31Jan20 - Expectations

Today will be the second meeting of the Rutgers The Geoscience Research At the Cordillera Talamanca (GREAT) Project. Last week, the primary investigator Dr. Vadim Levin asked that the new cohort write out our expectations for research. This will be compared with our future impressions of the program for posterity.

This will be my third foray into physics research. The goal of my first project was to investigate the changes instigated in graduate physics departments by introducing APS Bridge Program students into levels of education made otherwise inaccessible to them because of systemic discrimination. Preparation for this research required us to read studies on race and academic culture, train to build and fund research from the grant-proposal stage, and consider methodology for face-to-face interviews with human subjects. At this time this research is on hold, and so I can only say that I've seen such a project in its infancy.

Last summer I performed astronomy research at the University of Texas in Austin, funded by the National Science Foundation. I needed to learn to program with Python, and study the theory and modern applications of astronomical spectroscopy. There was a great deal of front-loading of information in a very short window at the beginning. Just to grasp the nature of the project - having no previous astronomy experience - was a major challenge. I found that once I had overcome the challenge of understanding the theory of what I was doing, that took a backseat, and computer programming made up the bulk of my work. Communication was emphasized since the subject and aims of the project were so niche, even within astronomy.

Both experiences valued interfacing with other members of a research team. The challenge of working remotely, meeting over video chat or sending details through email, disparate schedules and timetables, and the necessity of reaching outside of the core research team for resources. For instance, my advisor at UT was not versed in Python, so although she could explain the goal of a code I was writing, I would need to consult other members of the department to write the lines of code. People were often the lynch pin between success and failure. Some were indispensable, while others acted as roadblocks. Poor communication was always the greatest threat to progress.

In both previous cases, our research began with very lofty goals, and I experienced a lot of growing pains as time, resources and skill level forced us to pare down these expectations. We were often unwillingly drawn down to reality.

I anticipate that these experiences are highly reflective of the process of research. I believe too that the lessons learned will save me a great deal of heartache. These are, in no order

1.     Some theory foundational to my understanding of a project may not be directly related to it.

2.     Research is meaningless if its purpose and importance cannot be conveyed to both scientists and laypeople; this demands a thorough grasp of all aspects of one's own research.

3.     Plans change, sometimes in extremely fundamental ways. Be prepared for the scope and scale of a project to shift. Limited results are better than no results at all.

4.     Over-communicate. Do so regularly at every level of a team. Failure to do so will result in a lower quality of work. A lack of communication absolves people of their responsibilities to the project.

5.     Don't assume that there's someone else on the team more responsible than I am. People don't drop the ball because of some malicious intent, but simply because we're all busy human beings juggling a dozen tasks.

6.     Set realistic and firm boundaries for working hours. The research will get done. I should not overwork myself, allow myself to be overworked, or demand that others work on my time. Everyone has a different workflow, and the pace of the research needs to adapt to accommodate this, not vice-versa.

7.     Ask (beg) for help whenever computers are involved. Saying, "I don't know how to do this," will happen even if I spend three days staring at a blank screen, tearing my hair out. It's no easy thing, but swallowing pride early and often is the best policy.

I’m sure there are some I'm leaving out, and that I'll need to frequently consult this list to remind myself of these core concepts. I can’t know how they will apply to this research. In some cases I may be relearning these lessons all over in a new environment. I have faith it will improve me.