Research outside one's main field?

[sam_1]

Hi:)

I'll be starting a biology PhD in September, and although I suspect the workload will be high,

I'm very interested in getting involved in (higher/science) education research eventually - this was emphasized

in my personal statement. Any ideas on the best way to do so - i.e., do an education Master's later, or

somehow obtain training in the relevant methodology? I'm certainly not laboring under the delusion that

I can suddenly become an expert in social science research, especially while working in a lab, but

I'd appreciate advice on the best place to start

[fuzzylogician]

It probably depends on the resources that are available at the university that you will be attending. Some ideas that come to mind: (i) start from informal obligations: get involved in some education initiatives at your university, get to know the people there. Some of them may be people who also research education. Once they know you, you could try to get involved in formal research through them. (ii) The semi-formal way: try to get a job (paid/unpaid) as an RA on someone's project. Get started in education research that way. (iii) Seek out someone who would be willing to support you in doing your own independent research [personally I think it may be difficult to do this in your situation and without someone already knowing you as a serious and dedicated student, but maybe it's worth a shot]. I would not recommend trying to obtain a second degree while doing your main degree - at least not in the first couple of years. Taking a double load of courses sounds extremely difficult and will probably make your work in both fields less successful than it could be if you just concentrate on one field. If one area is where you see your future and the other is only a side interest, I think you should balance your time and obligations in a similar way.