could come in handy. These notes are on my tablet, so that’s a
start. Seems like I often have my best ideas when I’m walking to
the campus, so I think I’ll also try recording myself on my phone.
That means I won’t forget things. There’s such a lot to take in
at the moment and hopefully all of this will help me to cope.
Alex’s journal 1
Notes
23
Top
Tip
Things that can make
reflective writing easier
and enjoyable
It is widely recognised that learning is easier when
it is enjoyable, and reflective writing is no exception
to this. Many people enjoy journal writing and
here are some pointers to help you to do so too:
• Nice quality stationery – this doesn’t need
to cost a lot and can be very satisfying to
use. If you’re going to get a notebook,
consider getting one that will stand out in
your bag or on your desk, as a reminder to
write in it. Different-coloured pens and
pencils can help you to organise your
reflections (for example, red for literature,
green for methodology) and make them
easier to sift through later on. Sticky notes,
stickers and reminders can all appeal to
your creative or organisational side too.
• A dedicated space on your favourite device
– keeping all your reflective writing together
in