Characteristics of a good researcher - am i a researcher?

1. “Characteris+cs,of,A, Good,Researcher,3,Am,I, A,Researcher?”, Dr.$Mazlan$Abbas$ MIMOS$Berhad$

2. Research$“Misunderstanding”$ How$Long$Does$It$Take?$ $ What’s$the$Difference$Between$Masters$and$PhD?$ $ Why$Problem$DefiniJon$Takes$A$Long$Time?$ $ How$Do$We$Manage$Researchers?$ $ Why$“Research”$Approach$is$Different$From$“Development”?$

3. ScienJfic$DefiniJon$of$“Research”$ The$strict$definiJon$of$scienJfic$research$is$performing$a$methodical$study$in$order$ to$prove$a$hypothesis$or$answer$a$specific$quesJon.$ •  Finding$a$definiJve$answer$is$the$central$goal$of$any$experimental$process.$ •  Research$must$be$systemaJc$and$follow$a$series$of$steps$and$a$rigid$standard$ protocol.$These$rules$are$broadly$similar$but$may$vary$slightly$between$the$ different$fields$of$science.$ •  ScienJfic$research$must$be$organized$and$undergo$planning,$including$performing$ literature$reviews$of$past$research$and$evaluaJng$what$quesJons$need$to$be$ answered.$ •  Any$type$of$‘real’$research,$whether$scienJfic,$economic$or$historical,$requires$ some$kind$of$interpretaJon$and$an$opinion$from$the$researcher.$This$opinion$is$ the$underlying$principle,$or$quesJon,$that$establishes$the$nature$and$type$of$ experiment.$ • 

4. What,is,BASIC,Research?, Basic$research$also$known$as$fundamental$or$pure$research$is$driven$by$a$ scienJst’s$curiosity$or$interest$in$a$quesJon.$The$main$moJvaJon$of$this$ type$of$research$is:T$ •  To$expand$man’s$knowledge$of$the$world$and$not$to$invent$or$create$ something$new.$$ •  There$is$no$obvious$commercial$value$in$research$of$this$type.$ $ $ Basic$science$research$includes$answers$to$such$quesJons$as:$ $ •  How$did$the$universe$begin?$ •  How$has$man$evolved$over$5me?$ •  How$does$gene5c$code$determine$who$we$are?$ •  What$is$the$specific$gene5c$code$of$an$earth$worm?$ •  What$are$protons,$neutrons$and$electrons$made$of?$ $

5. What,is,APPLIED,Research?, Applied$research$is$designed$to$the$pracJcal$problems$that$exist$in$the$ modern$world,$rather$than$to$just$acquire$knowledge$for$knowledge’s$ sake.$One$main$goal$of$applied$science$is$to$improve$human$condiJons$ and$make$the$world$a$beVer$place.$ $ $ Applied$science$may$invesJgate$ways$to:$ $ •  improve$agricultural$crop$produc5on$ •  get$be<er$network$throughput$ •  find$alterna5ve$rou5ng$solu5ons$ •  treat$or$cure$a$specific$disease$ •  improve$the$energy$efficiency$of$homes$

6. Ac+vity, Establish, Context, Detail,Tasks, Literature$Review$ Problem$DefiniJon$ Scope$of$Research$ MathemaJcal$Modeling$ SimulaJon$ Experimental$ Timeframe, 3T6$months$ (MScTPhD)$ Select,&,Design, Methods, 3T6$months$ New$mathemaJcal$theory$ New$programming$language$ New$simulaJon$tool$ AcquisiJon$and$trials$testbed$ TesJng$of$Model$ Undertake, Research, 3T6$months$ Analysis,&, Valida+on, Create,Output, 6T12$months$ IP$ Thesis$ Technical$report$ 3T6$months$ PublicaJon$ Conference$ VIVA$ Review,&, Evaluate, <$3$months$ Note:,On,average,=,Masters,(2,years,to,complete),and,PhD,(336,years,to,complete),

7. How,To,Choose,a,Good, Scien+fic,Problem?, [Excerpts$from$the$ArJcle$“How$To$Choose$a$Good$ScienJfic$Problem”$by$Uri$Alon]$

8. Choosing$good$problems$is$essenJal$for$being$a$ good$researcher.$$ $ But$what$is$a$good$problem,$and$how$do$you$ choose$one?$

9. The,Feasibility3Interest,Diagram,for,Choosing,a, Project,

10. The,Feasibility3Interest,Diagram,for,Choosing,a, Project,

11. Take,Your,Time, A$common$mistake$made$in$choosing$problems$is$taking$the$first$problem$ that$comes$to$mind.$$ Since$a$typical$project$takes$years$even$it$if$seems$doable$in$months,$rapid$ choice$leads$to$much$frustraJon$and$biVerness$in$our$profession.$$ It$takes$Jme$to$find$a$good$problem,$and$every$week$spent$in$choosing$one$ can$save$months$or$years$later$on.$ In$my$lab,$we$have$a$rule$for$new$students$and$postdocs:$$ Do$not$commit$to$a$problem$before$3$months$have$elapsed.$In$these$ 3$months$the$new$student$or$postdoc$reads,$discusses,$and$plans.$$ $ The$state$of$mind$is$focused$on$being$rather$than$doing.$The$ tempta5on$to$start$working$arises,$but$a$rule$is$a$rule.$AGer$3$ months$(or$more),$a$celebra5on$marks$the$beginning$of$the$research$ phase—with$a$wellKplanned$project.$ $ Taking$5me$is$not$always$easy.$One$must$be$supported$to$resist$the$ urge:$‘‘Oh,$we$must$produce—let’s$not$waste$5me,$and$start$ working.’’$

12. The,Subjec+vity,of,the,Interest,Axis, Who$decides$how$to$rank$the$interest$of$problems?$One$of$ the$fundamental$aspects$of$science$is$that$the$interest$of$a$ problem$is$subjecJve$and$personal.$ $ The$inner$voice$can$be$strengthened$and$guided$if$one$is$ lucky$enough$to$have$caring$mentors.$$ $ A$scienJst$ofen$needs$a$supporJve$environment$to$begin$to$ listen$to$this$voice.$$ $ $

13. The,Subjec+vity,of,the,Interest,Axis, Good$test:$ One$way$to$help$listening$to$the$inner$voice$is$to$ask:$‘‘If$I$was$the$only$ person$on$earth,$which$of$these$problems$would$I$work$on?’’$An$honest$ answer$can$help$minimize$compromises.$ $ Another$good$sign$of$the$inner$voice$are$ideas$and$quesJons$that$come$ back$again$and$again$to$your$mind$for$months$or$years.$$ $ Another$good$test:$$ When$asked$to$describe$our$research$to$an$acquaintance,$how$does$it$ feel$to$describe$each$project?$ $ In$science,$the$more$you$interest$yourself,$the$larger$the$probability$that$ you$will$interest$your$audience.$

14. The,Objec+ve,and,Nurturing,Schemas,of, Research, The$mentors’$task$is$to$support$students$through$the$cloud$that$seems$to$guard$the$ entry$into$the$unknown.$And,$with$this$schema,$we$have$more$space$to$see$that$ problem$C$exists$and$may$be$more$worthwhile$than$conJnuing$to$plod$toward$B.$ “Sailing into the unknown again and again takes courage”

15. Research,Approaches, (1)$MathemaJcal$Modeling$ (2)$SimulaJon$ (3)$Experimental$

16. MathemaJcal$Modeling$ Fast,$easily$define$upper$and$lower$bound$ Complex$mathemaJcs,$need$programming$

17. Network$Model$ SimulaJon$ Scalable,$Flexible$ AssumpJons$must$be$ accurate$ Time$consuming$ Either$selfTprogramming$or$ using$simulaJon$tool$$ Expensive$(?)$ Traffic$Model$ Performance$Results$ Packet$Scheduling$Model$ Algorithm$

18. Experimental$ Accurate,$real$results$ Time$consuming,$expensive,$not$scalable$

19. Intellectual,Proper+es,(IPs), Architecture$/$Systems$/$Methods$ Is$it$Worth$A$ Masters$or$PhD$

20. Why$Do$We$Need$Degree,$Masters$and$PhD$Interns?$ Support$testbed$setup$ Simple$experiment$and$Data$CollecJon$ Some$simple$applicaJon$programming$ Degree$ Support$experimental$work$(advanced)$ SimulaJon$to$proof$the$concept/ideas$ Masters$ MathemaJcal$modeling$ Develop$SimulaJon$model$ CoTgenerate$and$test$new$ideas$ PhD$

21. How,Do,We,Manage, Researchers?,

22. Researchers$ExpectaJons$ Breathing$space$ •  Need$Jme$to$think$to$be$creaJve.$ Always$“Fresh”$in$new$research$area$ •  Knowledge$always$starts$anew$in$every$project.$ Killing$Knowledge$ •  We$can$kill$a$Product$or$Project$but$be$careful$in$killing$a$ “Research”$since$it$will$“wipe$out”$knowledge.$ Quest$for$Knowledge$ •  Never$ending$journey$to$the$FronJers$of$Knowledge$ •  Finding$new$challenges$ •  RecogniJon$in$their$area$of$experJse$ •  •  •  • 

23. Light$At$the$End$of$The$Tunnel$ PhD$is$not$all$about$the$novelty$achieved$but$it’s$the$SystemaJc$Process$ of$Doing$Research$that’s$the$utmost$important.$ “Research”$Working$with$the$“Unknown”$ “Development”$Working$with$“Known”$

24. Researchers’,Challenges, , (But,who,appreciates,people,working,with,the,Unknown?),

25. Valley,of,Apprecia+on, Viewing$Angle$ ApplicaJon$Layer$ PresentaJon$Layer$ Session$Layer$ Transport$Layer$ Network$Layer$ Data$Link$Layer$ Physical$Layer$

26. How,Deep,to,Explore?, “Breadth”,or,“Depth”,of,Research,

27. To,Go,Deeper,…,You,Need,a,Pla_orm,

28. Cave,Explorer, Explorer’s,Risk,

29. Do,We,Reward,the,“Cave,Explorer”?, Unstoppable$Effort$ Taking$High$Risks$ Venture$in$to$Unknown$

30. 7, Characteris+cs,of,A,Good, Researcher,

31. 1, Must$be$openTminded$and$must$also$adopt$ a$criJcal$way$of$thinking.$$

32. 2, Should$be$hard$working,$diligent,$focused$ and$devoted$to$the$specific$field$of$interest.$

33. 3, UpdaJng$the$knowledge$is$of$utmost$ importance$and$can$be$accomplished$in$ several$ways,$such$as$following$the$current$ literature,$aVending$conferences$or$ exchanging$ideas$with$colleagues$working$in$ a$relevant$field.$

34. 4, Must$be$resourceful$and$invenJve$in$order$ to$transform$the$scienJfic$queries$and$ hypotheses$into$a$realizable$protocol.$$

35. 5, Has$to$acquire$an$excellent$knowledge$of$ the$measurement$tools$and$techniques$of$ the$relevant$field.$$

36. 6, When$interprets$and$presents$results,$the$ researcher$must$be$precise$and$honest.$ MisinterpretaJon$or$even$falsificaJon$of$ data$will$not$only$lead$to$deviaJon$of$future$ research$and$invalidate$the$work$of$future$ researchers$

37. 7, Although$there$is$no$need$to$be$a$ staJsJcian,$the$researcher$has$to$be$aware$ of$basic$mathemaJcal$and$staJsJcal$ principles$in$order$to$be$able$to$appreciate$ and$interpret$results,$up$to$a$certain$level,$ and$to$study$criJcally$the$findings$of$other$ works.$

38. Conclusion$ Stage Activities ~ % S E R 100 0 Risk increases AR 80 20 AT 50 50 PD 10 90 Development (D) M 0 100 R$–$Research$ AR$–$Applied$Research$ AT$–$Advanced$Technology$ PD$T$$Product$Development$ M$T$Maintenance$

39. Thank$You$

40. Contact$ Dr.$Mazlan$Abbas$ @mazlan_abbas$ mazlan.abbas@mimos.my$