Learning Goals:
I will not decide on the path I will take too soon. I should use the resources and knowledge I gain this quarter (especially the Lit Review) to better shape my ideas and narrow my topic.
I will develop a better understanding of the various methods I can use to do my research.
I will search for related research and see what scholarship already exists around storytelling and creative expression.
I will do more research into the organizations I want to work with and try to discern if my ideas are feasible.
I will take advantage of all opportunities to gain insight into my research process and proactively seek out advice.
And no matter what, I will be excited about my research!
Reflection
To be honest, I had forgotten what my learning goals were until today. Though, as it turns out, I ended up fulfilling all of these learning goals.
The first learning goal was somewhat of a challenge for me because I prefer to set plans early. However, my research path ended up changing many times based on not just the lit review, but faculty advice, reading the research methods book, talking to professionals in the field and discovering storytelling organizations. While my original hope was to have a definite research plan by the end of this term, I now understand that change is not a bad thing and that each new shift is just getting me closer to a better research plan.
The research methods book was the most helpful in pursuing the 2nd the point. I read that book cover to cover and found it to be a fantastic guide to starting a research project. I now have a fairly good idea of what research methods I want to use and how to use them. The book also provides a great list of resources for delving deeper into these methods. I plan to look more into these resources next term.
This third point was mostly related to my literature review. Through this process I was able to discover that there is a lack of literature on my topic and that there is definitely a need for my research. This is reassuring but also intimidating. This means I’m probably going to have to find alternative sources of supporting documentation, but that I will be providing important research.
I focused on the fourth point this term because I’m currently trying to secure an internship. I’m still hoping to do an internship with one of my case studies, so I spent of a lot of time researching organizations like The Moth, The Center for Digital Storytelling and StoryCorps. Whether or not working with these organizations will be is feasible is still dependent on the connections I make with each of these places.
I did my best to pursue the fifth point with the amount of time given me. I talked to people about research often and I’ve been building relationships with professionals in my field. I conducted many information interviews this quarter and I’ve set up practicum experiences related to my field. I’ll be working on a personal history project next quarter and I’ve gotten involved with a digital storytelling workshop series. Hopefully, I’ll be able to spend my summer extending this network!
Finally, I’m still excited about my research, so I must be doing something right!!