I have had a very productive day at the library. I am amazed by how many “moving parts” are associated with completing this pilot study. I have spent the past 5 hours working on consent forms, university approval documents, and participant communication. I had hoped to spend time revisiting my actual research design but that will have to be tackled next week. I am starting to get a very solid understanding of why academics have research assistants, there is a lot of detail to manage even before you collect and analyze the data!!
I spent much of the week creating preliminary communication documents, reviewing the overall pilot plan and integrating feedback from my manager at work. I also read and reread the ethics guidelines from the university. There is a lot to consider to ensure that you are conducting your research appropriately.
My final task today was to create a plan with action items for each day next week. This is the first time that I have had to manage my time on such a micro level, but it is this is starting to feel like a large project even though it is a pilot. Weekly plans with detailed tasks will help me to stay on track.
I am also committed to continue to balance work/life/school. I played tennis last night and had a leisurely breakfast with my girlfriend this morning and then she dropped me off at the library. I am departing shortly to head home for a nap before heading out for drinks and dinner with my partner. Looking forward to adding some “fun and frolic” to a solid week at work and school.