Hello all,


so I thought I had come up with an amazingly original idea... only to realise that someone else had it as well in 2011 and published an article in a prominent social science journal, using similar methods to what I had hoped to use, and on a geographical area I had hoped to focus on! I just found out recently. I am feeling rubbish and not that special anymore. :(

Can I still pursue this idea?

hi hella13
don't be disheartened :-)
have you spoken to your supervisor about this? maybe you can still do the same topic but pursue it in a different area---who knows what will happen!!! you could end up with some amazing results. It's not only the originality of the idea that matters--but ALSO what you find!!!

love satchi

There is nothing completely new under the sun. This is why literature review is so important.
Perhaps you are very lucky instead. You can now look for gaps in this research and look for ways to supersede it...