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Originally posted in the SOAN 3000 Research Methods blog on Blackboard on April 4, 2016

I have been remiss in updating this, but that's because not much has been happening. Juggling teaching, research, and service responsibilities is a lot like you guys juggling coursework, organizations, employment, etc.  Add family and other obligations in and...whew!

However, PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.  Since I last posted I have: 

• Written the questionnaire
• Written the interview
• Done the consent forms for both
• Written the letter requesting permission from events to conduct the research
• Written the IRB.

In the immortal words of Ric Flair...WOOOOOOoooooo!! (Bonus points if you respond in the comments with who that is :) )

Now is the time of getting a little nervous.  I have to send this letter out to 7-8 events and hope they say yes.  I also kind of asked for advertising in their event programs, which is a cost I hadn't thought of when I submitted my proposal.  I don't know if it will cost money or not, and if it does how much.  I'm not sure if I can submit the amount (if there is one) with my expenses once I am back, either, since they weren't on the original budget.

(I am also tangentially wondering if I can include the costs of laundry, since I'll be gone two-three weeks at one point...)

This little thing should serve to advise you that even if you plan very carefully, things come up.  Some of them might be incidental, and some of them might be larger than that, but one must be flexible.  Otherwise, research can just stall (especially if it is big) and then you don't get anywhere.  And when you have a report on why your university gave you half a year off, you do kind of have to tell them something. :)