How to Become an Independent and Successful Researcher?

1. How to Become an Independent and Successful Researcher? Andrzej M. Goscinski October 2009

2. Plan Part 1 • Being a good researcher • Developing your area of expertise • Working individually and in a group • Finding a problem worthy of your attention • Doing research • Publishing • Applying for a grant • Networking – breaking into research community Part 2 • Research student supervision

3. Step 1 – Being a good researcher • You need good ideas and their implementation • You have to spend a lot of time reading papers • You must discuss your ideas with your colleagues • You have to write and revise your papers • You have to keep track of your research • Where you are going • Where have you been • You have to stay motivated • You have to work long hours • You should project yourself on the other side of a fence – learn from good things and your suffering of your PhD student time, and … • Other requirements …. • If you still don’t get it, go to the top of this list

4. Step 2 – Developing your area of expertise • Even if you have a PhD degree , starting your independent research is not easy • There are many reasons of this • You have been getting relaxed after your PhD time for too long • You do not know how to start, in which area, and whether it would be a good area • You can continue research in the area of your PhD study or / and go for a new area

5. Step 2 – Developing your area of expertise • You have to become an expert in one area – this should be your area of research for at least three years • What are you interested in? Specify! • Literature study • You should be able to see current and future trends • You should be able to review conference / journal papers in this area - when you review papers • You learn how to write papers • You improve your knowledge

6. Step 2 – Developing your area of expertise • You have to know neighbor areas • You should be able to link your area of specialism with those neighbour areas • You should be able to review conference / journal papers in those areas– when you review papers: • You learn how to write papers • You improve your knowledge

7. Step 3 – Working individually and in a group • It is easier to start your research as a member of a good research group • The very first stage is learning how to work in your research group – Computing / IT exploits working in groups extensively • You will benefit from working group meetings: • Project topics • Literature study • Review comments

8. Step 3 – Working individually and in a group • Working in groups also includes • Attending seminars • You should ask for feedback and provide feedback / ask questions and be grateful after you received questions – see queries as • Opportunity to clarify points of your research • Chance to hear opinions that may open another path of thought • Chance to analyse good points of your research • Remember: we attack problems, never presenters / speakers • Note: some do not understand this approach at all • You can identify errors / problems and propose solutions

9. Step 3 – Working individually and in a group • At some stage, not too late, you should start your independent research • You have to overcome psychological barriers • You have to overcome knowledge barriers • You have to overcome becoming independent researcher barriers

10. Step 4 – Finding a problem worthy of your attention • Finding a problem requires • Good general knowledge • Critical thinking • Freedom of thinking • Some form of “craziness” • Knowing what industry, business, people want • What helps to identify a problem? • Attending seminars • Participation in working meetings • Discussions with your group co-workers • Literature study • Watching technology trends

11. Step 4 – Finding a problem worthy of your attention • Try to do your research in the area of research of leading researchers of your organization • It is very difficult to start doing research on your own even if you think that you have found a great area • Go for something “yours” when you have become an independent researcher • Pick up a narrow, well defined topic • This could be like a topic for your PhD, but a bit wider and deeper • This will allow you to solve it in a well defined period of time • It will help you to build your confidence

12. Step 4 – Finding a problem worthy of your attention • If you think that you have found a problem, you have to confirm that it is a problem that it is “good” by answering the following questions • Is there any research published in this area? • Are there any results that could indicate that other researchers addressed that problem? • How far are you from their research? • Will solving it add to the current knowledge or create new knowledge? • Is it new? • Is it significant? • What are expected outcomes of the project?

13. Step 5 – Doing research • To be an independent and good researcher requires more than having a brilliant idea and being able to implement it! • You should develop a plan for your work / project • You should write weekly reports (journal) of your research activities and ideas • You will use these reports to prepare drafts of your technical reports • You will come back to the ideas you generated earlier

14. Step 5 – Doing research • You have to spend a lot of time reading papers • You cannot read everything • Read selectively • Scan a paper before reading: go through the title, abstract, introduction and conclusions and answer a question “is this paper worthy my attention?” • Evaluate the paper • Organize your papers into area modules – you will be able to find a needed paper easily • You must discuss your ideas with your supervisor, advisor, mentor and colleagues • Discussions will help you refine your ideas • Asking questions will save you a lot of time • If you carry out experimental research you can get advice regarding implementation solutions

15. Step 5 – Doing research • Staying focused and motivated • It is hard to maintain positive attitude and stay motivated • You can suffer from insecurity, anxiety, and even boredom – this is normal! • You should find a sympathetic ear: other colleagues, mentor • Identify your problems • Identify steps to resolve the issues • To stay focused and motivated, it helps to have organized activities • It is very important to manage your time well • Set up priorities • Do something everyday • Follow the plan • You have to be aware and stay aware of directly related research • You also must know about research in neighbour areas and new directions of your field

16. Step 6 – Publishing • You publish or you perish • The best work never presented is a complete waste of your and other people time and somebody’s money • You need publications to get a job (good job) • You need publications to get promoted • You have to report on the outcomes of your project / work / advertise

17. Step 6 – Publishing • To start publishing you have to know how to write a paper • You already participated in the supervised reviewing – you have learned a lot about writing papers • Write a technical report if there are some initial results – it could not be enough for a paper, but you will learn a lot • You should submit a paper if you have something that could be called • “significant content” – this can be assessed by your advisor/mentor and yourself based on your knowledge of the current state of art in your area of research • Written in good writing style – you learned that when working on technical reports

18. Step 6 – Publishing • To start publishing you have to know how to write a paper • Note • The greatest idea if presented poorly will not be accepted for publication • A poor solution described very well will not be accepted • Outcomes and actions • Reviews can give you some feedback from people who read you paper • If your paper has been accepted, congratulations and go ahead harder • If your paper has been rejected, learn from reviewers’ comments, review your partial research, and generate another version of your paper

19. Step 7 – Applying for a grant • You need a grant for two main reasons • You want to carry out research, so you have to • Employ early career researcher(s), assistants • Buy equipment • Go to conferences • Currently, research income has become more important than research outcome, thus …. • However, the Government is thinking about putting more weight to outcomes (publications)

20. Step 7 – Applying for a grant • Getting a grant is not easy, because the success percentage of a granting agency is low • Writing application is not easy – but you have to learn how to write a grant application • There are two parts to any grant application • A good / hot problem that is worthy solving • Written application

21. Step 7 – Applying for a grant • If you carry out research you can find a good / hot problem • General recommendations • Page 1 of you application should clearly state • The reasons for proposing the project • Aim • What you want to do • Significance • Other parts of your project proposal must be consistent with the content of the first page

22. Step 7 – Applying for a grant • It is very good to start a grant application and project path as a member of a group led by an experienced researcher • The next stage should be such that you are a project leader and an experienced researcher is a member of the proposed research group • First apply for a university grant once or twice before going for a national level grant • If you have built good relationship with an industry partner you could go for that grant at the stage of applying for a university grant • Ask experienced researchers to read your application • Comments and suggestions help enormously

23. Step 8 – Networking – breaking into research community • You have to meet other researchers and you have to make yourself known • Professional networking is a must • You have to learn “how to network” – it is a learned skill • Activities of breaking into research community: • Attending conferences: do this actively • Present a paper • Get involved in discussions • If somebody expresses an interest in your work, follow up • Use e-mail to remind other researchers about your research and make enquiry about their research • Meeting established and influential researchers • Making yourself known

24. Step 8 – Networking – breaking into research community • Try to initiate cooperative research • Start with a small project and write a paper together • Go for a major project • Major cooperation problem: Australia is far away from the world and cooperation requires more than e-mail communication

25. Conclusion - To become an independent and successful researcher • You need good ideas and their implementation, • You have to spend a lot of time reading papers, • You must discuss your ideas with your colleagues, • You have to write and revise your papers, • You have to keep track with your research of where you are going and where have you been, • You have to stay motivated, you have to work long hours, • In general, you have to be a scholar.