Multiple research interests?

[Danger_Zone]

So I've recently been reading up on another area of research that I've found really fascinating that I would like to explore, possibly at the graduate level. It's still within my broad research interests (of modern US medicine/science) but it's completely different from my original research topic proposal and what my faculty advisor researches. Coincidentally, there is a professor at my school who is also an expert on this new topic. Is it possible to conduct research on multiple topics? I know that I would have to focus on one for my thesis and dissertation, but could I still write research papers on the other topic? Or is it expected that I choose only one topic and focus on that throughout my degree?

I know you can claim a minor field but I think it might be too close to the geographical area and time period of my original research topic that I wouldn't be able to in this case.

[knp]

Right so I'm just another incoming graduate student who likes to pretend she knows what she's talking about, but why wouldn't you be able to pursue both for a while? Will you have a class with the other professor? I have very defined research interests, but even I'm not expecting to or interested in writing every paper in every course on that subject. I am not going into academia because I want to write the dissertation I proposed in my statements—I'm going into academia because that was one of many research projects that excites me. Graduate school sounds like a great time to explore some of those other interests on the side, even as I pursue my main project. Anyway, how else would they expect you to develop follow-up projects for after the dissertation, which they do, if they start off your graduate training by forbidding you from thinking through those interests?

[Danger_Zone]

13 minutes ago, knp said:

Right so I'm just another incoming graduate student who likes to pretend she knows what she's talking about, but why wouldn't you be able to pursue both for a while? Will you have a class with the other professor? I have very defined research interests, but even I'm not expecting to or interested in writing every paper in every course on that subject. I am not going into academia because I want to write the dissertation I proposed in my statements—I'm going into academia because that was one of many research projects that excites me. Graduate school sounds like a great time to explore some of those other interests on the side, even as I pursue my main project. Anyway, how else would they expect you to develop follow-up projects for after the dissertation, which they do, if they start off your graduate training by forbidding you from thinking through those interests?

I think it would be possible, I was just wondering if others have done this. I do not have a class with the other professor. I do not believe he is teaching one next semester (at least not at the grad level), but I am considering maybe e-mailing him and discussing whether I could possibly take a class with him eventually? I'd definitely like to research this topic further, and was told by my advisor that I would probably not be researching what I initially thought, but this is a fairly different topic so I don't think there would be any overlap between the two topics/professors (at least not that I can think of.) Maybe I can just explain this to him and he can help me come up with an idea of how I can work this into my studies.

[fuzzylogician]

I have no experience with history, so we'll see what people say. But in general people do pursue multiple interests/projects in school, and people definitely also grow and their interests evolve. I personally came in to grad school be a theoretical researcher of X, and while I still continue to have research in X, most people would probably define me as more of a Y researcher (related to X in some ways, but a different subfield), and I additionally have experimental components in my work. Only one professor who I met as a prospective student ended up being on my dissertation committee, and three others who I never thought I would work with became instrumental to getting me to where I ended up wanting to go. Both of my chairs are people who I didn't even have a meeting with. You just never know, but you have to be open to these changes and explore them. They happen. 

(And I don't think you need to have a class with a professor who you may share interests with. An independent study would be 10 times more productive. I'd just start with some meetings and take it from there.)

[Danger_Zone]

I guess my perception of grad school is a bit different than it really is. I didn't think there would really be enough time. I also didn't want to seem unsure of my first topic by immediately introducing another one, I guess.

[rising_star]

5 hours ago, Danger_Zone said:

I guess my perception of grad school is a bit different than it really is. I didn't think there would really be enough time. I also didn't want to seem unsure of my first topic by immediately introducing another one, I guess.

Why wouldn't there be enough time? If you think about it, you'll be taking seminars on a variety of topics (in terms of region and in terms of time period), which means there will be opportunities to write final papers on a variety of topics. During my MA, I wrote a number of papers on various aspects of my MA thesis topic, which worked because I was in an interdisciplinary program and because my thesis topic overlapped with several broader subfields. Let's say my topic was Golden Delicious apple production in WA state. I wrote papers about apple production more broadly, farms and ag policy in the USA, migrant labor and apple production, pesticides, climate change, industrial ag, etc. Related but not identical to the topic of my thesis. As a PhD student, I actually wrote more diverse papers which didn't even all connect to what I thought my dissertation would be on. That came in handy when I had to scrap my proposal a few weeks into data collection...

The question about time is really one about how you see this other topic fitting into your broader research agenda. Could you pursue it in one or two class papers at first or do you want it to be something you spend 50% of your research time on going forward?

[Sigaba]

11 hours ago, Danger_Zone said:

 It's still within my broad research interests (of modern US medicine/science) but it's completely different from my original research topic proposal and what my faculty advisor researches. .

IRT the push/pull in different directions, it happens often with graduate students. If you can articulate (in casual conversation, in seminar, in office hours, and in your writing) the themes your different interests have in common and draw connections to historiographical themes in your main area of  interest, you're going to be in a very good position. As Americanists tend to over-specialize, I recommend that you explore how Europeanists, especially those who focus on early modern Europe connect the dots between disparate topics. You could also explore the influence of political science (the dreaded "case study") upon history.

[Danger_Zone]

8 hours ago, rising_star said:

Why wouldn't there be enough time? If you think about it, you'll be taking seminars on a variety of topics (in terms of region and in terms of time period), which means there will be opportunities to write final papers on a variety of topics. During my MA, I wrote a number of papers on various aspects of my MA thesis topic, which worked because I was in an interdisciplinary program and because my thesis topic overlapped with several broader subfields. Let's say my topic was Golden Delicious apple production in WA state. I wrote papers about apple production more broadly, farms and ag policy in the USA, migrant labor and apple production, pesticides, climate change, industrial ag, etc. Related but not identical to the topic of my thesis. As a PhD student, I actually wrote more diverse papers which didn't even all connect to what I thought my dissertation would be on. That came in handy when I had to scrap my proposal a few weeks into data collection...

The question about time is really one about how you see this other topic fitting into your broader research agenda. Could you pursue it in one or two class papers at first or do you want it to be something you spend 50% of your research time on going forward?

I guess since it isn't really something I could pursue in a minor field (at least I'm assuming I wouldn't be able to) and it differing from my original research topic, it would just be hard to justify spending a significant amount of time on it. Initially I would want to just have it as side research and not spend as much time on it, but if it did end up being something I'm really enjoying I would want to pursue it further. They're both in the US and similar time periods so they do have some things in common. I was just nervous about not already having a solid idea for a topic at this point. Guess I shouldn't worry so much.  

[Danger_Zone]

3 hours ago, Sigaba said:

IRT the push/pull in different directions, it happens often with graduate students. If you can articulate (in casual conversation, in seminar, in office hours, and in your writing) the themes your different interests have in common and draw connections to historiographical themes in your main area of  interest, you're going to be in a very good position. As Americanists tend to over-specialize, I recommend that you explore how Europeanists, especially those who focus on early modern Europe connect the dots between disparate topics. You could also explore the influence of political science (the dreaded "case study") upon history.

Yes, that's definitely something I've been thinking about. I think depending on how I approach the topics I could demonstrate similar themes or look at them through similar contexts. I'll have to look into this more, though. It would be ideal if somehow I could merge these ideas a little better. 

[Sigaba]

4 hours ago, Danger_Zone said:

Yes, that's definitely something I've been thinking about. I think depending on how I approach the topics I could demonstrate similar themes or look at them through similar contexts. I'll have to look into this more, though. It would be ideal if somehow I could merge these ideas a little better. 

Find a copy of Natalie Zemon Davis's Society and Culture in Early Modern France. Not only is it a work that can change your life (and not just in an academic sense), the introduction is an excellent example of how a master of the craft can connect topics together.

Alternatively, you could find collected essays in your fields of interest and see how the editor pulls things together in the introduction.

If you need additional support, let me know.

[Danger_Zone]

15 hours ago, Sigaba said:

Find a copy of Natalie Zemon Davis's Society and Culture in Early Modern France. Not only is it a work that can change your life (and not just in an academic sense), the introduction is an excellent example of how a master of the craft can connect topics together.

Alternatively, you could find collected essays in your fields of interest and see how the editor pulls things together in the introduction.

If you need additional support, let me know.

Thank you, those are all great ideas. Looks like the book is on Google books so I'll have to read it soon.