You Have to Talk to People: The Real Deal with Primary Research

Yoda (Photo credit: davidyuweb)

I have spent most of my PhD years alone. Researching alone, writing alone, driving to class alone and just as quickly returning home. I haven’t networked with anyone at GSU because really, it’s impossible to do that when you’re teaching full time and have a family.

As a result, my inclination towards a hermitic lifestyle has left me bereft of friends who have “been there and done that”. I’ve missed the conversation and the knowledge of the experiences of others; as a result, I’ve had to reinvent many wheels.

This is where my post begins, because if you are like me you need to read this.

This week I faced a massive research road block. The entire reason for my historical dissertation hinges on records going back to the 1950’s. When I called the major institution that houses those records, the researcher in charge informed me that because of a fire at a storage facility, all records before 1995 were lost. End of story. When I emailed back to ask for advice and next steps I got no reply.

For a day I was depressed and discouraged. What was I supposed to do? I emailed my dissertation director and told her the scoop. I was worried that she’d freak out like I did and tell me I needed to change my topic (disaster). Instead, in her usual Yoda-esque way, she suggested that I sign up for the WPA List Serve, write a general email explaining my dilemma, and wait for responses.

(I have to explain the Yoda reference before I go on. My dissertation director, Dr. Lynee Gaillet, has this … way with teaching. She’ll give you an intimation of what you need to do but she’ll make sure you learn it for yourself. She doesn’t spoon-feed, but she’s there when you need her. She’ll take a call at a moment’s notice and bend over backwards if there’s a problem, but she also pulls back when she knows I need to learn something. I’ve worked with her for over 8 years, in my Master’s and my PhD. Well, her suggestion to join the WPA turned into one of those learning experiences for me.)

The WPA list serve consists of a large group of scholars in my field (rhetoric and composition). They are always emailing about this or that topic. The cool thing here is that members of the group include famous authors of textbooks I used to study and to teach! At my fingertips, I had a treasure trove of knowledge and I had no idea that the WPA even existed until Dr. G told me about it.

Yesterday I composed my email. In a matter of a couple hours, I had several responses from professors all over the nation. One, Dr. Kathleen Blake Yancey, who is an esteemed author, suggested that I ask another famous scholars, Dr. Ed White and Dr. Norbert Eliot, for guidance. Next thing I know, I’m getting generous emails from scholars who have written books, taught for many years – – these are the pioneers in my field and they were emailing me to help! I had no idea that scholars were so generous. I think they all probably remember the Hell that they went through to write their dissertations…

Do you find this as amazing as I do?

So, I spent all afternoon following up on leads: emailing archivists in New Jersey (it turns out I am going to have to go there to find the information I am looking for), finding recommended articles and research reports, and sending messages to other contacts that were suggested. It was amazing that it took so long to do that detective work. (I didn’t get a word of chapter 1 written either.)

When I emailed my director, Dr. Gaillet, she replied with the comment “Now you’re doing primary research”.

I can hear Yoda saying, “Research you are doing. Talk to People you must.”

Click. That’s what it’s about folks.