I have been invited to speak at the University of Oregon (UO) International Studies MA Proseminar class again this year. This is a required course in the first year of the master’s program to walk students through writing their thesis proposal. Students further along in the program are invited to talk about their research and lessons learned. Here are a few of the bits of information I plan to share:
I also look forward to showing them the pile sort method I used to cover questionnaire questions in a less painful way. It is fun to see how far I have come. Now… to get writing, because I still have a long way to go.
- Take research methods classes. For example, I was intimidated by statistics, so I took a quantitative class (SOC612) with Dr. Gullickson in Sociology aimed at “statistical literacy”. It was a great class to teach me to no longer skip over tables with p values and whatnot. I have a list of relevant methods classes available at UO. Email me for the list: sclark6 [at] uoregon.edu.
- Cover letters are often welcome in grant applications. I always check with the funder first, but cover letters are often welcome even though they are not listed in the materials requested.
- Plan for changes. For example, in my research protocol for the Institutional Review Board approval I said I would edit my interview questions in my first weeks in the field based on feedback of my contacts. I am glad I did. Some ideas just don’t translate well in the field.
I also look forward to showing them the pile sort method I used to cover questionnaire questions in a less painful way. It is fun to see how far I have come. Now… to get writing, because I still have a long way to go.