Mariella Noriega Del Valle is so close to completing her studies; she is a PhD student, needing 350 people to help with her final research assignment.
South Africa (14 February 2024) – Working on that final stretch as a PhD student can be such a mixed bag. After years of studies, dedication and hard work, it’s all coming down to one final research assignment – one can be absolutely invigorated or hit a wall. For Mariella Noiega Del Valle, she is so close but needs 350 people to help in her final research assignment.
Without the input from 350 employed South Africans, Mariella will have to stall her progress, putting all her hard work on hold until she has a big enough data scope to finish her PhD. She needs this survey to help validate her findings and move on to the final phase of her research.
Mariella is doing her Doctorate Dissertation on the psychological barriers to technology amongst South African employees. Since launching her research survey, only three people had completed it. Desperate to get the full amount needed to complete her research, she reached out to Good Things Guy to ask for help.
Mariella’s research survey is aimed at South African employees that work with or use any tech /software/apps at work – that’s the only requirement. So if that is you, maybe you can help by sparing 20 minutes and completing the survey.
“I’m completing my PhD and I’m on the last leg but I really need everyone’s help. I need 350 employees to complete my survey.. so far I have 3…
I know these things are a pain but please help a struggling academic I will be so grateful to anyone who takes the time: https://forms.gle/i159U81wmZ8AbkeU7“
Mariella is currently studying at the University of Johannesburg. She has seen first hand how academics struggle with this last leg as a PhD student and hopes that in some way, she can inspire more people to get involved and help academics reach their goals.
“Academics really struggle to collect practical data to make inferences too, the majority of the time it’s just academics completing these things for other academics and then it’s difficult to actually derive meaningful research from it that can be applied to real world scenarios”
We spoke to Mariella about what advice she has for other researchers who find themselves trying to complete their studies.
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“Diving deeper into your research journey may seem daunting, but remember, it’s not a solo expedition. Never underestimate the power of support from your community. There are genuinely kind-hearted people in this country who generously offer their time amidst their own busy schedules to assist you (a stranger to them) and want you to succeed.
You’re never truly alone, your achievements are as much a result of others’ contributions as your own efforts. Embrace the strength of your community, and always remember to pay it forward once you’ve achieved your goals. We’re only as strong as the bonds we build with others—there’s something truly profound about ubuntu.”
As a way to pay this kindness forward, she welcomes people to reach out via email (here) to discuss feedback on her study.
“If anyone would like to receive the results and recommendations they are welcome to contact me over email and I will gladly provide feedback to them following my analysis”
We wish you luck Mariella. To you and every PhD student taking on their final dissertations, we wish you only good things!
You can take Mariella’s survey here.
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