You’re already defining a research problem, reviewing the literature, formulating

hypotheses, preparing a research design, and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting

your data. That's not to mention all the steps that come after conducting your research,
including drafting your paper, having your paper edited by a professional, revising your
paper, having your paper proofread, finalizing your paper, choosing a target journal,
and submitting your paper.

Why add journaling to the list of steps? Will your half-baked thoughts even be useful to
you as you are writing your research papers or journal articles later?

Actually, they very well could! If you're asking why you should journal during your
research journey, in this post we outline the main benefits of journaling as an academic
writer. But first, you might be asking yourself …

What Is a Research Journal?

A research journal is a space for you to record any thoughts that pop into your head
during your research journey. Like any journal, it should be a judgment-free zone for
your eyes only; as such, you shouldn't have to worry about perfecting the writing within
it.

Instead, you should feel free to write whatever you like about your research, including
notes on the topic, analyses of the research, personal observations, and doodles. Most
research journals aim to reflect on the research process, seek a deeper understanding
of the topic at hand, and keep a record of the research journey for later review.

With these noble aims in mind, you might be asking yourself why you should journal.
What are the main benefits of keeping a research journal? Below, we have outlined
three ways journaling can benefit any academic writer. Take a look!

1. Sort Your Thoughts

Seeing your thoughts recorded during your research journey in real time will allow you
to see what you were thinking and when you were thinking it, which could become
invaluable information upon later review. You could record your thoughts when you are
drafting your paper, when you are revising your first draft, or even later.

Journaling could also result in further reading, observations, notetaking, and thinking. It
may even help you make connections between themes you hadn't seen before
visualizing them in written form.
In addition, journaling will aid in your data collection, your data analysis, and your
reflection on all of your research steps. Finally, it will give you the practice you need to
structure and communicate your research findings. Notably, this will all occur in a low-
pressure environment, which is good practice for any academic writer!

2. Record Your Data Points

Writing notes about your observations as they occur during a literature review,
interview, data analysis, etc., may allow you to record data points even before you
recognize them as such. A journal will also allow you to record opinions and half-baked
ideas about whatever pops into your head about your research at whatever time, and
you will be able to review these thoughts later.

You can also include responses to research or interviews that may be deemed
inappropriate if they were written in your research paper, such as emotional responses.
Though these musings may not be mentioned in your final research report, they could
still be interesting to note during your research, and they could end up enhancing your
understanding and/or interpretations of past research or findings.

3. Break Your Writer's Block

Keeping a research journal will help you get into the practice of writing and continuing to
write in a no-pressure situation, which is especially helpful for beginner researchers or
those who are out of practice.

In addition, if writing is rewriting (as they say), your scribbly journal text might be what
you need to break that writer's block once you sit down to draft that dreaded research
paper. In fact, a research journal may be the much-needed first step in your research
journey, moving you toward publishing and away from the dreaded perishing your
academic friends may have warned you about (read Publish or Perish). Though your
scrawled jottings may be just that for now, with a bit of work, they just may turn into your
next big project!

Conclusion
Researching, with the many steps that make up the arduous journey, is tough enough
as it is. Instead of asking why you should journal, ask why shouldn't you take advantage
of as many useful tools at your disposal as possible?

A research journal could be just what you need to ease your burden. Sort your thoughts,
record your data points, and break your writer's block with this handy tool! In doing so,
you may be able to lighten your workload and thus make the process of formulating that
first draft a little bit easier.

After you have done that, make the editing process a breeze with Scribendi. We will
help you take the first draft of your research paper from good to great so that you can
take on the rest of the research journey with the peace of mind you need.