[MUSIC].
>> So I'm here with Ashley Cox, [UNKNOWN] teaching fellow.
He recently completed a PhD.
So Ashley, thinking about your own research
experience, what do you understand research to be?
>> well, research, I mean, in its more general sort of form, is trying
to add to, sort of the sum of knowledge that we can contribute
to, you know, more, in any given discipline on how,
Different topics how we can broaden our sort of knowledge base for humanity
in general, really, and add something unique that you can sort of contribute.
And finding out new information that people hadn't
sort of found out before I think is.
>> And thinking about you know, the posing of questions,
what causes such good research question in your estimation, Ashley?
>> Well for me, I think the first, the
first point is it's got to be something that's sort
of manageable, something, one that you can with the sort
of resources, depending on the level of research you're doing.
So, and the timescale you've got allowed, it has got to be definitely be something
that you can accomplish within the time frame
you've set yourself and the resources you've got.
You've also, it's also got to be something that is, that, of interest too.
Not just, I mean, to you obviously, because you can spend a lot of time
working on this piece, so it's gotta be
a subject area that really forwards your interests.
But also it's got to be of interest to some
further people so people will, your knowledge can contribute to
discussions and debates especially in, in the politics and IR,
where you've you know, you contribute some way to the debate.
The question I think you've gotta frame to answer, something that
something that's certainly relevant, I think it helps your research question.
>> In undertaking a research project, we often often
start with a literature review, and I'm interested to
hear your thoughts on, you know, the value of
a good literature view, and why we undertake one.
>> I mean, the wri, literature review as a,
starting point is important for a number of reasons.
I think firstly as I said, they're building
on the knowledge other people have previously had.
>> So, we have to, thanks.
Find out where your question.
You know, your project is going to sit within that.
Understand the debates that you're going to be entering into
as well as sort of framing how other people have
approached the question or the topic that you're going to answer.
And see if maybe your approach, your methodology might be one that's
slightly different that can add, add to the understanding of any given topic.
So certainly, being aware of that before you go
into it is an important starting point for any project.
>> So, Ashley, thinking about the qualities of a good research project.
>> How important to you would be time
management and good planning skills in your estimation?
>> Yeah.
I mean, certainly any project, I think, definitely has to have a kind of set,
plan of how you're going to complete it.
Especially in, in long pieces of research, it's sometimes
easy to sort of wander and, lose sort of direction.
So, you've really got to focus how you're going to manage
your time to make sure you get, you know, complete your objectives.
Usually I find the easiest way is to set, sort of, goals
that you, you perceive along the way, that you can build towards.
So you can [COUGH] yeah, move the ball
forward and keep your keep motivated into going on.
So certainly time management is is the first point in
making sure you're know what you're doing, when you're doing it.
Especially in academic research, where there's lots
of other pressures on your time as well.
Teaching and et cetera, et cetera.
So you've gotta make sure that you've got set aside time to
do sort of the research part, as well as everything else that's important.
>> And how do you know when you've done a good piece of research?
What are the skills of a good researcher?
>> Well I think you know when you've you
know, in light of the literature review you've got something
new, that something, you know, something no one, and you've
looked at the problem in sort of a new way.
Or you've come, added to a debate in a constructive way too.
Say this is my contribution, this is the argument I'm making.
And it's, it's different, this unique contribution to
the knowledge that we're trying to achieve as researchers.
And I think that's, that's what, that's when you know you've sort of contributed
anything, that's sort of the good sign that you've got a good piece of research.
>> So Ashley, thinking about the research that
you've conducted in your, career to this point, is
there a particular example that you would point
to as your sort of, your best research experience?
>> I think, there tons of experience,
I think certainly going to, doing certain archival
research out in, in the US, I think it was certainly something that really builds.
When you can get to the direct archives that have been, you know,
documents that have been contributed to
by, you know, Secretary of State, Presidents.
I think that's certainly a good experience that
we can get to, it's not been filtered through
somebody else's sort of lens, or somebody else's
interpretations and really getting into the, the, the core.
So you can draw your own conclusions and draw sort of
your own analysis from, from the, from the documents you can get.
And that's certainly a different experience to what
you did previously in sort of undergraduate work or.
It's something you sort of build up on as a, and you know, being able to, you
know, get in at the ground floor if you, if you like, on on this kind of research.
It's certainly a very rewarding experience.
It's something that's different.
It's something you do sort of, sort of at lower level, so.
>> And if there was a tip you would tell your younger self what would that be?
>> I think going back and trying to express the
satisfaction you do get at the end of the piece.
Sometimes long pieces of research can at points seem, can see laborious.
But getting through that and really, like, you know, getting the work done,
putting together your argument, and having the
finished product there is sort of something.
Especially a very long piece of work like a PhD, something that's very rewarding,
and something that you sort of enjoy, you know enjoy more in retrospect [LAUGH].
I think that's, I think go back and tell
myself that the pay off is coming [LAUGH] basically.
I think that would be my advice.
[LAUGH].
>> Okay, thank you very much Ashley.
>> Thank you.