Yes, I know it's a bit late, but I actually have a pretty good reason. And that reason is three letters and the whole rationale for a second blog page on my website: PhD. Also, yes, I do expect you to hum the tune of the song as you read the title.
Now, the bulk of the work of my PhD has started, which means reading is my predominant job these days. The literature review could be considered the most important part of a research degree, because without a good literature review, the research can be torn apart before it even begins. Literature reviews aren't just to show readers that the research did his/her research (I feel like that's some sort of important literary device but I can't decide which one it is). Rather, literature reviews help provide the foundation for any set of empirical research. The literature review tells a researcher if something has been done before, if there are any gaps in the field that need to be filled, and if there are any research techniques that can be re-used in the current study. In short, without a literature review a researcher is operating with hands and feet tied, and is blindfolded to boot. So right now I'm in literature review mode. Sort of. I mean, I'm taking time out to write this post but overall I'd say my life is in literature review mode. I'm reading articles, books, and conference agendas to determine what research has already happened in my area and whether my current proposal can hold water. Not only am I reading, I'm critiquing. In research, if there's a critique it means there's a chance to rework the methods and try again. Now in the more physical sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) this might be as simple as changing a basic variable and seeing what happens. In the more social sciences, that can be difficult because there is no ethical way to say "alright, we're changing this variable of socio-economic status, so that one person who was getting by needs to lose all their money and sink into poverty." Not only is that unethical, it's also not something a researcher can control. As such, reworking methods, or even just repeating the exact same methods as before, can be very complicated (this is not to say that it cannot be incredibly complicated in the physical sciences as well, just that the ability to change a single variable is almost never possible). Hence, the literature review. So while I am deep in the throes of reviewing literature to make sure my proposal is both doable and hasn't been done before, blog posts might come more or less frequently. It all depends on how the reading is going and whether I need a break or not. Hopefully, things will just stay right on schedule in all aspects of my life. But that's sort of a dream and we'll see where reality takes me. Happy reading!
1 Comment
10/26/2019 12:32:45 pm
Excellent first blog post Rachel. This should be required reading for all new or aspiring PhD candidates.
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A Second Blog Page?This is the part of the blog specifically about my PhD. It will include updates, musings, and advice. Archives
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