Commitment to research

How much of a priority is your research right now?

You may believe that your research is your top priority.

But are there other distractions that are taking more time than you would like? In this guide, we share advice on how to prioritise your research while also making time for the things that matter, such as your work-life balance.

People are sat around a table around a big sheet of paper on which they are writing down ideas during a workshop.

What is commitment to research?

A researcher performs their best work when they are committed to their research.
Researchers who perform well make their research a significant priority, amongst all the things competing for their attention.
There is a balance to be struck here, as it’s important to dedicate time to yourself and your relationships, but it is evident that your research will need to become an important focus if you are to succeed at it.

Why is commitment to research important?

Procrastination and distractions are very tempting, and it’s easy to become discouraged when your research plans go awry
Not only is it important for your doctorate, but throughout your research, it is necessary to retain the skill of not being distracted or giving into procrastination. This is especially so when you are no longer being managed by supervisors or principal investigators but instead are working on your own projects and attempting to secure funding.

How can you improve your commitment to research?

Maintain momentum

acknowledge that obstacles and distractions will crop up, and that these may be a challenge to overcome, even for the most dedicated researcher. It’s good to be optimistic, but it’s also good to be realistic and to have a plan in place for how to deal with these challenges. Start by talking with other researchers about their experiences, the highlights and the struggles.

Explore development opportunities

as a starting point, you could learn more about time management techniques and how to implement them; another useful activity is to observe and/or ask more senior colleagues and peers how they manage their time and cope with competing demands.

Understand your own motivations

getting to know yourself is key: what things distract you, or demotivate you? What changes can you make to set yourself up for success? List out your distractions and make time for these, prioritising them in order of their strength, importance and persistence. Factor in breaks and make time for holidays/ special days etcetera as these will keep you motivated through somewhat repetitive or mundane research tasks. Achieving a work-life balance is crucial to being productive and successful in your research. Make a list of people whose research inspires you – how can you learn from them in how they conducted their research?

Maintain focus

identify, clarify, and articulate to yourself the purpose of your research. Outline how it will contribute to your own professional development, and how it will make a difference to your discipline and the wider society. This sense of purpose will provide an antidote to any distractions or feelings of a lack of motivation. Such tools as motivational images with your desired outcome on them or planning to give a talk to your colleagues about your findings on a set date, can spur you on to keep going.

Fend off temptations

focus on how you can transform your research process from mundane to inspirational – this will involve creativity and a change of mindset. Doing this will help you fend off distractions. Try a technique such as backward planning to keep your priorities in check – ask yourself what a year from now will look like, and ask yourself what do you need to achieve in three months, a week, tomorrow, to achieve this desired future? Narrow it all the way down to what important thing needs to be done today, or even this hour?

Final takeaways

Researchers who perform well make their research a significant priority, amongst all the things competing for their attention.
Not only is it important for your doctorate, but throughout your research, it is necessary to retain the skill of not being distracted or giving into procrastination. This is especially so when you are no longer being managed by supervisors or principal investigators but instead are working on your own projects.
Acknowledge that obstacles and distractions will crop up, and that these may be a challenge to overcome, even for the most dedicated researcher. It’s good to be optimistic, but it’s also good to be realistic and to have a plan in place for how to deal with these challenges.