I need to learn a new method or piece of software
Learn enough of a new method to use it well and defend it, without disappearing into it for a year.
In short
Start here, today. Write one sentence on what you need this method to do for your project. Then find two published studies close to your topic that use it, and note who wrote them. This takes about 20 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 6 steps done
Define what “enough” means
Decide what you need to do with the method and what you'll have to explain and justify in your thesis and defence. That's your learning target. You don't need every variant, only the ones that fit your data, along with the assumptions behind them.
Find one structured course or workshop
Look at your graduate school's methods courses, library and research computing workshops, summer schools, and training run by professional associations in your field. If it's in another department, ask your supervisor whether it can count towards your program requirements.
Learn on a small, real subset
As early as you can, apply what you're learning to a small piece of your own data: twenty rows, three transcripts, one sample, one map layer. Real data raises the problems you'll actually face. Keep that subset as a test case you can return to whenever something new breaks.
Keep a methods notebook
Write down what you learn in your own words: commands that worked, settings you chose and why, error messages and their fixes, references that finally made something click. This becomes the core of your methods chapter. It also saves you relearning the same thing six months later.
Find someone who already uses it
A senior student, postdoc, technician or researcher in another department can save you weeks. Ask for 30 minutes and arrive with specific questions and your small example. Online forums for the software help too, but someone in your field can tell you what reviewers in your area expect to see.
Put a limit on the learning phase
Agree with your supervisor how long you'll spend learning before you apply the method to the full project, and add it to your Milestone Map. If you reach the limit and still feel unready, treat that as a reason to ask someone for help rather than to sign up for another course.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- Your supervisor or a reviewer has suggested a method you've never used.
- You've bookmarked several courses and finished none of them.
- You've watched tutorials for weeks but haven't touched your own data.
- You're worried an examiner will know the method far better than you do.
Why this happens
Most PhDs involve learning at least one thing from scratch: a statistical technique, a lab protocol, a programming language, qualitative software, GIS, or reading an unfamiliar script or language in your sources. Feeling slow and clumsy at first is normal, especially next to peers who seem fluent. They usually had a head start you didn't.
The trap is trying to master the whole method before using it. General courses cover everything, and much of it won't apply to your project. You learn faster and remember more when you begin from your own question and a small piece of your own data, then learn outwards until you can use the method properly and explain your choices.
Worth a look (2)
- Sage Research MethodsBooks, case studies, videos and practice data sets on research methods, from interviews to regression. Your library usually provides access.
- PRISMAThe reporting guideline for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, with the checklist, flow diagram templates and extensions for scoping and other reviews. Many journals expect you to follow it.
When to bring someone in
Your supervisor should help you decide whether the method is really needed and how deeply. Libraries, research computing services and statistics consulting services often run workshops and one-to-one help. If the method is central to your thesis and nobody in your department uses it, ask whether a committee member or external advisor with that expertise could join.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify