I’ve been challenged by my research with Praxis Lab through learning more about the process of conducting research. Going into WAGSFP, I thought that I had a good grasp on many components of research, but now I’ve learned that I’ve only scraped the surface of what being a researcher is like. Now I’m learning how to come up with ideas for research projects on my own, contribute to papers, qualitative code, and read and comprehend codebooks. I’m also learning how to use SPSS through LinkedIn Learning’s workshop and it’s very challenging for me because I have very little previous experience with statistical analysis software.
I’ve been challenged both by what I have to do in my research and managing my work-life balance. Since my work is remote and I make my own hours, I’ve often worked from home in my pajamas, but I’m trying my best to get out of the house and work in public spaces. I’ve also started to emphasize my wellbeing more because working long hours conducting research remotely can become exhausting if you neglect your needs. I’ve neglected my wellbeing by focusing too much on academics in college up until this point, but I’ve been feeling so much better physically and emotionally by taking short breaks throughout my work day over the summer.
When doing research on the experiences of Latinx individuals at the University of Michigan, I have to acknowledge my standpoint as a white, queer, upper middle-class, American individual. My identity and experiences are incredibly different from those that Praxis Lab has collected as a part of the Latinx Student Experiences Survey. Some of the questions ask about unwelcoming and harmful experiences that the respondents experienced on campus, and I acknowledge that my being white comes with a lot of privilege and I have not had any negative experiences based on my race. I recognize that I have to treat the experiences of others with care and be aware that my identities and experiences influence the way that I think and write while conducting research. I have to constantly think about my positionality when conducting this research, and it is also important for me to be transparent with people who view my work about my identities so they can assess for themselves the effects my identity may have on the research process and results.