Conducting research is a complex process, particularly for beginner researchers (Alarcão, 2018). As they navigate various phases – conceptualisation, data collection, analysis, literature review and writing – they face numerous challenges that can hinder their progress (Alarcão, 2018; Chen et al., 2016; Shankar & Arun, 2022). To understand these challenges and identify potential areas of support, a survey was conducted among 357 higher education students in Sindh, Pakistan. The findings offer insights into participants’ demographics, research experience, obstacles faced, perceived reasons for these challenges and the support they require.

The survey participants were all beginning researchers: students from master’s and bachelor’s programmes (67 per cent master’s students compared to 33 per cent bachelor’s students), a significant majority of whom (89 per cent) are pursuing their studies in the field of education. Regarding research experience, most participants reported having less than one year of experience in conducting research (39 per cent). This was followed by those with one to two years (33 per cent), three to four years (22 per cent), and more than four years (5 per cent) of experience.

The results of the survey revealed that beginner researchers face multiple challenges, from the initial conceptualisation to the final reporting of results. To unpack the trends in terms of challenges, four major areas were identified:

1. conceptualisation
2. conducting literature review
3. collecting data
4. analysing the collected data.

Conceptualisation

Formulating a researchable question is one of the most critical stages in research and was reported as a major challenge by 31 per cent of participants. Other initial challenges included narrowing down a research topic (26 per cent), lack of clarity of the research area (25 per cent) and insufficient background knowledge (18 per cent).

Conducting literature review

Conducting a literature review is another significant hurdle for many researchers. Limited access to relevant literature (37 per cent) and time constraints (37 per cent) were the primary difficulties reported. Additionally, participants found it challenging to understand complex studies (26 per cent).

Collecting data

Data collection presented several challenges, with insufficient funding/resources (25 per cent) being the most significant. Other issues included difficulty in recruiting participants (21 per cent), negotiating with them (21 per cent), access to data (19 per cent) and researchers’ safety during data collection (14 per cent).

Analysing data

In terms of data analysis, participants struggled with identifying appropriate analytical strategies and processes (33 per cent). A lack of statistical knowledge (26 per cent), difficulty in using analysis software (15 per cent), time constraints (15 per cent) and access to advanced statistical software (11 per cent) were also reported as challenges.

The reasons behind these challenges as perceived by the beginner researchers is the lack of institutional support, the forms of which are reported as in Table 1. Despite these challenges, 56 per cent of respondents rated their institutional support as ‘Good’.

Table 1: Forms of institutional support for beginner researchers

To resolve these challenges, participants provided several suggestions to enhance institutional support. First, enhancing mentorship programmes – for instance, participants emphasised that institutions should implement regular, structured meetings and provide training for supervisors. Second, incorporating practical research activities during coursework can help students gain hands-on experience. Third, ensuring the safety and security of researchers during the data collection process. Fourth, helping students connect with potential participants to ease the data collection process. Finally, ensuring sufficient supervision time and providing adequate funding is crucial for successful research endeavours.

‘The survey highlights the significant challenges faced by beginner researchers, stressing the need for institutional support and effective mentorship.’

The survey highlights the significant challenges faced by beginner researchers, stressing the need for institutional support and effective mentorship. These findings echo the broader literature, which calls for robust training programmes to help novice researchers navigate academic research (Vikaraman et al., 2017). Addressing these issues is crucial for developing skilled researchers who can make meaningful contributions to education (Jones, 2017). Moving forward, educational institutions must prioritise the development of supportive research environments that integrate best practices from existing studies, ensuring that emerging researchers are well prepared to advance scholarly work and address the evolving demands of the educational landscape.

References

Alarcão, I. (2018). ‘Dilemmas’ of early career researchers from ‘dilemmas’ to problems. In A. Costa, L. Reis, F. Souza, & A. Moreira (Eds.), Computer supported qualitative research. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, (vol 621). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61121-1_3

Chen, D. T. V., Wang, Y. M., & Lee, W. C. (2016). Challenges confronting beginning researchers in conducting literature reviews. Studies in Continuing Education, 38(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2015.1030335

Jones, B. J. (2017). Improving the PhD through provision of skills training for postgraduate researchers. In A. Williams, J. P. Casella, & P. D. Maskell (Eds.), Forensic science education and training: A tool‐kit for lecturers and practitioner trainers (pp. 103–117). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118689196.ch8   

Shankar, S., & Arun, H. (2022). Writing manuscripts better: Part I (The introduction, methods, results, and discussion format). Indian Journal of Rheumatology, 17(Suppl 2), S292–S297. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-3698.364670

Vikaraman, S. S., Mansor, A. N., & Hamzah, M. I. M. (2017). Mentoring and coaching practices for beginner teachers: A need for mentor coaching skills training and principal’s support. Creative Education, 8(1), 156–169. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2017.81013