The PhD Process: laying The PhD Process: laying the foundation for the the foundation for the rest of your career rest of your career Julie Dugdale Julie Dugdale MAGMA-LIG MAGMA-LIG Multi-agent systems group – Grenoble Informatics Laboratory, France Multi-agent systems group – Grenoble Informatics Laboratory, France [email protected][email protected]http://membres-lig.imag.fr/dugdale/index.php http://membres-lig.imag.fr/dugdale/index.php ISCRAM PhD Colloquium. Gotenburg, May 10th 2009
Transcript
The PhD Process: laying the The PhD Process: laying the foundation for the rest of your foundation for the rest of your
careercareer
Julie DugdaleJulie Dugdale
MAGMA-LIGMAGMA-LIGMulti-agent systems group – Grenoble Informatics Laboratory, Multi-agent systems group – Grenoble Informatics Laboratory,
The goals of PhD researchThe goals of PhD research
Research and publication strategyResearch and publication strategy Four Stages of Professional DevelopmentFour Stages of Professional Development Establish Your NetworkEstablish Your Network How To Develop a Research StrategyHow To Develop a Research Strategy Research MethodologyResearch Methodology Publishing (Simon)Publishing (Simon)
The highs and lows of PhD ResearchThe highs and lows of PhD Research
An interactive discussion sessionAn interactive discussion session
33
The Goals of PhD ResearchThe Goals of PhD Research
To research an area that interests usTo research an area that interests usBut also..But also..A form of A form of trainingtraining in in howhow to do research to do research
Develop the ‘scientific mind’ Develop the ‘scientific mind’ Critical analysis of our work and othersCritical analysis of our work and others How to know when to How to know when to stopstop (when our results are good enough for (when our results are good enough for publication)publication) Apply a methodology,Apply a methodology, How to write!How to write! etc.etc.
How to obtain funding for our workHow to obtain funding for our work Others? Others?
PhD: A requirement for a career that we want to pursue PhD: A requirement for a career that we want to pursue
44
Research and Publication StrategyResearch and Publication Strategy
Many of these slides are based on:Many of these slides are based on:““A Strategy for Becoming a World-class Scholar A Strategy for Becoming a World-class Scholar in Information Systemsin Information Systems””Gordon B. Davis. Honeywell Professor of MIS, Carlston School of Gordon B. Davis. Honeywell Professor of MIS, Carlston School of Management, University of Minnesota Management, University of Minnesota
““A research and publication strategy that has a A research and publication strategy that has a high probability of success in turning a young high probability of success in turning a young academic into a respected world-class scholar academic into a respected world-class scholar (and achieving promotion and tenure).”(and achieving promotion and tenure).”
55
Four Stages of Professional Four Stages of Professional DevelopmentDevelopment
A process of making yourself increasingly ‘more A process of making yourself increasingly ‘more valuable’ to othersvaluable’ to others
ApprenticeApprentice:: technical competence, supervised, but technical competence, supervised, but little initiative or risk-takinglittle initiative or risk-taking
ColleagueColleague:: evidence of individual competence and evidence of individual competence and initiative; building networkinitiative; building network
MentorMentor:: uses network; helps apprentices and uses network; helps apprentices and colleaguescolleagues
SponsorSponsor:: uses large network to help; problem solver uses large network to help; problem solver for organising and managing projectsfor organising and managing projects
Dalton, Thompson & Price (1977)
77
Development strategy for a Development strategy for a researcherresearcher
The following slide suggests:The following slide suggests: Actively build a network of colleagues (next Actively build a network of colleagues (next
slide)slide) Look for and take opportunities for Look for and take opportunities for
independent workindependent work Take on a role of mentoringTake on a role of mentoring Build competence in project managementBuild competence in project management
Reporting, deliverables, communication Reporting, deliverables, communication mechanisms with partners, organisation of finance, mechanisms with partners, organisation of finance, etc.etc.
88
Establish Your NetworkEstablish Your NetworkSame university, different departmentsSame university, different departments
Take the initiative to find people with same interestsTake the initiative to find people with same interests Develop local collaborationsDevelop local collaborations Invited talks, share papers, joint supervision of Masters students, Invited talks, share papers, joint supervision of Masters students,
etc.etc.
Local and regional faculty members in ISLocal and regional faculty members in IS Attend workshops, conferences, the importance of coffee-break Attend workshops, conferences, the importance of coffee-break
discussions! become active in Workgroups, coordinate activities, discussions! become active in Workgroups, coordinate activities, managing discussion email groups, reviewing conf. papers, aim managing discussion email groups, reviewing conf. papers, aim program committees for confs. editing, etc. program committees for confs. editing, etc.
Global faculty members in ISGlobal faculty members in IS Organise workshops, special sessions, study leaves,...Organise workshops, special sessions, study leaves,...
Get yourself known!Get yourself known!Be Proactive!Be Proactive!
99
How To Develop a Research How To Develop a Research StrategyStrategy
The Gordon Davis approach encourages detailed The Gordon Davis approach encourages detailed planning.planning.But, are But, are youyou a ‘planner’? Maybe explicit or implicit a ‘planner’? Maybe explicit or implicit planning?planning?Planning Advantages: Planning Advantages:
reflection, a sense of direction and establish prioritiesreflection, a sense of direction and establish priorities
Planning disadvantages: Planning disadvantages: Too constrained, miss something, no accidentally ‘falling’ into Too constrained, miss something, no accidentally ‘falling’ into interesting areas?interesting areas?
According to Gordon Davis: a ten-year plan is According to Gordon Davis: a ten-year plan is reasonablereasonable
last 3 of Ph.D., 5 in 1st position, 2 beyond (depends on last 3 of Ph.D., 5 in 1st position, 2 beyond (depends on country)country)
Plan may be structured around a broad topic of interest (exact Plan may be structured around a broad topic of interest (exact topics emerge over the period)topics emerge over the period)
1010
How To Develop a Research How To Develop a Research StrategyStrategy
A good personal research strategy rests A good personal research strategy rests on 7 ideas: on 7 ideas:
1.1. Identify Identify research needsresearch needs in field, and in field, and2.2. Match them against Match them against personal interests and personal interests and
preferencespreferences..3.3. Constrain choices based on Constrain choices based on personal personal
competencecompetence andand4.4. Personal Personal comparative advantagecomparative advantage..5.5. Plan personal Plan personal research portfolioresearch portfolio including including6.6. Considering Considering cumulative effectcumulative effect of research. of research.7.7. Be ready for Be ready for opportunistic actionopportunistic action..
1111
1. Identify Research Needs1. Identify Research Needs
Research needs or research questions Research needs or research questions can come from articles and discussions,can come from articles and discussions,
See various taxonomies to help selecting See various taxonomies to help selecting an area of focusan area of focus
Review papers as a means of assessing Review papers as a means of assessing SOTA.SOTA.
SOTA paper can be a way of defining an SOTA paper can be a way of defining an areaarea
1212
2.& 3. Match against Personal 2.& 3. Match against Personal Interests and Preferences, StrengthsInterests and Preferences, Strengths
Theorize-synthesizeTheorize-synthesize distill existing ideas into a theory or frameworkdistill existing ideas into a theory or framework
DesignDesign marshall data to test ideas and theoriesmarshall data to test ideas and theories
ManageManage organize the activities associated with a studyorganize the activities associated with a study
ReportReport explain project and contributionexplain project and contribution
Research Needs
Personal Interests
Strengths/
Competences
Discover your talents:
1313
4. ID Comparative Advantage4. ID Comparative Advantage
Each researcher has some skills, Each researcher has some skills, expertise, or access to data to provide a expertise, or access to data to provide a comparative advantagecomparative advantage
Comparative advantages can be exploitedComparative advantages can be exploited
1414
5. Plan Research Portfolio5. Plan Research Portfolio
Davis applies the idea of an Davis applies the idea of an investment portfolioinvestment portfolio to developing a to developing a set of research projectsset of research projects. .
Factors to be considered for including a project Factors to be considered for including a project in your ‘portfolio’:in your ‘portfolio’: Completion risk: Can it be finished?Completion risk: Can it be finished? Output risk: How long will it take?Output risk: How long will it take? Performance risk: Can you do it well?Performance risk: Can you do it well? Contribution risk: Will it represent a contribution?Contribution risk: Will it represent a contribution? Publication risk: Can you publish it?Publication risk: Can you publish it? Funding risk: Can you get it funded?Funding risk: Can you get it funded?
Research should ideally not be a set of Research should ideally not be a set of random projects with no central corerandom projects with no central core
What is the thrust of this work?What is the thrust of this work?
Projects should build upon one anotherProjects should build upon one another
1616
7. Be Ready for Opportunistic 7. Be Ready for Opportunistic ActionAction
Opportunities come in unexpected ways Opportunities come in unexpected ways and unexpected timesand unexpected times
Having some slack in the system.Having some slack in the system.
Saying ‘Saying ‘yesyes’ and saying’ and saying ‘no’ ‘no’ to to opportunities.opportunities.
1717
Decide on a Research Decide on a Research MethodologyMethodology
The question comes first!The question comes first!
Then decide how you want to answer it:Then decide how you want to answer it: unsupported speculationunsupported speculation library researchlibrary research case studycase study surveysurvey field studyfield study field experimentfield experiment laboratory experimentlaboratory experiment mathematical or computational modelingmathematical or computational modeling
1818
That’s the theory, That’s the theory, ..but the practicality of doing research/PhD is a lot harder....but the practicality of doing research/PhD is a lot harder..• ““Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspirationperspiration.” .” T. A.
Edison (1847–1931)• ““People who are unable to People who are unable to motivate motivate themselves must be content with themselves must be content with
mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” A. Carnegie (1835–1919)
• Psychological highs and lows• Research time is being eaten away by other commitments (teaching,
