Lost In Research

[Allbert]

Hi !

Has  anyone else changed their research topic/focus many times or was it just me?

Edited September 19, 2020 by Allbert

[AP]

I know people fall into:

1) Those who changed the geographic area because they realized they were more interested in X than they thought. Eg: switching from Latin America to Africa for decolonization.

2) Those who within the first year dropped the project they came in with, while they maintained the general topic and geographical area. Eg: Someone came in wanting to do memory studies in confederate monuments and shifted towards museums, the civil rights movements, and memory.

3) Those who came with the opposite: a loose idea of what they wanted to do –like memory or decolonization– and a geographic area (because you need to apply to work with an advisor), but only refined the project as they went through coursework.

 

Finally, I know someone in anthro who completely changed topics every year. This delayed their comprehensive exams because they couldn't make up their mind on what fields, it delayed their prospectus defense, grant applications, and research. Thankfully, they chose a relatively "safe" topic and found a teaching position while doing research so they are conducting their research without relying too heavily on the graduate stipend. 

 

[Sigaba]

@Allbert before changing your topic again, see what you can do to get your GPA up.