Successful Scholarship: Creating a Sustainable Research Agenda CAFÉ Workshop September 9, 2016

1. Successful Scholarship: Creating a Sustainable Research Agenda CAFÉ Workshop September 9, 2016

2. Why? First things first: Why scholarship?

3. Before we get to How, Let’s first ask Why? Why should we pursue scholarship? Intrinsic Motivation and Instrumental Rationality Instrumental Rationality Intrinsic Motivation

4. What? What is scholarship? Points of convergence and divergence

5. What is Scholarship? “Going Public” But… What’s your department’s definition of scholarship? How aligned are your definitions and goals and those of your department? What’s your definition of scholarship? What about transdisciplinary work, SoTL, and Creative Work?

6. Interests and Obstacles Map Them Out And think about what you need in order to break on through to the other side Solutions? Think, pair, share on this side Interests Obstacles Work independently on this side

7. How? How do we design an agenda for sustained scholarly engagement?

8. It all starts here H/T bestimageever

9. Targets and Goals or Fear and Loating?

10. Goals Backwards design?? Start with what you’re working on/thinking about now OR work backwards from a goal In order to be here/have concrete evidence of ____ in 3/5 years. What are these goals? This year –right now– I need to…

11. Developing a Strategy

12. Yeah, but how?? Practical Advice The baker’s dozen and a strategy sheet A practical model can look something like this: Identify/organize your research questions Pull one up to the front burner Prioritize it Keep other questions simmering or in the oven Develop an agenda for the front burner item Prioritize what you need for it to succeed Is funding required? No –go! Yes –go after it! Map out a strategy for support (finding funders mindful of your time-table) Think in terms of a research proposal/grant: develop and follow a time-table Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: know when to push one thing to the side or back burner and when to pull something else up-front Establish realistic goals and deadlines Identify what you need to succeed (time, space, materials, $) Ask for/pursue it Think AND not OR (book v. articles debate) Set aside time for research AND writing every week –and use it accordingly Save everything and present at least one thing a year Work with a mentor or writing/editing group Cope with criticism and learn from it Keep your colleagues, chair, and others in the loop –we want you to succeed Integrate your research into your local (campus and community) environment Collaborate Celebrate, but keep working the burners Don’t panic; pace yourself

13. Obstacles Sometimes we are our own worst enemy Solutions –sometimes liberating: CAFÉ / Research Methods Working Group Mentors and editors UGR Learning community model –collaborate Perspective: gaining traction is the hardest part –writing that first book/major work does open the door for others Think about waves and the undertow, and let your colleagues know Stay/become active in major organizations related to your field and areas of interest Fears –sometimes paralyzing: Rejection Failure Writer’s block Burnout Loss of inspiration Rusty skills Falling out of touch Limited resources Unaware of options