Want to change research methods on PostgraduateForum.com

JaneW
3 years ago

Hi, I’m a first year funded PhD student originally supposed to be doing mixed methods but I really want to scrap the surveys as I’m finding it too stressful - not getting much support and I don’t have much experience with quants. My research is exploring social stigma and empowerment in single mums in Turkey so the crucial part is interviews with women (hopefully 40) and achieving and in-depth understanding of their experiences. I was going to do surveys as well to look at public perceptions and use that to provide a bigger picture but I really don’t want to do the surveys anymore. I’m nervous about bringing this up with my supervisors and know I’m going to have to defend my reasoning. Just wondered if anyone had any advice? How do I justify my decision? TIA

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PhoenixFortune
3 years ago

Quote From JaneW:
Hi, I’m a first year funded PhD student originally supposed to be doing mixed methods but I really want to scrap the surveys as I’m finding it too stressful - not getting much support and I don’t have much experience with quants. My research is exploring social stigma and empowerment in single mums in Turkey so the crucial part is interviews with women (hopefully 40) and achieving and in-depth understanding of their experiences. I was going to do surveys as well to look at public perceptions and use that to provide a bigger picture but I really don’t want to do the surveys anymore. I’m nervous about bringing this up with my supervisors and know I’m going to have to defend my reasoning. Just wondered if anyone had any advice? How do I justify my decision? TIA

Is there any training you can attend to help you feel more confident with quant methods? Is there another academic you approach for advice about surveys? I'm concerned that if you don't have a clear logistical/methodological/theoretical reason for rejecting the survey methods, they may insist you do it anyway. Also your funding body may not approve of the change (as it would be quite a big one). Will your project still have enough scope?

J

JaneW
3 years ago

I’ve watched lectures online about surveys, I’ve read research methods books. I’ve tried to formulate my questions as robust and unambiguous as possible but they are still not right and I don’t know how I can make them better 🤷🏼‍♀️ My Director of Studies is the research methods expert but I feel as though she just wants me to get on with it, but I don’t know how when I’m stuck with the questions 😕 if I continue with the mixed methods it’s going to be a struggle all the way through 😔 I can find some survey results relating to attitudes towards women and divorce etc from secondary sources but nothing specific to single mothers.

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PhoenixFortune
3 years ago

Quote From JaneW:
I’ve watched lectures online about surveys, I’ve read research methods books. I’ve tried to formulate my questions as robust and unambiguous as possible but they are still not right and I don’t know how I can make them better 🤷🏼‍♀️ My Director of Studies is the research methods expert but I feel as though she just wants me to get on with it, but I don’t know how when I’m stuck with the questions 😕 if I continue with the mixed methods it’s going to be a struggle all the way through 😔 I can find some survey results relating to attitudes towards women and divorce etc from secondary sources but nothing specific to single mothers.

Have you spoken to anyone from your funding body about dropping the quant aspect of your project? I'm thinking that you probably got funding based on the project as it is, and they may not be happy if it changes too much. Is this a project that you proposed yourself?

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JaneW
3 years ago

Yeah it was my own proposal. I’ve got a meeting with my DoS this afternoon so I’m praying we can get things sorted. Supervisors keep telling me that a PhD can change along the way so I’m hoping that works in my favour 🤞🏼

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PhoenixFortune
3 years ago

Quote From JaneW:
Yeah it was my own proposal. I’ve got a meeting with my DoS this afternoon so I’m praying we can get things sorted. Supervisors keep telling me that a PhD can change along the way so I’m hoping that works in my favour 🤞🏼

They wonder why you proposed a methodology that you aren't happy with, but if they are flexible about the change, then you should be fine to do that. They may ask you to do a different methodology instead rather than drop that aspect of the project entirely, just so that your project still has the same amount of scope.

J

JaneW
3 years ago

Yeah I’m looking into secondary survey data as a possibility. I would like to concentrate more on the women in my research though, getting to know them, building a rapport, interviews are two hours long and then I have to transcribe them in English from Turkish which is really time consuming. It takes time and effort and I don’t want the struggle and stress I’m having with the surveys preventing me from doing the quals more effectively. I’m also using a feminist methodology which has traditionally been viewed as qualitative so that might go in my favour 🙏🏼🙏🏼