At the moment I am juggling more ideas/projects than seems sensible. My paid work (basically full-time) is an Australian history project, which currently involves co-writing a book chapter, editing a conference series and working on a conference paper - each involving different sources, periods and topics. In my own research area of British history, I am trying to work on a book manuscript (due in June!! due in June!!) based on my thesis WHILE writing articles and conference papers based on the quite different project I began researching earlier this year in the UK. I also have quite a few other things going on outside work. So, as the boy in the Far Side cartoon said, my brain is full!
I am sorry to find that, as a result, I am all out of new ideas. I need a really good idea, on which to base a major research proposal, for a three-year post-doc. It has to be a Goldilocks kind of idea - not too big, not too small, sexy enough to catch the eye of the proposal-drunk readers, but not too sexy (in case I get pilloried in the columns of The Australian for wasting the taxpayer's money), relevant to my existing track record but not simply repeating my previous work. Faced with this daunting criteria, asking myself 'What would I really like to work on for three years?', my brain draws a blank. I just have no idea!
I am sorry to find that, as a result, I am all out of new ideas. I need a really good idea, on which to base a major research proposal, for a three-year post-doc. It has to be a Goldilocks kind of idea - not too big, not too small, sexy enough to catch the eye of the proposal-drunk readers, but not too sexy (in case I get pilloried in the columns of The Australian for wasting the taxpayer's money), relevant to my existing track record but not simply repeating my previous work. Faced with this daunting criteria, asking myself 'What would I really like to work on for three years?', my brain draws a blank. I just have no idea!
4 comments:
Perhaps it's time then to do a little 'social' researching - spending time with all sorts of people bouncing ideas of them, listening to what they think is interesting, even just getting random ideas from everywhere. Then maybe that will spark something.
It's hard to drag up new ideas from out of yourself when the 'well is dry'. Sometimes they're there though, but just need other people to provoke them to appear.
Researching 'cafe-style'.
Thanks, Stephen - that's good advice! I'm thinking some holiday could help as well!
Wow. i don't know how you do it. at least your busy-ness shows how employable you are. and congrats on getting a book contract - sounds like loads of work but it must be nice knowing that your research will see the light of day! thats really great.
Thanks, Meredith - actually, I'd love to bounce some post-doc ideas off you some time! As to the busy-ness, I'm making the most of opportunities while they last - there's quite likely a long spell of unemployment just around the corner!
Post a Comment