The data collection phase: Challenges for an Amateur Researcher:

Research is one of the vital requirement in the fulfillment of my course this semester. Major chunk of my time is reserved for doing research. As I go through the process of research, I am faced with several challenges like any other researchers. Data collection  was one of the many  challenges in my research  process. 

I wish I had a car. I wish I do not have to walk with my high heels. I wish I knew every person working in all the ministries and organisations so that none would deny the request I make.

I walk from office to office with my questionnaires.I walk for distance, with scorching sun above me, with my stomach empty, tired and exhausted with the thought in mind that I will get a person to be interviewed. I enter an office only to find out that people in the office have left for a tour. At someone's mercy, I am asked to come the next day or other times the person I intend to met had left for a meeting. I go the next day taking my questionnaire and request the people to fill it. Some flatly reject. Other  excuse themselves in the name of tight schedule. I am asked to go to another division of the office only to get the same reply.

Few say that they do not have enough knowledge and that someone else might have better view than theirs(while I keep insisting that there is no view better or worse). I leave my questionnaire to be filled as it would take time for some people to fill it up. People suggest me to come the next day. When I come back,I find half of my questionnaire unfilled, some missing and some partially filled.  

Few of people give me  stern look despite my simplest appearance. There were even instance at one point of time where one person angrily  said (actually shouted) " how much of the data should I fill  up!" 

The attitude of that literate person upset me and made me think 'do we have enough support from society for young people to do research?' Well that is one part of the story. Of course there was good part as well. 

Some, despite their busy schedule,helped me. They understood the how essential this research is for me. My seniors who went through the same process needed no explanation. They straight away helped me leaving their work aside.

Any how, this part of the process is not an easy task.  Patience is an integral part.I needed to explain to the simplest, accept when people denied , wait them to fill it even though I was in a rush. At times, wait till a day or two to just get a paper filled. Smile, even when people have misplaced my paper.Had to maintain my cool when someone denied to respond when I made an inquiry. Wait till some one finished talking on their cell and accept when they ignored my presence. 

Sometimes I was totally frustrated. Once,I even left an office without distributing any of my questionnaires.I had never felt this disappointed. 

Conducting interview was another challenging task in my research. In the sense, getting right people to give their opinion was a challenge.  Harder was getting the right person  with knowledge on my topic.

By this I do not mean to tell  people that they need to put aside all their work to fill my questionnaire. I only wish them to be little generous and spare few minutes to just scan my questions. If they are busy, I just wish them to be little polite and say it. I wish people do  realize that its aching when they are rude. That too when we are tired and had walked the whole week for this process.
My route:
RCSC to MoAF to RTC to MoEA to GNHC to  BCMD to RENEW to NWAB to NCWC to MoLHR to  MoIC to MoH to MoE to NC office to NA office to KCD production

Thank God this process came to end soon.