What To Do If You Get Stuck

Just about everyone gets temporarily stuck in this process. Don't despair if it happens to you. Here are some suggestions for getting yourself out of a slump.

TALK

Go to your colleagues and talk about your research. Ask your family to look over your data and to talk about what they find interesting or surprising. Call up the Network office for a chat. Every stage of the process can be made easier by bouncing ideas off other interested people. Many teacher research programs help researchers in groups, not individually. The group serves as a sounding board, an advisory team, a questioner, and a support. The Network itself functions as a supportive group of researchers, but we also encourage practitioner researchers to form study groups (within easy driving distance, if possible) to meet together regularly for advice and support.

WRITE

Yes, this may work even if it's the writing that has you stuck. Get something down on paper, even if it's rubbish. Questions and concerns are easier to deal with when they are pinned down with words. Journals are good places for venting frustration. Some researchers like to draw diagrams or use manipulatives (clay, Legos, etc.) to help them organize themes or see where they are going in their paper.

READ

Reading is particularly helpful once you've been working with your question for a while. Reading how others have fared in your chosen area of inquiry will broaden your vision and make you feel less lonesome. Their reports will begin to make sense and you may find that other researchers have also been beleaguered by people who don't answer their surveys or by out-of-focus video cameras. The staff at the Research Network or the Virginia Adult Education and Literacy Resource Center can help you find appropriate books and articles. The reference librarian at a local college or university will also be able to help you find research related to your study.