I think it can be safe to say that writing comes in waves; some days are better writing days than others. Thankfully, when we have a troublesome writing day there are a couple of ways to move through the mental block and, hopefully, onto some great writing output. To that end, I’ve added a few helpful items from my reading this week (Creswell, 2011) to remind myself of how to navigate those waters when they come.
1. Find a template and use that as a guide.
Creswell (2011) has a great template example on how to write a five paragraph statement of the research problem. By referencing other literature, statistical trends and a quote or two a template can quickly become a well developed piece of writing that may inspire you onto the next writing section. 🙂
2. Read other research studies.
What better way to write well than to immerse yourself in other well-written research studies. The more we surround ourselves with great models, the more likely we will begin to take on similar traits and habits. Needing a place to start? I have found a wealth of great doctoral studies from the AECT.org site as well as through Proquest doctoral searches.
3. Just write.
We can always find a way to procrastinate but in the end it really doesn’t make us feel any better about not having gotten any writing done for the day. Just grab your computer (or pick up a pen and feel the old-school vibe!) and write something. Writing in a stream of consciousness for a few minutes might just trigger those research writing skills back in action.
Ok, speaking of procrastinating, I need to get back to my own research. 🙂
Happy researching!
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