A little over two weeks into my data analysis and I have become even more excited about the research I am conducting. My research into Hispanic voters has really sharpened my data analysis skills and my ability to identify trends within the data. Currently, I have been using R Studio to combine seven editions of the cumulative election study and primarily using one question that gives the respondent the opportunity to describe their immigration generation in their lineage. I have then created models to describe how Hispanics become more conservative and identify as republicans at higher rates the further away they get from the immigrant experience. In these models, I also include covariates such as their nationality and even the state they were born in.
My mentor, Dr. Lonna Atkeson, has also been a great resource to have during this project. She has really helped me look at my analysis from a different perspective and been a person that I can just bounce ideas off. Dr. Atkeson has also helped push me towards relevant academics and research papers.
While all of this is extremely important, my ability to defend my claims will be even more vital. My biggest motivation for wanting to conduct this research was my disagreement with the way that Hispanics were being portrayed in political science research. For example, the term Hispanic can include up to 19 different nationalities that each have their own unique culture and history. Then, factor in the person’s proximity to their immigration experience, and now you have vastly different Hispanics voters.
Therefore, even as I am conducting my analysis, I have had to think about the defense of my claims. Is this overwhelming at times? Yes. However, I see it as the burden of proof on my shoulders. I am going to really need to work on my communication skills and defense of my arguments. I have already conducted extensive background research, but I realize that I still need to conduct even more. It will just take time to run through the literature and be able to prove that I am doing everything for the right reason. While the President’s Showcase is the first place I will be presenting, I really hope that this opportunity can lead me onto further research in the field. The last thing I want to do is present research that is incomplete or leaves more questions than answers.
As much as I want to say I am a R Studio expert, there are still times where I find myself stuck trying to find the correct code. If you have ever used R Studio, you know the damage a single comma or quotation can do to your input. I am not too worried about this because I think it will just come from consistent experience and memorization.
Overall, I am very happy working on this project. I like to take time after each day of work to reflect on the progress I made that day and think about whether it was a productive day. Of course, I may be biased but I have yet to feel that I fell short of a great day.
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