Recently, I considered closing my blog as I asked myself, Why would anyone still need blogs when generative AI can provide all the answers? If you’ve ever had a similar thought, you’re not alone. But here’s why I choose to keep blogging.

First, having a personal website or blog allows one to control the reliable dissemination of information about oneself. As such, it remains a valuable tool for researchers and academics.

Beyond this, writing, through journaling, letters, or blogging, has always been my way of exploring complex ideas. As a teenager, I wrote letters to my parents to express emotions I couldn’t say out loud. Later, I used blogging to document my love for food and culture, reflect on my travels, and explore themes of femininity. Therefore, writing has never just been a tool; it has been a core part of how I process the world.

As a young researcher in agricultural economics, I continue to see the value of personal writing, even in the age of AI. While technology can summarize facts, it lacks the human touch that makes knowledge meaningful. That’s why I continue to blog to share my research experiences and reflections through writing while staying open to rather efficiently using AI to polish my pieces.

In particular, I write about the research methods that I use and some of my interesting reads. I also have one or two posts where I share advice for students considering studying abroad or reflections to support fellow researchers.

If you’re interested in these topics, I invite you to follow along and join the discussion!

As I journey along my research career, I hope to continue uncovering interesting discussion and reflection points, whether they serve as lighthearted “water cooler” conversations or more profoundly impactful pieces. In any case, this blog is my home set aside for such writing.

I hope you found something interesting as you stumbled upon Minding Research today.

Regards,

Dami.