Replies to writing blocks in research project writing
Alverta Joseph Mikhael
When addressing some of the problems that could face a group of people who are set to do a certain project together, it’s clear that the most difficult problems are always concentrated on how to start the project at first. One of the Stumbling blocks that can face any team when they start writing their research project is the beginning of writing a research outline and creating the first draft (Kallestinova, 2011). Undoubtedly to start writing and even have a habit of it, some people need to practice regularly and if someone intend to spend 1 to 2 hours daily and consider these hours as crucial appointments that could not be cancelled, this could help him/her a lot in not having any writing blocks and being able to reach the final research paper (Kallestinova, 2011). Unfortunately, that happened me in the past, it was in my undergraduate studies, it was my very first big formal research and it was so condensed I found it difficult to complete in the intended time. However when I put a schedule to spend sometime to write it everyday, I started having enough time for edits, revision and finally I was able to submit it in the intended time. Moreover, setting the hardest task to be done first thing in the morning can give anyone the sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day, which can also affect the overall attitude in work and life (Kallestinova, 2011). I found that the best time for me to start doing anything that needs concentration and effort is in the morning. When I tried to achieve things in the evening or change my routine to work at night, I found it very difficult because I was so unfocused and already doing other things all the day. Therefore I think doing the research project in a time when you are the most energised and focused is the best approach to succeed completing it in it’s due time. On the other hand, one of the best ways to start writing a team research is to start with an outline, as it’s the most effective way for taking others’ opinions and having a proper and constructive communication with others that will lead quickly to writing a first draft with good feedback (Kallestinova, 2011). Furthermore, according to the lectures, maintaining strong lines of communication between team members and initiating the project with a strong sense of purpose, will in the end maintain everyone’s passion to finish the project in the intended time (Yamashiro, 2021).
On the other hand, another way available in writing in our research paper that I would like to try is to start writing the research with the “materials and methods” section (Kallestinova, 2011). It’s main advantage is that, since you have all your notes, it should not be problematic to describe the experimental design and procedures (Kallestinova, 2011). But this section is the only section that care should be given to use only passive voice-rides over active voice. Because if you use active voices, you may need to keep of “We” subjects to a minimum and vary the beginnings of the sentences which is a big hassle (Kallestinova, 2011). The disadvantage of this methodology is the malpractices that could result with the disrupted fluency in switching from passive voice to active and vice versa within the same paragraph. This switching misleads and distracts the reader (Kallestinova, 2011). So while using this methodology, its very important to concentrate on the practicing daily and putting sometime everyday in the daily schedule to write some parts in this section or in the research in general, so that all will be in the same flow of ideas and in the same way of expressing things.
James Jang
The individual research report has been one of my strengths in the science field of study. My typical approach is to choose a topic (hypothesis), identifying a thesis statement, research, and brainstorm on subtopics then start up a rough draft. Unlike an individual research report, the group research report is more complex and complicated due to reasons such as communication, alignment of the topic, consistency, and compromise on each section. The most time-consuming task was to identify a thesis statement that the whole team would agree upon. A precise thesis statement is significantly important to point the research report in the compromised direction among the team members (Scott, 2020). Before this team research report, making any adjustment was much easier, but during this team research report, one adjustment may need to be reviewed by every member of the team to prevent and minimize any redundancy, opposing statement, or consistent information. These are various factors of Writer’s Block, which Writer’s Block is a state of being an inability to continue with writing or to start new writing due to excessive self-criticism, fear of comparison, and lack of motivation (Reedsyblog, 2019). To avoid and prevent Writer’s Block, our team maintained excellent communication keeping each other updated with every detail. Most of all, our team members kept away from blaming each other for mistakes, rather encouraged and offered help for any member. One of the best techniques that always worked for me was to put myself into their perspective and to understand where the person was coming from. It doesn’t only allow me to open up to more ideas but to identify common ground among the members and also can act as a liaison within the group to progress through the research project. On the other hand, one of the techniques that I did not find quite useful was the Gantt Chart. A Gantt Chart was highly useful to keep track of progress but the progression depicted on Gantt Chart was very subjective depending on the team member. Also, I felt that the Gantt Chart was redundant with the research project outline, therefore, the Gantt Chart approach wasn’t too beneficial to the research project progression.
A methodology that I would like to try on the future research project is the “Mind Mapping Technique”. A mind mapping technique, also known as spidergram, is a strategy of making notes, visual brainstorming, and hierarchical relationship of various ideas (Steele, 2018). It would be an advantageous approach to have team members and potential reviewers visualize the general outline of the research project and the final product. The disadvantage of this methodology may be subjective but if the viewer or reader requires detailed information rather than a general outline, it would not be satisfying.
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