After a long year of dealing with the global COVID-19 pandemic and with vaccines rolling out globally, many academic communities are looking ahead to the post-pandemic world. The challenges and changes to our lives will continue into 2021 and beyond, highlighting the need to find new and innovative ways to dive back into research. COVID-19 shifted virtually everyone’s timelines & goals to complete a thesis, dissertations, next article, or monograph. As we configure what our new normal looks like at home, we also have to keep in mind that this extends to our research plans and travels. How do we begin? What should we expect?
Goal Setting:
The first, and arguably most crucial shift in academic research, has to be in the stages of research plan and preparation. COVID-19 has demonstrated to us to expect the unexpected and to make not one but several plan A’s, plan B’s, and so on. In planning my doctoral research, I became entrenched in the idea it will be this way or no way. Although even in pre-pandemic times, this practice was frowned down upon, most still only planned for an idealized version of a research trip and a more practical version. This does not entail the logistics of going from point A to point B to point C, but more about “I have a particular research question(s), and this is the method of how I will attempt to solve it.”
In this new normal, I would encourage taking ample time at the initial stage of research to layout multiple methodologies on how you will answer your big research question for your dissertation, article, book. At UT-Austin, prospective Ph.D. candidates often do this in the middle of their comprehensive exams (third year), which is a nightmare since this sort of planning goes on the wayside while reading an upward of 200 books and writing your portfolio. Looking back, I would have devoted my summer before beginning comps to two things. First, conducting scouting research in one or two archives that would be of value. Secondly, and what I missed, after returning from scouting trips, I would expound upon my one or multiple research questions that I aimed to solve through your year-long research trip and map out various plans on how to accomplish this. That way, if a global pandemic comes along, or even a fried computer, family issues, or whatever comes along, you can have a concrete plan set to mitigate that. As well, doing this before you move through comps allows for time to change and adjust things as you incorporate methods or ideas from your reading into it.
On the department side, I would encourage faculty and staff to advocate and develop seminars EARLY on, think first or second-year, on not only planning research trips, but just going over various methodologies, ways of answering research questions, to introduce students to the ways research has changed. No longer does one need to travel to write a thoroughly researched piece, so from day one, we need to encourage a diversification of what research looks like as a Ph.D. As a Ph.D. candidate who came straight from my undergraduate institution, I received no formal training in developing a methodology to answer my big questions. Providing a space for students to workshop and test ideas, reflect on ones that worked and did not work will help navigate this stage and developing multiple, flexible plans to help you finish your dissertation.
Logistical Planning:
A significant benefit that the pandemic has provided is tapping into how virtually connected we as individuals and institutions are. From dropping in on zoom conferences to libraries increasingly releasing digitized information, to our love/hate relationship to Haithi Trust, researchers are not simply limited to doing physical research at the location. Part of developing your methodology is looking at what is available to you virtually. Look into essential libraries or repositories that hold items about your research. Ask scholars, graduate students, or others who are working on adjacent topics as yours. One of the most significant resources I have found is by joining academic Twitter. In this post-pandemic world, more people are willing to share places and resources that helped them. Compiling lists of these resources will help you to pinpoint gaps you may have and where you may have to travel to acquire what you need.
Once you have an idea of places you need to visit, the next step is looking at individual archives and institutions to see what new policies are in place for visiting scholars. Since policies are ever-changing, developing a working relationship with archivists or scholars at the particular institution will be the best way to be apprised of changes, updates, closures, etc. From my experience, posted information online may only reflect procedures in months past, and generally, smaller archives and libraries will only update annually or biannually. Crucial questions to ask are whether there is a reservation system in place to limit the number of researchers in at a particular time, if there is a paperwork process to register yourself before entering, or if you need to go in person ahead of time to register yourself? How many documents/folders/boxes are they allowing one person to check out at a time? Do you need home institution sponsorship? Are there changes due to COVID-19? Gloves and mask policies? Having these answers will help prepare yourself before going into the field, but if you have to petition to travel to your home institution, it will help strengthen your proposal.
If you are going abroad, a crucial step is looking at entrance/exit requirements. If you hold a United States passport, most places require a visa to enter, even if you are staying for under 90-days. Again, these guidelines are ever-changing, so a good bet is emailing the respective embassy listing who you are/what institution you are affiliated with, how long you think you are going, and why. While embassy websites typically are more up to date, the purpose of your travel may not solely fall under “business” or “study,” so speaking directly with a representative will help you navigate this. Most visas require you to apply 90 days before travel, so mark that in your calendar early on to allow for ample time if you need to travel to the particular embassy, etc. As well, ask about quarantine requirements once you enter the country. Some countries require you to quarantine in a specific location; some give you a GPS tracker to check-in, others have other policies in place. You will need to allow time if there is a mandatory quarantine to not eat into the time you are spending researching.
For flights, mainly international, many airlines are piloting a program called “COVID tested flights.” This requires you to get a PCR test 48-hours in advance, a rapid test at the home airport as well at the arrival airport. It is a fabulous option to look into because it mitigates as many risks as possible getting on an airplane. In planning flights, look into reducing the number of layovers you can to minimize exposure in transit. This will most likely cost more money than the multi-layover options, but if you can budget that in, it will be the safest option for you and those you come into contact with once you arrive.
In terms of housing, there are several options. I have found apartments for rent Facebook groups to be the most successful place to find accommodation for super cheap. Traditionally, I will book an Airbnb or the like for a week or two and spend some time scouting leads from Facebook groups. That way, I can meet with the person beforehand, know what neighborhood the apartment is in, and am protected in case something falls through. Also, as many people and businesses are suffering, it helps locals instead of throwing money at large organizations. Even if you do not book until closer to your travel date, having an idea of what is out there will again give you as much flexibility as possible if travel conditions change.
Now you have the basics down; the final step would be checking into your university or institution's travel policies to see if there is an application process to travel. Speaking from working at the University of Texas at Austin, the International Oversees Committee and Global Risk and Safety require you to apply to travel regardless of where you go. This is a twelve-page proposal you submit about six weeks before your proposed travel. You will outline your answers to most of the questions above. Take this application seriously and write down as much as possible for each question. It may seem repetitive, but going as in-depth as possible will make your application that much stronger. I would recommend, however, not to book anything until your application is accepted. While this will require you to book things quite quickly, it is beneficial for many reasons. The most significant benefit is that you will be close enough to the time of travel that considerable changes are unlikely. Second: you have most everything laid out, so it will not be a strenuous process to do so.
Final Considerations:
No research is worth putting your health nor others’ at risk. There was a time I was willing to do whatever it took to complete my research. It is incredibly difficult to navigate the present blurry line of what is safe and what is not. Any dissertation, article, or thesis produced during COVID-19 is going to be as strong as it can be, considering the circumstances. Whatever research is missing can be incorporated into future projects when you feel safe to travel again.
This advice is to help mitigate any safety concerns that may arise if you decide to travel in the coming months. Be intentional and cautious with planning archival trips, try to spend your money locally as much as possible, and you will have overcome the challenge of researching in this “new normal.”
