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Why - what does research give?A working day in the life of a researcher may consist of fairly ordinary small issues. These small steps and hard work also contribute to major insights as well. Here six researchers in the Department of Information Studies describe what it is like to do research. Insights of context Insights of context"In my opinion the ultimate 'driver' of doing research is intellectual curiosity, the intention to get deeper and deeper into the phenomenon of interest and to make it conceptually comprehensible. The best moments in doing research are when you get new insights how things are connected to each other and relate that to what the research community already discovered about the issue. Finding new points of view is always rewarding, especially if you are able to point out that the new interpretation gives a more in-depth and better founded insight.” Independence at work”I ended up to doing research by chance (like most of us?). Doing research is interesting when you are really interested in your subject. The independence of the work is both a good and a bad thing. It is good that you don't directly depend on anybody else's work nor does the 'employer' specify any economic goals for the outcome. The downsides are poor salary, short term assignments (being a researcher is no lifetime sinecure). I can't find any bad points in the researcher's work itself.” Postgraduate studies enriching ordinary work”At its best a researcher's work is very rewarding. When work advances, things click together and you get - or you think you get - forward, it is wonderful feeling. Postgraduate studies have also brought in points of view that enrich ordinary work elsewhere." It is important that some of academic researchers are in working life outside academia"The desire to learn something new to get new insights drives the research. For me the research and the working life are bound closely together since I work in archives management and the object of my research is work in archives. Every now and then it is difficult to think of oneself as a 'Real Researcher', rather I feel like a short-term researcher. In my opinion it is important that some of those doing academic research should be in working life outside academia. This is how links can be created between research and practice in working life. I have always tried to acquire education supporting my profession. After finishing a higher degree of archival science (arkistotutkinto) in The Finnish National Archive an idea about research emerged where I could take the idea further. Since the degree there was also this idea in the back of my head that that I could go on with doctoral studies studies." What is fascinating is the conceptualization of everyday things and practices”For a long time I was in working life and ended up in the University developing and researching within my own area of expertise. The conceptualization of everyday practices and things in more generic, more theoretical wayis particularly fascinating for me. The best point in doing research is the chance to delve into a single limited area of interest and observe it from different points of view, compare it to others, and to question all of it. Even the early stages one's of own comprehension, the flash of insight or connecting things, identifying development or a particular trend, give you a great feeling of joy.” You can determine your goals and the ways of doing your work independently”I am interested in doing research because the researcher is autonomous in setting the goals of research questions at his or her own pace. Usually conducting research seems to suit those people who experience solving problems and learning new things as rewarding. Earlier at VTT I had a professionally oriented job and by moving to the University there was a chance to improve my professional expertise through academic research. Personally I get the brightest experiences of success when I can invoke research give a well-founded explanation for some professionally interesting phenomena or problem."
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