The role of anxiety in the research process

The role of anxiety in the research process is explored in an article by researchers from Stockholm University and the Swedish Defence University. They focus particularly on how research questions are formulated, and how anxiety and worry can actually foster a more creative research process and lead to more compelling research problems.

“We want to normalise the worry and difficult emotions that are often part of doing research,” says Linus Hagström, Professor of Political Science at the Swedish Defence University.

Formulating a research question

A few years ago, Karl Gustafsson, Professor of International Relations at Stockholm University, and Linus Hagström wrote an article on how researchers might go about developing meaningful research questions.

“As researchers, we need to be able to explain the purpose of our work. We wanted to support students, doctoral candidates, and fellow researchers in formulating meaningful research problems,” explains Karl Gustafsson.

However, the task proved to be more complex than expected. Despite the article being downloaded over 85,000 times, concerns emerged about whether their advice was always effective.

“Some people likely found the article useful, while others felt more constrained by our suggestions. And the advice didn’t always work as we had hoped when we applied it with our own students and doctoral researchers,” says Linus Hagström.

Uncertainty and anxiety as a part of the process

After conducting extensive reading and research on the role of anxiety and worry in international politics, the authors began reflecting on the role emotions play when doctoral students develop their identity as researchers. This work ultimately led to a new article that acknowledges the uncertainty and anxiety inherent in the research process.

“In this article, we argue that researchers must embrace uncertainty and continue asking the hard questions throughout the process. Eventually, patterns will begin to emerge, and research questions can be formulated—often with the help of narrative,” says Karl Gustafsson.

“We argue that research problems can be constructed narratively. By organising what we know into a story—where we describe existing research, our perspective on it, and the contribution we aim to make—we reduce acute feelings of anxiety and create meaning,” adds Linus Hagström.

Identity, anxiety and narrative

The article draws on theoretical discussions about identity, anxiety, worry, and narrative, as well as the authors’ own experiences as researchers. It explores the link between anxiety and creativity, emphasising that anxiety must be met and embraced, rather than avoided. Both authors stress the importance of perseverance and working through difficult emotions to move forward in the research process.

“Anxiety is typically experienced as something negative, and it’s natural to want to avoid it. But scholars who have written extensively about anxiety suggest that if, instead of avoiding it, we embrace it and ask what it can teach us, it can actually lead to something productive,” says Karl Gustafsson.

Criticism as a part of the research process

They also encourage doctoral students not to shy away from situations where they might receive criticism, even if these moments trigger anxiety, but to view such experiences as valuable parts of a learning process in which worry and anxiety are inevitable elements.

“Criticism and scrutiny are natural parts of the research process and vital to developing as a researcher,” says Linus Hagström.

The authors hope their article will support students, doctoral researchers, and academics alike as they navigate the complexities of the research journey.

“I hope it can help doctoral candidates who are struggling with their research questions to feel supported and move forward,” says Linus Hagström.