When I started SUSP, I experienced some of what we call the 'imposter syndrome.' I felt like I was not a real scientist or researcher as compared to the other students studying chemistry and biology in a lab that they didn't just research using computers and books.
Thus, I'm writing this post to share with others (a.k.a. you reading this) that research is not always pouring one beaker into another, collecting samples from a creek, or even hooking up electrodes to participants in psychological studies.
Research also comes in the form of reading and gathering information. Thus, although I may sit in a lab for days on end reading or looking at a computer, I am also participating in a process that is relevant in researching and further expanding what is known about a field.
To copy a childhood favorite of mine, Dr. Seuss might say:
You can do research on a boat,
You can do research with a goat,
You can do research in the rain,
You can do research on a train.
You can do research in a house.
You can do research with a mouse.
--my research edition of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
My research happens both in the lab and at home. My research takes the form of online surveys and electrodes attached to participants. So today, when I had the opportunity, I did my research outdoors, taking in all of the beautiful sunlight as I researched heart rate variability.
Thus, my message is to be confident in the process you are doing. Your work is worthwhile and it is important. Keep researching and learning!
Seuss. (2016). Green Eggs and Ham. London: HarperCollins Childrens Books.