Pragmatism

Reality can be a frightening thing sometimes. That is how I felt reading ch.7 of Knight, frightened. But at the same time, realizing the hurdles of conducting academic research, no matter how daunting they may seem, is an important thing for novice researchers to absorb early on. The reason is because these challenges are going to be magnified for first-time researchers and they can be very demotivating. By devoting a whole chapter to the pragmatic challenges of doing academic research, new researchers can brace themselves for the many challenges that lie ahead, which is important for maintaining self-efficacy ( which I believe is half the battle).

Not every topic deals with "benign" issues and Peter helps the researcher understand the importance of these sensitivities. I suppose this is what it means to be a professional in any undertaking, being responsive or empathetic to the will and emotions of others. I wonder though, if this can be learned and internalized from the chapter of a research methods book ? I mean, if one were to apply these tenets literally it might obstruct the flow of whatever information gathering technique is being employed. But then again, I am speaking as an a person who is not shy and quite open (if you weren't able to discern from my in class participation). Not everyone is like this however, and it is important to absorb the professional advice from Ch.7 of Knight.