How to do research – PART 2

Fausto Giunchiglia

Literature:

Robert V. Smith. Graduate Research, 1998

Jeffrey A. Lee. The scientific endeavor, 2000

By Fausto Giunchiglia and Alessandro Tomasi

Index:

1. Research and Scholarship2. Factors for success

2.1 Attitude2.2 Commitment2.3 Creativity

3. Making Choices3.1 Types of research3.2 Advisor3.3 Programs of Study3.4 Disciplinary vs. Interdisciplinary

4. Time Management4.1 Set Goals4.2 Make a todo list4.3 Time Wasters

5. PHD Thesis5.1 Choosing a scientific problem5.2 Timing of PHD

2. Factors of Success

Factors of Success

Three Dimensions:

• Attitude

• Commitment

• Creativity

2.1 Attitude

Attitude

• Skeptical optimism• Emotional detachment• Try to do new things• …

2.2 Commitment

Commitment

“It has been my experience that the most unattractive problem becomes absorbingly interesting when one digs into it ... when you really get acquainted with a problem, you are apt to fall in love with it”

Testimonial from student №1 [Pavel Shvaiko]

Multiple attempts as a materialization of commitment

There is nothing wrong in failing or “if it does not kill us, it makes us stronger”

Failures is a good experience to learn from

Failures is an INTEGRAL part of the ultimate success (e.g., PhD Thesis)

2.3 Creativity

2.3.1 Levels of Creativity

• Autonomy

• Flexibility and Openness

• Formulate Research Objectives

Levels of Creativity

Autonomy

• Know what you don’t know

• Know what to ask

• Know when to ask

• Know where is the boundary

Flexibility and Openness

Flexibility:

maintain context, be ready to change context

Openness:

new ideas may come from

boundary between areas

Formulate Research Objectives

Three Levels:

1. There is the problem and you don’t see it

2. There is the problem, you see it but you don’t know how to solve it

3. There is the problem, you see it and you know how to solve it

Difficulty:

2.3.2 Creative Thinking

Creativity

1. Originality (newness)

2. Usefulness (basic vs. applied)

3. Transformation Property

4. Condensation Property

Transformation Property

Forces us to “see” reality in a new way

Example 1: Example 2:

3 wheels, some wood on the top

witch connects them

I have built a truck

It’s a new concept

Transformation Property

“The union is more than the sum of the parts”

Transformation Property

Knowledge

Time

Creation of a new concept

Condensation Property

You must answer to:

• what have you done?

• what is the key idea?

• what characterize the work?

Through a Minimal Explanation“One paper (thesis, talk, ...) one message”

3. Making Choices

Making Choices

3.1 Type of research

3.2 Advisor

3.3 Program of Study

3.4 Disciplinary vs. Interdisciplinary

3.5 Research Problem (PhD Thesis)

3.1 Type of research

Type of research

3.1.1 Basic Research:

3.1.2 Applied Research:

Study about application orapplicability of one or moretechniques in problem domain

Type of research

3.1.3 Orthogonal dimensions

3.1.4 Problem spaces vs. Solution spaces

Many Dimensions:• Personal• Social• Career

Type of research

3.2 Advisor

Advisor

Human factor makes the difference.Three Levels of advisor:

1. Collaborator type

2. Hands-off type

3. Senior scientist type

Time

Age / Experience

Advisor: positive and negative aspects

3.2.1 Collaborator type:

a lot of time, little experience

Advisor: positive and negative aspects

3.2.1 Hands-off type:

not much time, sufficient experience

Advisor: positive and negative aspects

Senior Scientist Type:

Experience and Knows the state of the art

Experience and Obsolete

Advisor: positive and negative aspects

The bottom line is research quality.

The indicators are:

• how much one publishes

• where one publishes

• how much one is cited

See at: http://citeseer.nj.nec.com

Choosing an Advisor

• Accomplishments in teaching and research• Enthusiasm for advising students• Experience in directing graduate students• Management and organization of his or her

research group• Reputation for setting high standards in a

congenial atmosphere• Compatible personality• Ability to serve as a mentor

3.3 Programs of Study

Programs of Study

• Horizontal dimension

• Vertical dimension

3.4 Disciplinary vs. Interdisciplinary

Disciplinary vs Interdisciplinary

Disciplinary Research:• Easier: there is a community to identify

Interdisciplinary Research:• Harder: there is no community

(the community may never be created)

Incremental vs. Discontinuos Research

Flexibility vs. Closedness

Disciplinary vs Interdisciplinary

4. Time Management

Time Management

4.1 Set Goals

4.2 Make a to do list

4.3 Time Wasters

4.1 Set Goals

• Passing Comprehensive • Passing Qualifying• Passing Exams• Giving Thesis• Finding a job

• Upgrading Horizontal dimension• Upgrading Vertical dimension

• Attending Seminars• Resolving research problems• Publishing papers• Attending conferences• Visiting other places• ...

Set Goals

1. Research Objective2. Out of knowledge (state of the art)3. You can do it (next steps)4. Usefulness

Setting Goals

What you know

What you don’t know 1.

2.

3.

4.

4.2 Make a todo list

Make a todo list

Set a Priority for each goals:

• priority A

• priority B

• priority C

There can be transitions between phases

Priority A:

1. Critical2. May be unpleasant to do3. Goal related4. Must be done today

Make a todo list

Priority B:

1. Important2. Goal Related3. Must be done soon, but not today

Make a todo list

Priority C:

1. Can wait2. May or may not be goal related3. No significant time pressure4. Usually easy, quick and pleasant

Make a todo list

Make a todo list

Produce deadlines:

• goal XYZ on April 2003

• ZXY until August 2003

• …

4.3 Time Wasters

Time Wasters

1. Telephone interruptions2. Ineffective use of the telephone3. Visitors dropping in without notice4. Crisis situations5. Lack of deadlines6. Not sticking to high-priority work7. Indecision and procrastination8. Over-involvement with detail and routine9. Attempting too much10. Underestimating the time needed to perform tasks11. Poor communication12. Inability to say “no”

Testimonial from student №1 [Pavel Shvaiko]

Do nothing but the work you are focused on - I

It takes about 10 minutes to enter the state when you are fully absorbed by a problem

If you are interrupted (e.g., wasters 1-3), it takes again 10 minutes to get back

Do a time log with throughout records of your daily activities. At the

end of the week analyze the time you have spent on each type of activity (e.g., research, e-mails, chatting, coffee breaks)

Split the time into uninterrupted blocks

These vary from 60 to 120 minutes depending on a task

Testimonial from student №1 [Pavel Shvaiko]

Do nothing but the work you are focused on - II

Experiment

Listening to the music during the uninterrupted blocksmight help in cutting the connection with the rest of the world, and in staying totally concentrated and focused on a problem you work on

Music without vocals (e.g., trance) might accelerate thinking

5. PHD Thesis

5.1 Choosing a scientific problem

Choosing a scientific problem

• Can it be enthusiastically pursued and can interest be sustained

• Is the problem solvable (in time – if PhD)

• Is it worth doing

• Is it manageable in size (especially when PhD)

• Will it lead to other research problems

• What is its potential to make original contributions (literature)

• If the problem is solved, will it be reviewed by scholars

• Are you, will you become competent to solve it

• By solving it will you have demonstrated independent skills in your discipline

• Will the research prepare you in an area of demand or promise for the future

The Biggest Question

Choose the research problem that you can solve:

• in 3 years

• individually (with help of advisor)

Choosing a scientific problem

5.2 Timing of a PHD

Timing of PHD

First Year:• Cover needed background knowledge

• Pass Comprehensive Examination as soon as possible

• Achieve Scholarship

• Upgrade Vertical dimension

• Identify Research Problem

• Try at least 1-2 public presentations

• Pass qualifying

• Write a paper (if you are lucky…)

Timing of PHD

Second Year:

• Intuition of the solution of research problem

• Submit one or two papers to top conferences with your idea semi-solved

• Spend sometime abroad

• give as many presentations as possible

Timing of PHD

Third Year:

• Consolidate your Knowledge

• Propagate your Knowledge

• Produce for a top Journal Paper

• Set the basis for extensions

Timing of PHD

Forth Year: (optional)

• do what you have not done before

• get the best out of your work

Testimonial from student №1 [Pavel Shvaiko]

Keep the balance

You can not be always extremely productive Set your times

With your professional growth, ensure the growth in your personal life, and vice versa

Concentrating only on work at the expense of the other spheres of your personal life will only make it a never-ending and ever-escalating struggle