- What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?
One of the ethical issues that I find myself grappling with in this research is putting the research into the context of a larger issue. I sometimes struggle to understand how my research and data will be significant in the broader picture of academia and the overall objective of achieving optimal water purification. I am responding to these questions by researching and understanding the big picture of how ion exchange membranes are used, and how they are contributing to water purification systems worldwide.
- As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?
As I continue my research, alternative viewpoints have been essential in enriching my understanding of my project. During lab group meetings and discussions with other lab members, we work through challenges that I have encountered during my research. These discussions have allowed me to view the research from different lenses and tackle individual challenges, for example, my procedure in calculating the swelling degree of membranes.