From the LaunchPad

Welcome to The Launchpad, SoundRocket’s blog, where we share our insights and musings on the science of doing science (well), #soundscience.

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Research Wonder: A Case for Respondent Pre-Survey Rituals?

Research Wonder: A Case for Respondent Pre-Survey Rituals?

A couple months ago, I listened to a podcast episode called “Sports Superstitions” on a wonderful podcast called Fearless Conversations with Abby Wambach (which, by the way, is a wonderful podcast on a variety of social issues from the perspective of a professional athlete). It brought back memories of long ago (high school) days when I used to pole vault. For a long time I blamed my youth for the rituals that I would perform before and during competition.  How I removed the pole from its cardboard tube, the number of times I rocked back and forth before I started down the runway (three), and even the side of the pit that I used to jump off after I completed a vault (always the left)… 

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A Social Scientist’s Exercise in Gratitude – 12, 38, 400, 820, and 1.9 million

In the Summer of 2004, I set out to carve a new path.  I knew that I didn’t enjoy market research (or social science research within a market research firm).  I missed academic social science research, but I wasn’t keen on returning to a purely academic environment.  I took a leap of faith and quit my job with no plan.  With two young kids, I would test out being a “full-time dad” for awhile, as I explored what options I had.  I suspect I knew inside that I needed the urgency of not having a job to help me decide what was next.

I am grateful that…

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