Long-time no-see network!

A bit of an update on where I last left my research project to where it is now.

There was a massive ethical approval delay which put everything on hold. It was just a waiting game for months, which meant there was not much that I could do except have everything ready to go once the project got approved. Many months down the line, the ethical approval came through in December. This was an awkward time to start gathering the data, so with my supervisor’s advice, we decided to wait till the new year.

Now that there has been an update, let's rewind to week 2, when the methodology was being discussed, and the ethical approval form was being filled in.

This week involved examining the project's methodology and sending off the ethical approval. The form to fill in for the ethical approval seemed daunting, with many questions, and not having filled one in before. It was eye-opening to see how much goes into a project before data gathering occurs. Before sending the approval, the design and structure of the project were required to be thought through. 

I was given complete creative freedom with what methodology I wanted to use in the project to gather the data. I knew I wanted it to have both qualitative and quantitative methods. Further research into the different designs was carried out to see which one was best suited for the project. The research that was taken, was looking at similar projects and seeing what they had used, what had worked and what did not work. This helped me to see what was best for this project. I also read some books on research methods designs to have a better understanding of them and what was included to get the most out of the data gathering.

From this, I was able to conclude using an online survey and focus group. The reason behind picking an online survey was the ease and simplicity of gathering huge data. I would be able to reach a larger audience by using this method and reach more diverse individuals to take part in the research. The reason for the focus group was to obtain a more in-depth discussion and get more insight data by creating conversations based on the research title. It would provide information about the perceptions, opinions, feelings, and attitudes of students towards the welcome, induction and transition week.

This week included designing many of the forms and posters that will be used to gather the data. I decided to create the online survey and consent form using Microsoft Forms. This makes the forms easy to share with students by using a QR code. Then a poster was created for the focus group to be advertised around the campus. 

Once everything was completed, including the ethical approval form, it was sent to the team for approval. Then, the waiting game began. This was a learning experience to not underestimate the timeframe for approvals. For the future, it is important to prepare and include such timeframes to be better prepared.

 This week was a very fun and formative way to learn about the different methodologies and to be given the freedom to decide, which made the project more real.