Success Tips for Budding Researchers

If you are thinking about going into academic research or have just started your research journey, chances are you already know some of the perils of this path. 

You have probably heard some horror stories about people failing even after trying their hardest. However, you have also heard about the academic fulfillment that research can provide and how their research success changed their lives. 

With such varied experiences in the field, it is important to know how you can succeed as a researcher.

Understand Your Impact

Depending on your field, there are so many ways your research can impact others. Whether they are other researchers in the field or just students reading your work, you are contributing to the body of knowledge. 

Many times scientists lose hope in the importance of their research if they are studying something small assuming it makes only a fraction of a difference in their field. 

However, the beauty of science is that whether you are researching a small drug within traditional medicine or discovering a new element that will change science forever, you are doing something that will have an impact no matter the extent of your undertaking.

Vocalize Your Pursuits

The worst thing you can do while researching something is to be quiet about it. 

You don’t have to be the person who only ever talks about their Ph.D. research or cannot shut up about it at parties but make an effort to publicize your research when it matters. 

Research universities and institutions will often offer funds for researchers to go to conferences and networking events, apply for funding and grab these opportunities. 

Not only will you get the chance to talk about your research with industry thought leaders but also be able to fight for your research when explaining to the institution why they should fund you. 

Additionally, you do not have to confine yourself to conferences and networking events to display your efforts, you can even use social media or email lists to keep everyone in the loop. You would be surprised to see just how many academics and scientists are on social media geeking out about their research.

Collaboration Is Key

Ask any scientist about their experience and they will tell you they could not have done it alone. Whether it is a mentor, a principal investigator, a colleague, or just a lab mate, researchers thrive when they have someone to connect and collaborate with. 

Social media serves as a great tool for establishing connections for collaborations. Your email might get buried in someone’s inbox but they are pretty likely to check social media daily so shoot your shot with industry leaders and request others to collaborate. 

You might just end up finding people who are studying similar things as your research topic or might help you find the answer to a question that had you stumped.

Enhance Your Skills

Researching is an art as much as it is a science. Your reading, presenting, and writing skills are just as important as your knowledge of scientific concepts. 

While your Ph.D. courses or school courses will teach you how to research, you cannot complete a huge research project without practicing your presentation skills. 

Your results, no matter how revolutionary they are, will not make a difference if you cannot express that in your writing and presentations. Even if your research is very technical, you cannot publish a paper that an ordinary college student could not read without learning everything about your field. 

Moreover, you need to have an elevator pitch ready for laypeople so you can express the importance of your research to funding institutions and scholarship-granting organizations. 

In short, your research is only as good as your ability to express its value. So if your writing skills are not the best, you can even hire Writers Per Hour to do the heavy lifting for you.

Graduate schools will often host symposiums and presentation events so you get the chance to practice your presentation skills but reading skills can only be developed by reading other published research works. 

Try reading a paper from an interesting field and see if you can understand its value without having to look up every technical term.

Stay Organized And Motivated

In order to get in the right headspace and have access to all the necessary equipment for the successful completion of your research, consider looking for a workspace for science researchers that provides a conducive environment, ample resources, and a supportive community. 

This can help streamline your workflow, minimize distractions, and foster collaboration with fellow researchers.

Whether it's a dedicated laboratory, a co-working space, or a virtual platform, finding the right workspace tailored to the needs of science researchers can greatly enhance productivity and motivation.

That being said, when working on a research project, your actions may depend on your mood and your progress toward the overall goal.

Some days you might feel like reviewing existing literature and other days you might want to start writing your methodology. If you are someone who does this, you will need to organize extensively. 

Take notes, label your files, add dates to your findings, and create a schedule to ensure you don’t lose anything you have worked hard on.

It is easy to say that you should stay motivated during your academic research but it can be difficult to do so. 

Most Ph.D. students research for at least five to seven years before defending their thesis and industry scientists often have multiple studies that they are working on simultaneously. 

Staying motivated for so long seems almost impossible especially when your experiments are failing, you’ve reached a dead end or there is no alternative in sight. 

You may need some time to relax and giving yourself a break during these times is extremely important. 

Burning out too early might put your entire career at risk. 

When you feel like you want to quit, remind yourself why you started in the first place. Let yourself find again the passion and motivation you hold for the research area and then continue.

Conclusion

In all honesty, life as a researcher is not easy and is filled with highs and lows.

However, if you stay true to your goal and give it your best, your chances are already higher than most people trying to achieve similar things. 

Keep in mind the bigger picture and make a list of every reason not to quit. Take the time to enjoy your research and make this long journey a memorable one.

Happy Research!