¶ … planning turned out to be, include recommendations on how you might improve the process next time you are assigned a research project.
The process of this research project involved a review of literature, including three studies focusing on different aspects of tourism and economic development and different regions of the world. Next time, I might consider reviewing more studies for a broader understanding of the topic, but this was a good start. I also might consider widening the scope of the search by including different academic databases that might have studies published in foreign journals.
Ultimately, the three papers selected for the final research project revealed the variables that would be important to investigate in future research projects in this topic area. The process of analyzing those variables entailed writing down from each paper the findings and how they pertained to our exploratory research. Those variables include the need to put into place a local infrastructure that can sustain long-term tourism development without the need for additional foreign investment. The literature consistently points to "neocolonialism" as a potential problem, as tourism can be exploitative in ways that resemble the power relationships that existed in colonial times. Instead of exacerbating the disparity between developing and developed nations, the tourism industry has a responsibility to minimize disparity by working with local stakeholders to develop a long-term vision. Next time I am assigned a research project, I would spend more time examining the theoretical issues underlying my research hypothesis (in this case, colonialism and neocolonialism) so that my search for relevant literature can...
Relying only on a systematic review of literature without paying attention to the numbers provides only a weak and unverifiable report. To make future research more relevant and reliable, I would need to take statistics and financial data into account. For example, one cannot say that tourism has promoted economic growth without providing the numbers to back up that statement. After learning how to perform statistical analyses on sets of data in the future, I would like to prepare more robust reports. Finally, the process of researching and planning turned out to be less intimidating than I had expected. We were concerned with time management, but in the end we had enough time to complete the parameters of the assignment. For future research projects, I would continue to focus on effective time management techniques. If the project were particularly daunting, I would also make an outline and a schedule so that time, energy, and resources can be formally budgeted.
2) What will you do differently next semester?
As a senior, I feel I have reached a point where time management is less of an issue than it was during my freshman and sophomore years. I have become more professional in my approach to work. Next semester, I will be wrapping up my coursework and feel I have done a good job balancing schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Like most students, though, I have sometimes put too much on my plate. This ends up leading to situations in which I forget about tests and assignments and either turn them in late or have to study at the last minute.…
