The world’s greatest misconception is that majority—or even a third, a quarter or a fifth—of university students love research.
Because this is simply not true. People who love research are the minority and no amount of hard sell from them to nonlovers or to those just somewhat interested will work.
Research is, quite frankly, tedious, because of its unique dynamics, like mathematics, listening to and encoding interviews, analytical techniques and more. These make research a not-so-sexy endeavor compared to others. In the academe, where research is (unfortunately) central to learning and generating knowledge, nonlovers are forced to—or are obliged to—conquer this requirement. Readers and nonreaders have no choice.
Given this “tradition” that engulfs research, and lurking in the background is a young population that is results-oriented and in a hurry, is there hope for young people to at least appreciate research? There is, but there are prerequisites.
Capabilities and frailties
It all starts with the self, and in being honest about your capabilities and frailties. Regardless of your abilities and weaknesses, you will stumble upon interesting things. Pursue the research that you want. That is the most important starting point. Start with your interest (say, rock music), enthusiasm will follow and the feelings of “I’m only doing this because I have to” will slowly go away.
In settings where research is a group affair, cooperation is important. Research works best with many cooperative minds and skills at work: students, teachers, boozers and bar-hoppers, managers and experts, internet addicts, and more. This form of cooperation is a complementary one that addresses the Achilles heels of some, and beefs up the assets of others. Despising others will be detrimental; being repentant should be automatic.
But what is more challenging is to sustain the values that can help us in research. Can we (teachers included) be patient, understanding, diligent, appreciative, motivated, hopeful, open-minded, supportive and forgiving of each other?
That next step is to get results in a careful, deliberate manner. And you can do it.
It is the job of research teachers to explain the rudiments of designing frameworks, developing discourses and arguments, explaining data-gathering methods, writing the proper research questions, and presenting and analyzing results and findings.
Lovers and nonlovers
Even research advisers can be lovers or nonlovers of research. Who you will fall under will depend on luck.
And what about the biggest nonlovers—the students? Don’t force yourself to love research. The challenge is to learn doing balancing acts given your many priorities. Scheduling work, if done properly, can see you achieving many results for yourselves and for others, be it school, career, family life, love life and more.
Do the homework. Motivation is built over time and not instantaneously.
Inject a youthful flavor into your research. Why not?
The best results for research lovers to achieve—while guided by the usual standards of quality in research, of course—are seeing those nonlovers of research happy, fulfilled, relieved, accomplished, grateful and somewhat motivated.
Go beyond the usual perceptions about research and how we see ourselves as learners and colearners and there’s hope that the aversion of many to research will be lessened.
—CONTRIBUTED INQ
The author teaches research methods at a university in Manila.