Not every research task is the same

Hi Reader,

One reason research to-do lists become overwhelming is that they flatten very different kinds of work. “Revise article,” “email coauthor,” “download PDFs,” “clean data,” and “figure out argument” can all sit next to one another, even though they require different kinds of attention and effort. Some are straightforward, some should be broken up into smaller tasks. I’ll talk about task units in a future newsletter. For now, let’s talk about prioritizing tasks.

I learned about the familiar ABC method for prioritizing tasks from my friend Rachel, and it usually treats A tasks as the highest priority, B tasks as important but less pressing, and C tasks as lower priority. I like the basic idea of sorting before doing, but for research I use the letters a little differently.

I think of A tasks as tasks that advance the project: drafting, analyzing, coding, revising an argument, or making a substantive decision. B tasks bridge the work: emailing a coauthor, scheduling an interview, requesting data, checking a deadline, or preparing for a meeting. C tasks contain the project: updating notes, filing material, documenting a decision, or doing the maintenance that keeps the project legible.

I do not think of these as rankings of virtue. A project can stall because an A task is not getting enough time, but it can also stall because a B task is blocking everything else or because neglected C tasks have made the work difficult to pick back up. The categories are useful to me because they make me notice what kind of work I am actually doing.

Try this

Take one active research project and make a quick list of the tasks currently attached to it. Mark each one A, B, or C using Advance, Bridge, and Contain.

Then look at the mix. Is the list mostly coordination? Mostly cleanup? Are the tasks that would actually advance the substance of the project present at all? Choose one task that seems worth giving time to next.

A suggestion

Do not worry too much about getting the letters “right.” A task can do more than one kind of work, and the same task can play a different role at a different point in a project. If this adaptation helps you see the work more clearly, use it. If another way of sorting tasks works better for you, use that instead.

One question for your research

What kind of task is taking up most of your research time right now, and is that the kind of work the project most needs?

As with most task systems, this takes some trial and error. The useful categories are the ones that help you make a decision about what to do next, not the ones that make the list look perfectly organized.

Happy projecting,

Shiri

P.S. These days, I like to create my weekly and strategic plans in Google Docs, especially using the checklist feature. It is so satisfying to tick things off! You can also color-code tasks in a daily to-do list, in your research syllabus and strategic plan, or beyond using different colors for A/B/C!

If this was useful, feel free to forward it to a colleague, student, writing group, or research team. You can find Project Management for Researchers, ordering information, and free worksheets on my Project Management for Researchers page. I also offer talks and workshops on research project management for departments, centers, graduate programs, and research groups.