By amberherrle
I am so excited to finally start the ISP period with SIT. The Independent Study Project is a key component of all SIT programs. Through this independent research, students are able to dive into a niche topic and explore it though field and open source research. I would say that most students on SIT choose the program because of the ISP component.
My project will look at the construction of masculinity in Jordanian society and how this construction contributes to radicalization in Jordan. Specifically, I will be seeking to understand the ways that mothers contribute to this construction.
Aspects of ISP
1. Choosing your topic - when you apply to SIT, you propose a topic for your research, but most of us are doing a totally different topic than we applied with. With that being said, I am extremely grateful that we did have to apply with a topic because it gets you thinking about what possible topics for your country and program theme are.
2. Finding an advisor - when I have an advisor, I will let you know all my tips on finding an advisor! For now, I would say start early and seek out actual experts in the field your studying. It sounds basic but a lot of students end up with people who generally know what they are talking about for their research topic, but they aren't able to provide students with the most adequate resources.
3. Meet with experts - One of the best things I did was reach out to every author of every article I read. Yes - I cold called, cold-linkedin and even searched endlessly for email addresses so I could send cold emails. And guess what? I got two great interviews with experts in this field! And these interviews have helped me tremendously in creating a great topic.
4. Get feedback on your interview questions - prepare to be critiqued. I have reached out to a lot of people for help with my interview questions and research in general. Having great interview questions makes for good research. I have received a lot of feedback on my interview questions and it's my hope that these revisions will result in a great final product.
5. Start early - Finish your literature review EARLY. Start reading articles the semester before you get here. Okay, no not really. But so far, one of the best things I did was start reading articles early. Further, taking extensive notes on those articles had given me a ready made literature review. I can't recommend this more.
I'm really looking forward to my ISP, during the month there are no classes at SIT. We've been working up to it for a long time, so it's pretty exciting! I am looking forward to getting my feet on the ground and working with the network I have here to gather a significant amount of data to create a great research project. Another great thing is I will be able to use the data I obtain from this research for a senior thesis at GW if I choose to!
Chee