Riding the Waves of Research
Preface
Why write another book about doing research? This is because research is not only for academics living in ivory towers. Research is a way of moving through the world. It is a practice of noticing, documenting, questioning, and adapting. To me, research feels a lot like surfing in the ocean. You scan the horizon for a wave (i.e., an idea or problem worth solving). You prepare, position yourself, and commit to the wave. Sometimes you miss. Sometimes you wipe out. But when you catch the right wave it carries you far.
This book is designed for students, early-career professionals, and anyone curious about riding the waves of research. The first edition of the book, Doing Developmental Research (Guilford Press) focused on many of the challenges of studying infants and children. But like the ocean, research, is vast. In this new edition, I expand beyond the laboratory. You’ll see how the same skills can be used across fields from selecting stocks to designing toys, improving classrooms and urban landscapes, to guiding businesses, understanding social media and marketing products. The goal is to help you find balance on the board: to move from curiosity to evidence to impact.
Introduction: Riding the Waves of Research
Picture yourself in the ocean at sunrise. The water is calm but alive and rolling with energy. You watch the waves forming as you decide which one to catch. This is what it feels like to do research. Every wave is a possibility. Some are small and quick, others powerful and risky. You can’t ride them al. You have to choose. Research works the same way. The world is full of questions, patterns, and problems waiting to be explored. Which one will you commit to?
People think of research as rigid, slow, or locked away in academic journals that only professors read. But like surfing, research is about flow. Companies test ideas like surfers trying new breaks. Cities measure patterns like reading the tides. Doctors and designers, psychologists and policy makers all ride their own waves of research.
The process is simple but powerful:
Spot the wave → Be curious, notice what matters.
Choose your line → Frame a the question.
Paddle in → Gather data and evidence.
Ride with balance → Analyze, adapt, and adjust.
Kick out cleanly → Share your results, and set up for the next wave.
This book will help you develop your research skills. It will help you to make connections. We’ll begin with how to think like a researcher, then move into finding your question, designing your study, gathering data, and communicating what you learn. Along the way, you’ll see examples from a variety of fields and learn to make connections.
Research is like surfing - it is never about one perfect ride. It’s about building the confidence, creativity, and resilience to paddle back out and catch the next wave. So grab your board. Let’s go ride the waves of research.