I’m facing a frustrating situation with a classmate regarding our research paper, and I’m at a crossroads about how to handle it. Just to give you some context, I’m a BPT (physiotherapy) student in my final semester. As part of my requirements, I need to complete a research seminar with a group of three. One member is a close friend, while the other is not someone I know well.
I’m truly passionate about our topic, even if my teammates seem less enthusiastic. I’m more than willing to take on the majority of the work, but I never expected to end up doing everything myself. When we began writing the research proposal, we split the tasks, giving them simple sections, but as the deadline approached, they both stopped responding. I ended up missing classes to finish it on my own. Afterward, my friend explained he had been preoccupied with his pregnant wife, and while I understood his situation, his lack of communication was unacceptable.
Fast forward to now, we’re required to submit our research protocol, ethics committee forms, and an informed consent form. As usual, I drafted the research protocol by myself and asked my teammates to assist with the other two forms. These forms are straightforward and only take about half an hour to complete. Approaching the deadline again, my friend, now with a newborn, was only somewhat responsive. On the actual deadline, when I inquired about the forms, the other member sent me a document titled “scientific consent,” which was completely unrelated to our research on exercise in VR. It was a disorganized mess, completely missing the point of our study.
I sent it back with feedback, but, unsurprisingly, he didn’t reply. So once again, I took on the task myself.
From the start, I kept my professor informed about the issues I was facing. While she acknowledged my concerns, she advised me to find a way to work things out with my team. After everything that happened, I requested a meeting with both teammates. My friend responded and owned up to his shortcomings, discussing how to manage his new responsibilities as a father, but the other member ignored me entirely.
After being ignored for a day and a half, I finally sent him a message saying, “Due to your lack of communication and minimal contribution to the project, I will not be including your name, and you will not be part of the group. I won’t use the materials you submitted. Regards.” He replied quickly, leading to a brief and somewhat pointless conversation, where I was mostly respectful, except when I pointed out how embarrassing his document was.
In short, I’ve been left to handle this situation alone, and now our professor and someone from the management team want to meet with all of us. I’m anxious about this. I’m not a fan of confrontations, and I fear they might pressure me to give him credit for doing nothing. I want to be well-prepared, but I tend to overprepare when I’m nervous, and I’m not sure whether to focus on the recent events or provide a full background of the entire situation.
On top of that, I’m feeling conflicted about my friend. He has never acted like this before, and though I understand that having a newborn can be overwhelming, I can’t help but feel like it’s not a fair excuse. I worry that during our meeting, the other member will drag my friend down with him.
I’m feeling stuck and scared. I’m okay with doing the bulk of the work, but I need at least a little input from them. Giving credit to someone who hasn’t contributed feels like submitting to bullying. I’m also uncertain if I can demonstrate that the other member didn’t help at all with the research proposal since I had to completely rewrite what he sent because it was incorrect, and I no longer have a copy of his original work.
It sounds like you’ve been through a really challenging situation with your group project, and it’s completely understandable to feel stressed and anxious about the upcoming meeting. Here are some thoughts on how to approach this:
Document Everything: If you haven’t already, gather all the communications you’ve had with your classmates regarding the project. This includes messages, drafts, and any notes that illustrate your original contributions and their lack thereof. This documentation will be key in proving your case.
Stick to the Facts: When discussing the situation in the meeting, focus on the facts and avoid getting overly emotional. Outline the duties each person was supposed to fulfill and how they fell short. Present timelines, show your workload, and clarify where you sought assistance that did not materialize.
Address Contributions Specifically: Keep your discussion focused on the contributions (or lack thereof) from each team member. Make sure to mention how their inaction affected not only the project but also your ability to balance your workload and responsibilities.
Prepare for Defense: Some people are defensive in these situations. Be ready for them to argue or deflect blame. It might help to anticipate questions or challenges they might raise and prepare clear, concise responses.
Communicating with the Professor: Remember that the professor already knows some of the background. You might start with a brief overview of the situation, focusing on recent events and how they impacted the project, including deadlines and responsibilities.
Balance the Dynamics: If your friend attempts to shift blame or protect the other person, stay calm and remind everyone of specific instances where contributions were lacking, without attacking anyone personally. This keeps the conversation professional.
Express Willingness to Collaborate: You can also communicate your willingness to collaborate in the future, but under the condition that all group members contribute fairly and communicate effectively.
Set Boundaries: Finally, express clearly that if contributions do not meet the agreed-upon expectations, you are not willing to include someone’s name unjustly. It’s essential to maintain your integrity in your academic work.
Ultimately, you deserve to have your hard work recognized, and it’s reasonable to expect that your peers contribute to a group project. Best of luck in the meeting; stay confident in your position!