The Art of Being a Scientist This is a hands-on guide for graduate students and other young researchers wishing to perfect the practical skills that are needed for a successful career in research. By teaching junior scientists to develop effective research habits, the book helps make the experience of graduate study a more efficient, effective, and rewarding one. Many graduate students learn these skills on the job, often by doing them poorly at first, with the result that much valuable time can be lost: this book will help prevent that. The authors have taught a graduate course on the topics covered in this book for many years, and provide a sample curriculum for instructors in graduate schools who wish to teach a similar course. Topics covered include: how to choose your research topic, department, and adviser how to make a workplan the ethics of research how to use the scientific literature how to perfect your oral and written communication how best to publish papers how to write proposals how to manage your time effectively how to plan your scientific career and apply for jobs in research and industry The wealth of advice offered in this book is invaluable to students, junior researchers, and their mentors in all fields of science, engineering, and the humanities.
The Art of Being a Scientist A Guide for Graduate Students roel snieder and ken larner Department of Geophysics and Center for Wave Phenomena Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Information on this title: /9780521743525 R. Snieder and K. Larner 2009 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2009 7th printing 2015 Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books, Inc. A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library ISBN 978-0-521-74352-5 Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
In memory of Rodney Calvert, a gentleman whose inquisitive nature, contagious enthusiasm, and caring attitude manifested the art of science in both his personal and professional life.
Contents 1 Introduction page 1 2 What is science? 11 2.1 Deduction versus induction 16 2.2 Reductionism and wholism 18 2.3 Why science is hard...and what makes it an art 20 2.4 Many ways to practice science 23 2.5 Why would you want to be a scientist? 25 2.6 Who is doing science? 26 3 Choices, choices, choices 29 3.1 General considerations 31 3.2 Choosing a university and department 33 3.3 Choosing an adviser 37 3.4 Choosing a project 39 3.5 How do you fit into the picture? 48 3.6 A checklist with questions 51 4 The adviser and thesis committee 53 4.1 Different styles of advising 53 4.2 The thesis committee 62 5 Questions drive research 65 5.1 The need to ask questions 66 5.2 Order and prioritize questions 73 5.3 Turning questions into a workplan 77
viii contents 6 Giving direction to our work 81 6.1 Set goals 81 6.2 Five steps to take in working toward your goals 85 6.3 What is your greatest resource? 86 6.4 Being goal-oriented or process-oriented 88 6.5 More than goals and process is meaning in our work 91 7 Turning challenges into opportunities 93 7.1 Being confused because of lack of direction 93 7.2 Being confused because you don t understand something 95 7.3 Simplify first 96 7.4 Identify mistakes quickly 99 7.5 Serendipity and playfulness 100 7.6 Being stuck 102 7.7 Getting the right answer for the wrong reason 105 7.8 Keep two types of notes 107 8 Ethics of research 110 8.1 Respect the property of others 112 8.2 Be honest 114 8.3 Stand up for your scientific integrity 118 8.4 Disagree respectfully 120 8.5 Authorship issues 122 8.6 Interacting with other players 125 8.7 Ethics of the content of research 129 9 Using the scientific literature 132 9.1 Doing a literature search 133 9.2 Keeping up with the literature 138 9.3 Making a database of references 140 10 Communication 146 10.1 Why communicate? 146 10.2 Communication is difficult 148
contents ix 10.3 Written communication 150 10.4 Oral presentations 158 10.5 The scientific conference 171 10.6 Concluding note: you, the audience 174 11 Publishing a paper 176 11.1 Before you start writing 176 11.2 Submission and review 181 11.3 After publication 184 12 Time management 186 12.1 Setting priorities 186 12.2 Using time effectively 191 13 Writing proposals 196 13.1 Who funds research? 196 13.2 The core content of a proposal 199 13.3 The other parts of a proposal 203 13.4 Writing and submitting the proposal 205 14 The scientific career 210 14.1 The academic career 210 14.2 Comparison with the industrial career 217 14.3 Switching fields: benefits and pitfalls 221 14.4 As you take on more responsibilities 223 14.5 Gender issues 225 14.6 Closing words 230 15 Applying for a job 233 15.1 Be informed 234 15.2 The application letter and resumé 237 15.3 The interview visit 245 15.4 Negotiate! 247 15.5 Before signing a contract in industry 250
x contents 16 Concluding remarks 253 16.1 Create your own luck 253 16.2 Life is a boomerang 255 16.3 Think of and be a role model 257 16.4 Trust and commitment 258 Appendix A Further reading 261 Appendix B A sample curriculum 265 Appendix C The Refer and BibTeX format 273 References 276 About the authors 280 Index 282