Internationally awarded researcher and scholar Dr Peace Sorochi Longdet has said there are global opportunities for independent Nigerian researchers with a research team.
Longdet stated this at a virtual workshop, ‘The Art of Writing an Abstract’, organised by the Plateau Writers Society (PLAWS), which she facilitated.
The researcher, who responded to the questions from one of the 47 participants at the event, said that having a research team signifies credibility and professionalism to international organisations that the grantee for their project would deliver on the job.
To establish a research team, she said, depends on the researcher’s objective.
“I am in the humanities, but I am interested in interdisciplinary research work, like the tech app research I am involved in. Therefore, whoever I choose to work with my team must be useful. I set up my research team based on a value system. That means based on the value that each person is bringing to the team.
“I absorb volunteers who can add value to my team first as ‘mentees’. This way, we can guide them through the entire process of the research work to see how it’s done,” she said.
Besides teaching the participants the meaning, types and purposes of Abstract Writing, a major aspect of a research paper or essay, Longdet, who has consulted for the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), GIZ, among others, wrote abstracts and proposals that have earned her research grants in seven-digit figures. She also gave them tips on how to become professional researchers.
She listed pitfalls to avoid when writing Abstracts and Introductions, thus: “Avoid vague and generic language or words, jargon and overly long or too short Abstracts. Ensure your Abstracts have a clear structure and flow. Use active voices. Above all, simplicity is key. In the words of Albert Einstein – “If you cannot explain it simply, then you don’t know it well enough.” Own your work, internalise it, accept it. That way, condensing it into an Abstract will be much easier.”
To aspiring research writers, she urged them to identify and understand their purpose for doing any research work.
“Do not write without a purpose. Start from the subject of interest. For everything you do in life, there is a purpose. Same for research. It’s about your purpose for doing the research. That is what fuels your passion for writing it. There is a purpose for writing that essay. So, keep on writing. Attend conferences in your area of interest and apply for paper submissions at those conferences,” Longdet said.
