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Great Research, Great Publications – Why & How. Graham H. Pyke School of the Environment University of Technology Sydney. Content. Research & Being a researcher … What’s it all about? Great Research … How to recognise? Great Research … How to do? Approach/ Mindset Tools
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Great Research, Great Publications – Why & How Graham H. Pyke School of the Environment University of Technology Sydney
Content • Research & Being a researcher … What’s it all about? • Great Research … How to recognise? • Great Research … How to do? • Approach/ Mindset • Tools • Great Research … What’s the point? • Research quality … How assessed?
Research is about … • Observations & Questions • Why is it so? • What are the consequences? • Explanation & Prediction • If A then B … Yes/ No? • Iterative process • Understanding increases
Being a Researcher is about … … discovering/ understanding & ??
Being a Researcher is about … … discovering/ understanding & telling the world & ??
Being a Researcher is about … … discovering/ understanding & telling the world & having fun
Research has … Context
Great research requires … Approach/ Mindset:“SIP” • Significance • Influence • Presentation
Tools required: Significance • Identify questions &/or issues • Hierarchy • Evaluate • Fundamental significance • Relevance
Example: Significance Fundamental Question: Why do animals (& other organisms) forage the way they do? • Hierarchy of questions
Tools required: Influence • Audience size • Influence level (Context)
Example: Influence • Audience Everyone interested in Biology • Influence sought: Adopt advocated approach
Tools required: Presentation • Standard approach … • KISS • Concise • Logical • Clear • Pursuing Excellence … • Captivating • Compelling • Memorable
Writing: My Approach • Logical order of simple points • These are lead sentences of separate paragraphs • One point per paragraph • Applies to articles, reviews, grant proposals, reports etc • Test & Outcomes
Writing: Test • Combine lead sentences of each paragraph into single body of text. • Convey ‘story’ simply & completely • Understandable to almost anyone => Feedback
Writing:Outcomes • Basis for abstract or summary • Basis for being captivating, compelling & memorable
Research excellence: How? • SIP Approach … • Significance max • Influence max • Presentation is captivating, compelling & memorable • Tools • Feedback
Great Research: Your career • Opportunity • Grants • Students • Institution • You
Research Excellence: Metrics • Quantity • ‘Publish … Or perish’ • Quality e.g., # publs weighted by venue ‘quality’ # citations • Now: ‘Publish in high quality venues and be well cited …. Or perish” • Future: ‘Publish & be well cited … Or perish’
Great Research? Great publications?Goals Research of (relatively) high significance & influence Publication (or other presentation) that is captivating, compelling and memorable, while being simple, concise, logical and clear.
Great Research? Great publications?How • SIP approach • Research & presentation excellence • Citations & other performance measures • All-round benefits • Tools essential • Focus & Determination
Why do you do research? ‘Because I love it’
Why do you do research? ‘Because I love it and seek to make a significant and positive difference’
Further Reading • Pyke, G.H. (2000) A strategy for reviewing the biology of animals. Australian Zoologist 31: 482-491 • Pyke, G.H. (2013) Struggling scientists. Please cite our papers! Current Science 105 (8): 1061-1066 • Pyke, G.H. (2014) Achieving research excellence and citation success: What’s the point and how do you do it? BioScience Advance Access 15 Jan 2014