The 'Backwards' Research Guide for Writers - Using your Life for Reflection, Connection, and Inspiration - Sonya Huber
10. Noodling as a Research Method
The 'Backwards' Research Guide for Writers - Using your Life for Reflection, Connection, and Inspiration - Sonya Huber
Sonya Huber [+]
Fairfield University
Sonya Huber is an Assistant Professor teaching creative writing and composition at Fairfield University, Connecticut (USA). Her background includes sociology/anthropology at Carleton University, an M.A. in journalism, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from The Ohio State University. Among her many publications in a wide variety of genres are the books Opa Nobody and Cover Me, A Health Insurance Memoir, both with the University of Nebraska Press; articles in Psychology Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Sojourner; and creative writing in Literary Mama and Fourth Genre.
Description
Research presents a problem of scale. There is so much information available, but an individual’s capacity to absorb and process it is extremely limited. Working with two eyes, two ears, two hands, and a small amount of time and energy, the researcher confronts his or her personal limits long before the ocean of information runs dry. In other words, the information always wins. The key for navigating this sea of research is to be prepared, to learn about the currents, the submerged reefs and rocks, and to combine this readiness with the ability to explore, to change course, and adapt to the unforeseen storm.