The HALE department has two new faculty this year, both individuals I am extremely excited about. First, Dr. Kim who I was able to have lunch with when she was here visiting last spring, and who I squealed about when I heard that she was invited to join the HALE faculty at MSU. Dr. Kim does research in an area that I have no experience in, and likely won't do much in, yet she was incredibly encouraging when I met with her again at the beginning of the year. I stopped by her office to say hello and congrats on coming to MSU, and she of course, remembered having lunch with me and so we chatted about research interests, moving to Michigan, and my work in IR (Institutional Research). The woman makes me want to do research on financial aid. But I will resist. The other new faculty member, Dr. Gonzales, is someone who will be on my committee. Her area of expertise is right up my alley - faculty and organizations - and we've talked a couple of times already and I'm so inspired and excited to have her on our faculty.
Just last week I met with her to discuss some of the ideas that are rolling around in my head, and something that she offered as advice was journaling about my journey through qualitative research. I confessed to her that qualitative research has frightened me because it is just so.... personal. "I can't just pull a data set!" I said to her, and then I added "but the questions I'm asking are qualitative questions, focused on experience, understanding, perceptions... these, for me, can only be answered through personal interviews." So, journaling. While I was taking a qualitative class over the summer I did do some journaling, and also used my blog as a way to try to figure out what was rattling around in my head. I did save the blog from the somewhat existential crisis I had about qualitative research - and I will spare you from it here again - but I will confess that this may become somewhat of a platform for me to sort through my experience as a qualitative researcher (which feels weird to say) and get things in my mind into the world. Because sometimes the hinge on my brain into the world gets stuck shut. Hence, a blog to help oil it open.
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