Suggestions for specifying my research interests?

[siarabird]

The third or fourth installment in my never-ending string of burning questions about grad school...

How does one come to have the really specific research interests that a lot of the wonderful people on this forum seem to have? I know my area of focus, postcolonial, and I know that I love reading world literature. But no matter how many recent postcolonial tomes I try to read and how much research I try to keep up with, I can never seem to latch on to a specific topic. I don't even know where to start.

How did you all come to know your specific research interests? Any suggestions for where I should start?

[surefire]

The third or fourth installment in my never-ending string of burning questions about grad school...

How does one come to have the really specific research interests that a lot of the wonderful people on this forum seem to have? I know my area of focus, postcolonial, and I know that I love reading world literature. But no matter how many recent postcolonial tomes I try to read and how much research I try to keep up with, I can never seem to latch on to a specific topic. I don't even know where to start.

How did you all come to know your specific research interests? Any suggestions for where I should start?

I hope that you get some disipline-related responses that lead you to some specific areas of thought!

In the meantime, I'm in a different realm, but would like to contribute a little bit of general advice.

First, don't get too overwhelmed by the seemingly thorough research interests of others. It takes a while for interests that are truly (sorta) "yours" to emerge, and many people retroactively highlight past experiences that display a deceptively linear research growth. People will often draft a research narrative that makes one think, "wow, of course it makes sense that they arrived where they are now"; we are bad self-editors (when it comes to personal narratives) and we grow accustomed to summarizing current research interests for SHORT CVs/abstracts/conference introductions - this becomes ingrained and it doesn't leave room to discuss all of the meandering that got one to that point NOR does it acknowledge the serendipitous "luck" element that often plays a part (that one truly inspiring professor with infectious passion, that foot-note that you happened to read that led you to a book off the beaten path, that conversation in the student lounge that illuminated a potential gap...)

See Figure A:

With that in mind, I can commit to the cognitive illusion described above and try to give you a glib summary of where I'm at.

I did a lot of policy development stuff in undergrad. I started in English Lit and then picked up a second major in Sociology. My interest in policy was, at an ego level, similar to my interests in English areas such as Medieval Lit. - I liked being an interpretive conduit between really loaded material and people that find it incredibly useless/obtuse on first blush. At the MA level, I focused on policy in the legal/health realm (law because of the hefty real-world implications of its composition and health because, honestly, I'd done some specialized Sociology of Health and Illness stuff in undergrad in an attempt to better understand my mum/sister/aunts/cousins who are ALL NURSES) From there, I crafted an MA thesis on blood donation policy and the exclusion of men who have sex with men - a topic that wasn't well-known at the time and I had become well-versed in because I donated frequently and had friends who were barred from doing so. While doing my MA coursework, I read "Just Words" by Conly and O'Barr in a Legal Methods class and was totally blown away. The material dealt largely with how courts appropriate the conflicts of people who bring disputes, the way in which their narratives become so convoluted that they don't recognize them anymore, and the lack of options because alternative courts aren't imbued with the same level of prestige as traditional ones (so resolutions sought by alternative means are thought to carry less authority). The implications for all of this was that NO ONE was satisfied with how they were represented and everything was clogged. This struck me as desperately important and I realized that, in my current MA research, I was most lit-up not by the ACTUAL POLICIES themselves, but by the way in which institutions monopolize the narratives and use power to insulate the policies from critique. This seemes to me to be more "upstream" than just critiquing policies, it was a matter of investigating whether or not policies COULD EVEN BE effectively critiqued given the discursive climate (or lackthereof) that was cultivated.

Here's the important part: from here, I read a lot and looked for gaps. I DID NOT look for how I could impose my interests on assorted materials and "make it fit" somewhere. Instead, I kept my interests close and looked for un(der)addressed areas that might benefit from this scope. I recently found this in alternative dispute resolution and some specific Canadian policy contexts. Now, when I reflect on my research trajectory, I often cite my initial English Lit./Social Policy stuff from undergrad in line with my heavy theory courses and interests in Critical Discourse Analysis (this is true, and I have a history of drawing on Sassure/Barthes over the years, but it's a retroactive realization, not a strategically crafted course - as I described above, my interests were earlier driven by fragmented personal interests and an ego).

This would be the biggest piece of advice that I would have for you: look to ekk out your interests in this way, do not look to impose yourself and your motivations on existing frameworks, but try to articulate the thought process that you excel at, and look around to see what would benefit from this analysis. In justifying your research to funders (ect;), you have to show that your research is a good investment, which means that it must be, in some way, INTERESTING and NEEDED (either not done before, or not done in the way that you are proposing and will result in something new, even if this is "just" a new understanding). If you proceed in the spirit that I've mentioned above, this will all seem easier and things will come to you. The question should not be: how do I gather topics that cater to my interests?, but rather, what topic needs me, and where do I have to go to address it? I hope that that makes sense, it's a delicate shift in vocabulary, but a momentous one in terms of mindset!

As far as practical steps, I would suggest picking out a challenging prof that is familiar with you and willing to discuss your areas of interest. A prof can push you until you run out of answers, when you reach that point, take note of the directions that they are inferring, the scholars that they are citing and the areas where they describe gaps; read accordingly to see if you are lit up by, and able to contribute to, one of these gaps.

It's difficult to "latch on" because, right now, even though you've specified some areas, there's a feeling that your research could still BE ANYTHING! The limitless potential feeling is nice, and there's always a mourning period when you place yourself somewhere because, even if what you latch on to is awesome, it can never "be anything" again, it has to be a focused something. EVERYONE feels like this though, don't feel guilty!

Best of luck to you!

Edited June 21, 2012 by surefire

[Imogene]

Siarabird, I think that you're ok if you don't have a really specific focus. My sense is that American programs (as opposed to UK) don't expect (and maybe don't even particularly want) laser-defined research interests. If you know your focus area, I assume you already can make a list of these things (which will help form your SOP):

Favorite authors/works (why?)

Interesting themes you'd like to explore more (why? Who is already writing about this - criticism?)

Prominent theoretical arguments you agree with or would like to use as a tool (any -isms you can throw out there?)

Any big questions you have about the subject matter, themes, critical discourse, direction of theory?

Particular professors/scholars that tend to pop up in your research so far on this area?

I think if you can spend time on this list, you'll be going in the right direction. Sometimes being too specific with your research goals could be a hindrance, because if no one in the dept shares that specific interest, you may be hurting yourself. You want to be able to show that you understand the current landscape of your focus area, that you have some interests in some specific authors and works, and that you have some interesting questions. And, equally as important, your writing sample shows that you can participate successfully in the critical discourse (ideally, in the same area as your proposed area).

But, again, departments know that research focus will change - it's part of the research process anyway.

[claire56]

Have a related question that I thought I'd just ask in this thread (and that might help the OP too). Do you all know if, for Literature PhD programs, when you lay out your research interest, you are supposed to mention specific texts you're planning to look at? Just wondering because I saw some guy's "sample statement of purpose" online, and his was specific about how he wanted to look at things in The Great Gatsby -- even more specifically at Nick Carraway. When I saw that, I thought that I would do that too (mention the critical approach I wanted to take, and my research questions, in relation to specific works.) Is that pretty standard?

Thanks.

[TakeruK]

Here are some more thoughts from a different field, but might be generally applicable too.

I don't think you should ever feel like you must latch onto a specific topic. Your PhD dissertation is probably not going to be your life's work. When I look at CVs of the profs at my school and schools I applied to, I was pretty surprised at some of their PhD theses compared to current fields of interest. They are usually in the same "area of focus" but sometimes not even.

My undergrad and current grad (Canadian Masters) supervisors both gave me some useful advice for my new PhD program this fall. They said that I should not necessarily pick a thesis topic that I love. I should pick a topic that is sufficiently interesting so that I don't bore myself working on it, but most importantly, I should pick a topic that will get me a job when I graduate. I should pay attention to research trends in the field and even if I really like topic X, if only 5 people at one institution care about topic X, I shouldn't pick it unless I want to work there! In addition, the topic should be something that is actually interesting to people who don't just study your topic. So, when you apply for jobs, people in your area of focus would be interested in hearing about your topic and hopefully, in the years leading up to graduation, would connect your name to that topic.

They don't mean to say that I shouldn't pursue what I really am interested in -- but it's always good to have side projects. Pick a thesis topic based on what is going to get you hired (or whatever your goal of grad school is) and do side projects on stuff that may be more interesting (in the end, if it goes better, you can always switch). So, with this advice in mind, if you agree, then you might not really have to worry about a specific thesis topic until a year or two into your PhD. In sciences anyways, sometimes you do a couple of projects in the first 1-2 years and then one of them will morph into your PhD thesis, and you can pick which one based on how much you like it / how good it is at finding you a job!

Also, as Imogene mentioned, naming a specific topic in your SOP could be a bad thing. I actually think schools don't want their incoming students to have such a closed mind about research possibilities. In Canada, we are usually accepted to a PhD program with a specific supervisor and when I asked about that at US schools, they strongly encouraged me to spend the first little while talking to people before deciding. The profs also don't want to confirm that they will take you until you've been there for a year or so as well. So I think you don't have to worry about knowing a specific research topic. It's great that you know your area of focus and communicating how you decided on this focus and what you want out of your PhD would be impressive to the admissions committees. For each school, you should know at least 2-3 people who work in your area and discuss how you could use their expertise in your SOP. Don't just name one prof and one topic!

Finally, be careful when naming specific people in your SOP -- if you say you want to work with Prof. X, but it turns out Prof. X is retiring or leaving or not taking students etc. it could be a very bad thing! I always email people before I put their name on anything -- just a simple email saying who I am, what I'm interested in, would they be taking students for Fall XXXX since I am interested in applying to their school, etc.

[siarabird]

surefire: Thank you so much for your response! It was immensely helpful to look at it from your perspective, and I loved your figures haha. It makes sense that people would retroactively highlight their past experiences. I'm surprised that this is new information to me, since that is pretty much how I arrived at the English major! For a while I was a hard science geek until I kind of fell into the English thing and realized that I was so much more passionate about this than any biology class I had ever taken. But when I tell people about my past it tends to go something like: "Oh yeah, I've always loved reading books, I've gotten an A in every English class I've ever taken, I started to become interested in this specific area, etc. etc." Which isn't the entire truth at all. ^^; I think looking at it from your perspective is really going to help me let go of my anxiety of finding a specific topic and just let myself and my interests mature naturally.

Imogene: Thanks so much for responding. I really like the list you've given me, and while I can without hesitation answer some of the questions, others I'm a little hazy on. I'm definitely going to keep those questions in mind throughout my research, they're very thought-provoking without being too specific.

TakeruK: I think that some of what you said could definitely be applied to my field, although I don't know how much job placement will hinge on researching a specific literary topic. I just simply don't know enough about academia in the humanities to make an intelligent decision on that front. But I really liked your advice about the SOP and about mentioning professors. I definitely don't want potential schools to think that I'm not flexible in my interests and giving myself room to grow!

[Phil Sparrow]

I think that some of what you said could definitely be applied to my field, although I don't know how much job placement will hinge on researching a specific literary topic. I just simply don't know enough about academia in the humanities to make an intelligent decision on that front.

First, getting a job will depend on your research (topic as well as execution, and politics and luck, etc.). Second, if, as you say, you don't know how these things work, I recommend you learn a lot more about academia before you decide to apply. Read up on the _Chronicle_, poke around its fora; become a regular reader of _Inside Higher Ed_. Talk to every prof and humanitiies PhD student you can not just about admissions, but life and work in the academy generally. Applying to grad school is expensive and horrible. Afterwards, there is a lot of burnout in grad school itself because students who applied without having a full idea of what they were getting themselves into. Do your homework now so you can make a strong decision later.

[Stately Plump]

Finally, be careful when naming specific people in your SOP -- if you say you want to work with Prof. X, but it turns out Prof. X is retiring or leaving or not taking students etc. it could be a very bad thing! I always email people before I put their name on anything -- just a simple email saying who I am, what I'm interested in, would they be taking students for Fall XXXX since I am interested in applying to their school, etc.

I think this is absolutely brilliant advice.

Keep in mind that the program you will be attending will, at some point, hope to teach you something. You can have some "specific" research interests, but the professors understand that you will continue to explore even after you begin. If your interests are too specific, you might come across as egotistical and unwilling to learn what they have to offer you. Ultimately, they are looking for students that they think will contribute positively to their program.

I wouldn't say anything like, "I want to study the Great Gatsby." It would probably come off as naive and unprofessional. Mention broader topics, like sex/gender roles in early 20th American lit, and perhaps mention Gatsby as an example of a text you might be interested in studying.

[TakeruK]

Academia is definitely a lot less idealized than one might expect a community of intellectuals would be. I think this comic sums up the research topic reality in a light hearted way: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1436

[siarabird]

First, getting a job will depend on your research (topic as well as execution, and politics and luck, etc.). Second, if, as you say, you don't know how these things work, I recommend you learn a lot more about academia before you decide to apply. Read up on the _Chronicle_, poke around its fora; become a regular reader of _Inside Higher Ed_. Talk to every prof and humanitiies PhD student you can not just about admissions, but life and work in the academy generally. Applying to grad school is expensive and horrible. Afterwards, there is a lot of burnout in grad school itself because students who applied without having a full idea of what they were getting themselves into. Do your homework now so you can make a strong decision later.

Thanks for the additional resources. I've been reading up on academia as much as I can but I don't know too many resources thus far for information. I don't have contact with any humanities PhD students because my college does not have any humanities PhD programs. My comment before was based on the general feeling I've gotten from reading through the humanities forums on this site. There isn't a lot of mention of tailoring research to job prospects. Since I know that there are some big differences between the hard sciences and humanities, I didn't want to assume that TakeruK's well-meaning advice would be true across all disciplines, since s/he is a Planetary Science student. Thanks for your input.

EDIT: Also, I love PhD comics. :]

Edited June 22, 2012 by siarabird

[Phil Sparrow]

EDIT: Also, I love PhD comics. :]

Excellent! Honestly, PhD comics is a pretty good representation of grad school! You can learn a lot about life on the inside from it. Keep on truckin'.