PhD Journey: Quarterly Check In
I’m officially 4 months into my PhD journey – woohoo (cue Kool & The Gang’s ‘Celebrate!’ and release the balloons). Okay, I know… 4 months may not seem like a big deal, but I’m choosing to acknowledge it as an exciting milestone because I have a feeling that in a year or two I probably won’t have the brain capacity to appreciate the small wins.
I feel like this is the perfect time to share some of my initial concerns, progress updates, and what I’ve learnt over the past few months, hoping that it may be of interest to anyone out there looking to start their own academic journey. So here goes!
Quarterly Highlights
Lots of reading: journal articles, peer reviewed books, primary sources, even more transcriptions. Why are these highlights? Well, in some way, everything I have read has helped me to formulate my review question and to find the gaps in the knowledge!
Fun archival research at The University of Melbourne.
Reducing my work hours to focus more time on researching.
Digitising over 20 hours of audio tapes.
Finalising the structure of my literature review (I think).
Spending some time away near Lake Eildon. I was surprised at how much I actually got done on this little writer’s retreat, even for two days a change of scenery helped me focus.
Exploring my family’s own archives for the creative part of my dissertation. I’ve loved chatting to family members about my topic, hearing their perspectives and getting their help with deciphering who was who in old photographs.
What I’ve Learnt
When it comes to researching/reading, for the first few months you will go down a rabbit hole and spend A LOT of time down there (researching different ideas, frameworks, etc, etc). Try to make sure you stay on track and that your research aligns with your review question. My suggestion is to have a strong ‘search strategy’ in place where you take note of what you’ve spent time looking at, the keywords used, and any outcomes worth noting.
I’m also a huge fan of Synthesis Grids. I created my own version on Excel and continue to fill in each row when I come across a journal article that seems like it may be relevant for my literature review. I’ve focused on keeping the main headings in my grid as follows: Topic, Date, Aim of Study, Methodology, Outcomes, and Gaps/Inconsistencies. However it is completely up to the researcher to add or remove as many columns as they like, whatever helps you consolidate ideas the best.
My supervisor encouraged me to let this first year be the year to take everything in – especially when it comes to archival research. This has helped me to take a step back and absorb what I’m doing or seeing in the moment. I don’t necessarily feel like I have to write paragraphs on end or make meaning from everything that I come across. Instead, I take it in slowly. Process it. Think about it. Then write it down. I shouldn’t feel obliged to write creatively just yet.
The literature review is a pain… I wonder if it’s just me struggling to structure my ideas? I find I have too much to say or not enough, or too much information and not enough word count or too little detail. It’s a strange oxymoron but I have a feeling that this literature review and I will not be getting along anytime soon. But that’s okay! My other PhD friends tell me that the literature review is something that you will most likely go back to over the course of your studies, fine tuning and perhaps changing everything in the edit process. At this stage, it doesn’t have to be perfect or finished.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your supervisors when you are not sure about ANYTHING! They’re there to guide you in the right direction. Pick their brains, schedule meetings, ask for advice, or to review your writing.
4 Months in Photos
Study buddies and study snacks