pictures, photographs and diagrams as
visual reminders.
• Finding a reflective space – this could be
at home, or could also be your favourite
seat in the coffee shop, your room or a study
area in the library, or a sunny bench in the
park or on campus. It doesn’t really matter
where it is, as long as you feel comfortable
and look forward to going there.
• Treat yourself – having your favourite hot
drink and snack while writing is bound to
make it more enjoyable.
• Meet up with a friend – writing doesn’t
have to be a solitary activity, so why not
meet up with a friend and write together,
or meet up afterwards?
All of these approaches mean you will be well
equipped to start compiling your research
journal, so do add to it often. This need not take
up a lot of your time; you can write anywhere,
and you will be surprised how much you can
achieve by writing for as little as 15 minutes.
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Theme 2
Making
a good
start
This section will:
•encourage you to think about what you hope to achieve by the time your research is finished;
•help you to understand more about research methods;
•consider the term ‘criticality’ and how it applies to your research;
•explore the importance of making the most of relevant networks;
•explain the importance of a good research question.
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Theme 2.1
What are you
ultimately hoping
to achieve?
At the beginning of any large task, it is good
to spend some time thinking about what you
hope to achieve and what you would like
your final outcome to be. Your first piece
of independent research is likely to be the
largest piece of academic work you have
undertaken so far. Making a start on any
large activity can be daunting and it is easy
to be overwhelmed by it, particularly when
it can make a significant difference to your
overall results. Having a picture of what you
hope to achieve can help you to make a
positive start.
Starting any large task is often one of the
most difficult things and here is one way
that could help you to tackle the sense of
inertia you might feel at the beginning of
the process. When thinking about many
aspects of our development, Covey (2004:
95) encourages us to, ‘Begin with the end in
mind’ (Habit 2). He argues that everything
is created twice – first at the psychological
level in our minds and then at the practical
level in our actual experience. Having a
personal vision for the future focusing on the
end result or outcome is one way of helping
us begin to see things more clearly in the
early stages.
At this point it is worth spending some time
thinking about what you hope to achieve in
the coming months as you embark upon your
research study. Here are some questions to
help you begin to think things through:
• What are your long-term goals for your
research? Imagine you are logging into
the portal (or using whatever method you
use) to get your results; what do you
hope it will say?
• What are you researching? Try and sum
this up in a short sentence or two.
• Why are you researching this particular
area? Again, try and write a short summary.
• What are you looking forward to most in
doing your research?
• What are the key areas where you feel you
need to develop in the area of research?
• What could hinder your progress? Can you
identify any particular barriers?
• How could you overcome these barriers to
your development?
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Having a clear vision for your research will
play a vital part in helping you to maintain
a high level of motivation for your study. This
vision will be particularly important at those
times when you want to give up or wish it
was all over. These feelings are common and
are experienced by many students in your
situation. Going back to your vision at these
times will be particularly important as it will
remind you why you are doing what you are
doing, and that ultimately all the hard work
will be worth it.
Building on your responses to the
questions, think about your vision for your
research and write a statement for it. This
should include:
• what you are hoping to learn from
carrying out your research;
• why you feel it is important;
• how