Consider this scenario: Your project is due in 20 days and you’re still collecting data. The thought of scoring, analysis, interpretation, and writing up your ‘holy grail’ (the dissertation file) seems like a far-fetched idea, yet you power through the weeks to finish your project within the deadline. The academic pressure makes you compromise your sleep, appetite, and mental health, and during this process you end up telling yourself that research is maybe not for you!
Time management is a common challenge for young researchers (including us, lol) and it can be avoided through prior planning and having markers in place to make sure you stay on track. A Gantt chart is a visual time-management tool that maps your research tasks on a horizontal timeline. You can make one in a Microsoft Word document or draw it on a piece of paper, keeping in mind the due date and the time you can allocate to a particular task weekly. Keep it realistic and have buffer days in hand.
Divide the research process into discrete categories: literature review, research objectives, study design, data collection, analysis and writing. It is important to note that research IRL is a recursive process, which means it is not linear and you can go back to a previous step according to your needs. Yet, an overarching timeline helps when there is a deadline for your project. Here is a sample Gantt chart below that can be used for reference.
Tips to Stay on Track
Setting Goals: Your research journey starts with setting goals, since the Gantt chart will only provide a broad overview. Use the SMART framework, i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example: ‘Review 10 studies from your research area that were published in the last 10 years over the next two weeks. Focus on their implications and recommendations for future research.’
Having a Schedule: It helps if you allocate daily or weekly time slots dedicated to your research work. Focused and deep work helps you notice and observe important nuances that a superficial glance would otherwise miss. You can set up reminders and a pro tip: always keep your phone in the other room while working.
Progress Update: Email progress updates to your research supervisor monthly or as often as you’d like. This keeps them in the loop, and they might take more interest in your project, especially if they have more supervisees’. This shows initiative on your part, and at the end of the project, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be saved from your supervisor’s wrath.
Accountability Partner: This is such an under appreciated part of staying on track. Sharing your progress with a friend from a similar academic background helps refocus your attention on your research work. Additionally, normalise talking about your research work with friends and family in simple terms. All feedback matters!
Giving yourself a Break: The research journey can be exhausting, so stay on top of it by giving yourself a break every so often. Before it ever gets to the point where you develop a repulsive attitude towards your work, take a break, regroup, and come back to it with renewed vigour.
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