Research Research news Inside the BTA's research team Our research intern and volunteer, Vicky Knowles, explains what research projects she's working on and her experience of being part of the BTA research team. As a research assistant for the BTA I’ve been given the opportunity to help with several different projects. Initially, my internship spanned one month and I was primarily involved in a study focusing on the impact that tinnitus has on the lives of professional musicians. Further into the role I was presented with more tasks to be involved in, gaining a broad understanding of the extensive research that the BTA does. Currently, I’m enjoying the chance to be involved in projects that span across both key research areas – the search for a cure and methods in managing tinnitus. In addition to the musicians with tinnitus study, I’m involved in work that examines how Covid-19 is affecting individuals with tinnitus. Within these projects I have the chance to fully immerse myself and apply the skills I learnt in university. My interest is with qualitative research and I was lucky enough to be paired with a fellow fan of qualitative analysis; this was the perfect opportunity for me to apply my skillset and contribute to publishable studies. I have performed a thematic analysis on several datasets, and I feel comfortable (and encouraged!) to take initiative when producing work. Once my actual internship ended, I became invested in the work I was doing - it wasn’t a difficult choice to carry on with the role as a volunteer! Before the internship my knowledge of the BTA and tinnitus in general was very scarce, but now I feel that I’ve gained a great insight into how the voices of an often-forgotten group can be heard. Hopefully, my career will follow this path and I will have future chances to gain experience in a research area that I’ve found has piqued my interest.