Amidst the talk in the blogosphere on academic templates and the just past ASA and ASC deadlines for submissions to the annual meetings, I received this sample abstract from a much-loved friend. Having done my fair share of coding variables and qualitative interviews, waking up at 3am to see if my UNIX project ran successfully on the first try (alas, it rarely did), and endlessly compiling tables of results, it brought back some memories. It was also a nice reminder that good research takes a LOOOOONG time (but is worth it), it isn’t the worst thing in the world to spend an extra year (or, in my case, two) in grad school, and (holy crap!) does that tenure clock tick along fast.
“Perceptions of a Project That Has No End: Pathways of Desistance Among Graduate Research Assistants”
How do graduate students ’stuck’ in a longitudinal study exit? How do they respond to the pressures of declining funding and a paucity of publications? This exploratory study analyzes the lives of five dedicated graduate students during the data collection phase of a longitudinal study. Themes include: we had no clue what we were getting into, how many f***ing interviews do you want us to do?, and “does anyone care?” The study analyzes the frustrations of research assistants and, specifically, the transition from ‘I’m going to change the world’ to ’secondary data analysis with regression models really do have all the answers.‘
funny.
But remember, people who do secondary data analysis with regression models publish articles, but they don’t write books and go on Oprah.
I believe I was privy to the first draft of this abstract. I laughed so hard I almost went into labor! However, I do find Jay’s comments comforting. Oprah, here I come!
Egads! I’m embarking upon a longitudinal study as we speak!!!
Sometimes I want to write books and go on Oprah. Maybe I could be the first book in Oprah’s book club that includes secondary data analysis with regression models that changes the world! I can see it now….explaining my analysis to Oprah, everyone is crying.
Screw Oprah, I want to be on the Daily Show… I also think there’s a panel to be done on pathways of desistance from graduate school.
And, Sarah, no laughing hard, I’m sure you’ve got a bunch more interviews to do…
On a more serious note-I must admit that the qualitative interviews I am conducting remind me why I went back to graduate school. I feel privileged to hear first-hand accounts from people of various backgrounds struggling to reconnect with their communities.
Yeah, as much as I complained about doing them for my diss, in addition to the secondary data analysis, I’m glad I did. I learned much more from them and nothing replaces that.