This week marked the start of my first Laidlaw summer research project. I am grateful to have been able to visit my home in California as it allowed me to recharge. I feel ready to give my best effort and contribute to the work of Dr. Stopka and his team.
As detailed in my previous post, this summer the bulk of my work will focus on collecting qualitative data through usability testing to aid the development of a mental health and opioid use disorder dashboard. During my first day, I finalized my research, ethics, compliance, and safety training and started to draft ideas for my project. My hope is to contribute feedback for the tool focusing on the effectiveness of these areas of improvement: usability, clarity, accessibility, and effectiveness of data presentation.
Guided by this central goal, I have begun to research both the web and scholarly articles on qualitative usability testing design specifically focusing on usability and digital accessibility. I am not an expert in this area, so I dove into literature that could help me better understand how to best outline my interviews and align ideas with my team. Additionally through the help of my mentor, Dr. Stopka, I have a clearer understanding of what will be required for me to conduct my interviews successfully; such as drafting a verbal agreement form and clearly defining my sampling frame. Dr. Stopka lended me the book Doing Qualitative Research, edited by Benjamin Crabtree and William Miller, to further aid me as I draft my initial mock interview which I will present to the team next Friday.
Having also never worked at a dry lab, this week has given me great insight at the day-to-day routine in a lab in public health. Although my end goal is to be in a career that has more involvement with clinical patients, I have enjoyed the calm and supportive environment of my lab. One of the reasons why I wanted to join a public health cause was because I strongly believe that the research being done in the area has the power to help real people and patients. I have found that to be true through conversations with my mentor and the impact of the previous research he and his team have conducted.
I attribute my readiness for this first week to the leadership training intensive that was held for the incoming Tufts Laidlaw scholars in late May. My project relies heavily on my independent work; there are no lab procedures or instructions to follow, which made my end goal seem out of reach. However during the leadership training, we had design thinking and project management sessions that helped ease this worry. I was able to build a tasks list, confirm roles and responsibilities, and think of problem-solving frameworks that made my end goal more attainable.
Next week, I look forward to diving into the first draft for my interview structure, including potential usability testing tasks, and to learn more about participant recruitment.
Overall, this first week has shown me that I am ready for this summer. I have begun recognizing potential risks and have had no issue communicating with my team for help. I look forward to next week and to continue working on this incredible project!