Reality of undertaking research: the experience of novice researchers

The reality of conducting research can pose many challenges for novice researchers. The aim of this article is to describe novice researchers' experience of conducting their first collaborative study and shows the difference between research as presented in texts and the reality of the experience. These differences include the policy-practice gap, which impacts on sample size; the reaction and motivation of nurses to be part of the study sample; and the collaboration between lecturers and clinicians. A brief overview of the research study is provided with a discussion of successes and challenges encountered.