My experiences in research have been really interesting thus far. Seeing as this is my first time ever doing research, I’ve been a sponge, just trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can. The research project that I’m working on revolves around gendered bias against women in STEM fields. So far, I’ve been reading up about prior research done on the subject and taking lots of notes. I’ve also been learning how to use RStudio, which is a coding program used for organizing and interpreting data. As someone who is planning on declaring a major in computer science, learning a new coding language has been very captivating to me. I hope to become proficient in the program by the end of the summer.
As of right now, researching online hasn’t been too strenuous. However, I’ve never done any in-person research before so I suppose I don’t really have a frame of reference. I would say that it seems harder to build interpersonal relationships with my peers in the program just because I only get to see them in Zoom meetings or over chat messages. It definitely takes some effort to see everyone as more than just a square on your computer screen. There’s something about being able to interact with the people you’re working with in person that allows for a tighter connection to be formed and it’s unfortunate that we aren’t able to get that experience this summer. Still, I feel as if I’ve been getting along really well with the others in my program. Everyone’s been really pleasant and supportive of each other, which is greatly appreciated.
I will say that doing online research is easier in the sense that it allows for more flexibility in my schedule. In addition to doing research, I also work a summer job at my local mall and still have some spare time to dabble in my own artistic hobbies. I’m glad that I have the time to do all of these things and keep myself as busy as possible throughout the summer.
As I mentioned before, the project I’ve been working as a research assistant for is about bias against women in STEM. Further than this, we’ve also been reading about the nuances of the experiences of white women in STEM as opposed to women of color. As I would’ve expected, the research studies that I’ve read about have all concluded that the gendered microaggressions that women of color face in their workplaces are more often than not racially charged as well. This is interesting because it addresses the role that intersectionality plays in gendered microaggressions. I feel really connected to the subject of the project because I relate to some of the experiences of the women who were a part of these studies and I’ve witnessed and/or experienced them firsthand in my own life. I feel really lucky to be on a project that I’m personally invested in and I can’t wait to dive even deeper into this project.