Dr. Hanaan Balala

Research and Writing

In our world of rising academic inflation, there has been an alarming increase in research being undertaken by students or professionals so as to improve their resume, to aid career progression or for the alluring title that comes with having a doctoral degree. Consequently, however, this has made research a daunting and dreaded undertaking for many because the research questions or issues they have set out to investigate and write on are generally not something they are genuinely concerned about or have a passion for. In fact, the topic, issue or subject matter may simply be something that would give them a career boost or is funded by a scholarship or grant.

Good research and the writing produced therefrom is not an easy task to accomplish. The time taken, voluminous reading required, depth of analysis necessary to formulate good concepts and theories to complement and embellish existing literature or more importantly, to disagree with existing literature and present new theories for further exploration is no mean feat.

Most of the students I supervise have no grasp of the subject matter or issue they are writing on. They read a list of books and slap together a “literature review” but fail miserably in undertaking the required level of analysis that will allow them to write a commendable paper or thesis. It is often the case that the final product of the research process is a collage of paragraphs from various books and articles put together to meet the required word limit.

So, what advice would I give any aspiring or current research student?

Research and write, not necessarily because you want a career as an academic or researcher, but because you are interested in the issues at hand on that particular subject matter. Research and write because you are curious about the particular topic and feel you have something to contribute. Research and write because you want to, not because you feel you have to or simply as a means to an end.

The following tips were offered to me as a research student and they may also be useful to you.

  1. Research and writing is a commitment and, like any other undertaking, if you have no interest or passion in it, it will be a laborious and energy-sapping experience of your life.
  2. Be clear on why you are undertaking your research paper or degree. Unless you have a keen interest in the particular topic and issues you have chosen to write on, ask yourself why you want to undertake the research and to what end. Are you prepared for everything the undertaking entails? If the answer is in the positive, you can keep reading. If not, I strongly recommend you pursue another undertaking of interest that is bound to be more fruitful than forcing your self to research something simply for resume or career purposes. Research and writing is also not something one undertakes because they have nothing else or better to do.
  3. With the requisite interest and appropriate intention in place, one must give serious thought to the research questions that arise from the chosen topic. Of course, as one reads relevant books and articles on the topic, the research questions may change or sharpen in perspective and direction. Generally, research questions are useful pegs to hold on to in one’s research and writing journey.
  4. It is vital that one dedicate time every day to do some reading and thinking on the research at hand. It is important that one doesn’t start writing before one’s thoughts are clearly formulated and this results from proper analysis and sufficient thought given to the questions and concepts involved.
  5. Once clarity is attained and sufficient analysis has been undertaken, one may start writing. It is important that one commit time to write an average word count every day. When I was writing my doctoral thesis at Oxford, I committed to writing 500 words every day. This was the advise I was given by a senior doctoral student and it served me very well. Soon the commitment became a habit and a day without writing was not complete. Of course, writing is an ongoing process requiring constant refinement, therefore, do not be surprised if what is written today gets deleted or completely re-written a few months down the line.
  6. Apart from discussing your research and sharing your writing drafts with your supervisor, it is very helpful if one has a colleague or two who are willing to read your writing and discuss your research with you. Other people can often help you see what one is not able to see on one’s own. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to set your research aside from time to time and return to it with “fresh eyes”; this can also help one see what is not obvious from constant review.
  7. Take the feedback from your supervisor seriously and incorporate his/her comments as best as you can. You may, however, disagree with their comments from time to time, and this is alright, but it is absolutely necessary that you demonstrate why and explain this with sufficient depth of thought and analysis. After all, though the research is yours,  your supervisor may be more of an expert on the subject matter and his/her advise or comments count for much in your research and writing process.
  8. Strike a balance. It is important that one be disciplined but also remember not to be too hard on yourself when stuck or the research and writing journey is not going as smooth as one would like. Keep in mind the commitment you have made and apply yourself as best as you can.

Hanaan Balala

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