Over this summer, I have immersed myself in my research. I'm accustomed to writing research papers alongside four or five other final exams and papers, during the end of the semester, so the abundant amount of time, energy, and resources that I was able to dedicate to this research project felt incredible and extremely rewarding. I spent the bulk of my time working with a translator to transcribe, translate, and interpret interviews. In the last few weeks, I created an extremely thorough outline and embarked on the process of writing.
I didn't expect to move so slowly with both my literature review and the transcription/translation process, especially since I'm familiar with two-week periods to start and finish a research paper, so I was frustrated with my pace at times and sometimes felt overwhelmed with the amount that I want to do--how does one ever properly finish a literature review when there is so much to read? But all of the time that I spent on my literature review in June really paid off, and I felt confident in incorporating and expanding upon the analyses of my secondary literature. I currently have a second draft of my paper which I have sent to my advisor today. I have run into one serious problem: my paper is 40 pages double-spaced, when it is supposed to be 20. I will have to do a lot of work to cut it down, but ultimately, I'm happy with what I've written and am glad that I have more content than less. Anything I cut out, I will save and likely return to for thesis material.
I will start working on my poster after my advisor returns the paper to me with comments and feedback, and I know what to cut versus what to keep. This summer has definitely had a learning curve, but I'm all the better for it. I'm excited to hear back from my advisor, with whom I have gotten ample time and incredible support in a way that the demanding school year simply does not allow, and write a new draft!