“I‘m an ethnographer.  Well, I’m not only an ethnographer, but the heftiest part of my dissertation work was ethnography.  And as one who also has rigorous training in engineering and other natural science fields – I was surprised at how much of my research design required transformational change.

While I did the research – as I collected data – I changed what my hypotheses were, what I’d use the data for and what outcomes I’d obtain from analysing the data.  It was simultaneously confusing and exciting, but eventually I was much prouder of the outcomes than I would have been had I stuck to the plan.

It was a lesson in valuing methodological adaptation and change.  As researchers, we don’t know everything, and more people in science should have, and value, that experience.”