Instead, do it backwards.ĭo the data work first thing in a research project after a brief perusal of the literature and save the writing for later? Yep. It becomes frustrating if you spend a lot of time searching for the appropriate data after doing the literature review etc., and no such data occurs.
In empirical research, finding secondary data can be a challenge and enormously time-consuming. Each chunk will take a week to complete.Īs I completed each chunk, I reward myself by going for lunch somewhere special, going to Starbucks, and even taking a small road trip. Some chunks of the paper may include: perusing the literature, collect the data, prepare the data, develop the statistical methodology, run the statistical analysis, write about the statistical results, and write the conclusions. To begin, you make a list of the sections, I call them “chunks,” that are required in the paper. This can work just as easily for those who are co-authoring. While working alone for another paper, I would break down the paper into chunks and do a chunk each week. If you are the sole author of the paper, finding a third party to help with accountability, or setting up regular reminders for yourself of the upcoming deadline to submit your paper to the conference or journal, can help keep you on track. I found that these interactions help tremendously in managing my time. My co-authors and I would often have conversations via telephone or Skype to go over obstacles, progress etc. For example, working with a co-author can make it easier to have accountability. The easiest way to do this is by showing accountability.
#Roadblock definition how to
However, over time I learned how to better handle the time and now it is not nearly as large of an issue. If you have ever written a paper in 24 hours before a conference, you know what I am talking about. In earlier years, I really struggled with time management. It is difficult to choose between priorities: day job, schoolwork, family activities, and other events in life. The most common research roadblock that exists to researchers is poor time management. The goal of this blog is to discuss the common roadblocks in research and provide possible remedies for them. As researchers, we will all have this problem, and we will likely ask ourselves, “Is there an easier way?” The challenges we face when doing research can often feel enormous from our perception. Whether you are a current doctoral student, graduate, or faculty member, conducting research is an integral part of being part of the world of scholarship. Yikes! As I read this kind reminder from my co-author, I thought about the data preparation that I still need to do. I need to finish preparing the data for the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the subsequent panel regressions. Today I received a reminder about my joint paper at the Southern Economic Association meetings in late November.