What is research?

I started writing these reflections at the beginning of my PhD to capture lessons I might otherwise forget. I have never been good at taking notes (I once believed I had a good memory and didn’t need notes…turns out, not really..), so I want to document these moments here as memories of my research journey. Here is a short reflection on the first lesson I learned from my master’s advisor and how it shaped the way I think about research.

What I Learned About Research

I began my research journey the summer before starting my master’s at UC Irvine. Back then, I wasn’t sure what my role was in a project, and I had no idea what “doing research” meant in the broader context of the HCI community. The very first lessons my advisor shared with me gave me a broad picture of what research is and what it takes to do it.

So, What is Research?
At its core, research is about asking the right questions: What are you doing? Why are you doing this? How are you doing this? From there, it becomes a process of shaping the project, selecting appropriate methods, carrying out the work of analysis, and finally, communicating the results. Research is not about rushing to answers; it is about building a thoughtful process that connects questions, methods, and contributions.

Key takeaways:

Start with the questions: What are you doing? Why are you doing this? How are you doing this?
Formulating the project.
Formulating the methods/ Choosing and applying methods (executing the work and analyzing data).
Writing up the findings/data.

These takeaways shaped how I began to approach projects, but applying them in practice was not always straightforward. In fact, many of the lessons I learned came from struggling with the day-to-day realities of research.

Lessons from Doing Research
I was frustrated when I worked on my first project for many reasons. One of them was that the project timeline felt so long, and I kept going back and forth doing data analysis over and over again. At one point, I honestly just wanted to give up. That was when my advisor reminded me that academic research is all about patience. I began to realize another lesson my advisor often emphasized: progress takes time, and results are not always immediate. What matters is staying committed and steady.

In addition, I was not a detail-oriented person before, and I also did not fully understand the purpose of planning and goal-setting. I remember that during the first few meetings with my advisor, I sent her a document with just a few sentences summarizing the project. Looking back, I can see how confusing that must have been. I’ve since learned that being detail-oriented in research isn’t just for yourself. It’s about making your ideas clear enough that others can follow and understand your thinking.

Key takeaways:

Research requires initiative. It is really about getting the work done.
Working on research is a serious commitment. It asks for persistence and responsibility over the long term.
Being detail-oriented is critical. Small things matter, and overlooking them can change the outcome.
Making progress toward a Ph.D. means setting clear goals and staying mindful of them.
Building routines, habits, and priorities that you will not compromise on makes it easier to stay on track.

These lessons are just the beginning. They shaped how I approached my first projects and continue to guide the way I think about research and grow as a scholar.