ABSTRACT
Before launching a data gathering adventure, novice researchers should heed the perilous tales from more experienced bureaucracy navigators. In this chapter, I describe the crushing effects of being entangled within the wheels of bureaucracy through my attempts to apply for a data sharing agreement for research, as a teacher in the public education system, and how aligning with others seemed to lead me closer to access. Ultimately, my pivot to a new context outside of education led me to reflect on my biases within a silo system of management in contrast to a shared vision and team thinking.
