ITECH 5500 Reflective Journal: Professional Research & Communication

This is a reflective journal from a student in the Professional Research and Communication course. It documents their learning journey across several weeks, focusing on key aspects of research including problem-solving skills, understanding research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), ethical considerations, and the importance of literature review. The journal highlights the student's engagement with workshops and tutorials, and how these experiences contributed to their understanding of research design, data collection, and report writing. The student also reflects on teamwork and the application of learned skills to a specific research project on Virtual Reality in Transport.

Running head: PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION
Professional Research and Communication: Reflective Journal
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION
Reflective Journal
Week 1
The research project has helped me in gaining an appropriate knowledge about the
different aspects of a research project. This coursework helped me in understanding the different
aspects, needs, tools and techniques of a research study. The workshops, lectures and the
tutorials considerably helped me in analysing the different aspects of a research. I have
understood the importance of having a good problem solving skill in the research. The workshop
motivated me to take a test about my problem solving skills. The scores of the test suggest that I
posses a good problem solving skill, that will help me in my future endeavour. I have got a good
score while taking the test of a problem solver and I have found out that I am a confident
problem solver. The first workshop as a whole has been overall a good experience for me.
Week 2
It’s in my ability to take time in understanding the problem and proposing an appropriate
solution to the problem. In this workshop, I have understood that having an appropriate problem
solving skill is important mainly because it ensures continuous improvement. Continuous
improvement is a key aspect of any research project or similar tasks. The workshop has helped
me in understanding the fact that good problem solving skills are fundamentally important for
ensuring success in academic and professional career. Along with a good problem solving skill,
it is important to be self confident. Self confidence is important for dealing with a problem. The
test results of the self confidence test suggest that I have to work a little bit more with my self
confidence. This week’s workshop has given me an idea of Ontology epistemology and
methodology which I found quite interesting.

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PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION
Week 3
The third workshop that I have attended in this course has been quite helpful for me in
understanding the research problems and the research needs This includes the details about
statistics and variable types. The workshops have helped me in gaining a knowledge about the
different aspects of a research which include identification of problem statement, research
questions and the different methods of the research. Having an idea of the problem statement is
important for a research. The tutorials have helped me in understanding the concept of a good
problem statement. An accurate problem statement of the research should be able to properly
justify a problem and identify any shortcomings associated with a past research. The importance
or the significance of the research should be clearly defined in the problem statement of the
research. The knowledge that I have gained after attending the workshop have considerably
helped me in making a correct choice of the research topic and in evaluation of the research
problem.
Week 4
The tutorials and the classes of this week have been a great help in analysing the tools
and techniques of a research. The tutorials have helped me in gaining knowledge about
qualitative and quantitative research approach. A correct idea of these two research approaches
helps in guiding a project in a particular direction. I feel that having an idea of the qualitative and
quantitative research method will help me in getting a desired result. The project has helped me
in understanding the different ethical issues that can arise while working with a research project.
It is essential for a research to consider the ethical aspects. The experiences that I have gathered
will help me in understanding the different aspects of a research study.

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PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION
Week 5
From the workshops and the tutorials of this week, I have gathered an extensive
knowledge about structuring a research study. Planning the research structure helps in guiding
the project in a proper way. The tutorials have helped in understanding the use of EndNote in the
research. It is a tool that helps in managing the and effectively conducting the literature review
associated with the research.
Week 6
The experiences that I have gathered while attending the course work is expected to help
in my further researches as well. In the sixth workshop, I have learnt the main features of
qualitative research that differentiates it from a quantitative research method. Knowledge about
the same has helped me in conducting the research as well. Apart from that, I have understood
the importance of different ethical theories in research. The experiences that I have gathered
from the workshop will definitely prove to be advantageous.
Week 7
In the lectures and tutorials of this week, I have understood the importance of ethics
application and the use of ethics application form. I have made use of such forms in our research.
The workshops that I have attended have helped me in gaining an accurate understanding of the
different methods of research. Our team has ensured to perform an extensive literature search on
the chosen topic as it helps in understanding the concept and collected data in an ethical manner.
Week 8

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PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION
In this week’s learning I have gained a knowledge about the use of synthesis matrix. I
could learn many such things in this 10 week’s course and I am glad that I have attended all the
lectures and the course works. I have understood that literature review is an important aspect of a
research study as it helps in exploring the past researches and the works of the researchers in this
field.
Week 9
The knowledge that I have gained through this workshop is going to help in my
professional career. This week’s learning has mainly been focused on the structure of the report
associated with a research. The research that is being performed by my team has been performed
according to the skills and the knowledge that I have gained in the research. The knowledge that
I have gained from the tutorials has considerably changed the process about which I think about
a situation. The skills and knowledge that I have gained have helped me in understanding and
organizing my writing. I have worked with a team of three members in this project. Our team has
prepared a research report based on the topic “Virtual Reality on Transport”.
Week 10
The research went on smooth manner and we have chosen a standard process of
implementing the research. The effective problem solving skills that I could achieve through
these workshops is going to help me in dealing with certain other situations. An extensive
literature review has been performed to understand the concept and the application of Virtual
reality. The knowledge that I have gained in the workshop have helped me in understanding the
different aspects of performing a research. The organized writing and the structured report that
our team was able to deliver is due to the fact that out tem has attended all the lectures and went

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PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION
through all the tutorials that was essential for this research. It has been a good experience to
engage in these workshops.