Andrew Perrin’s Post

Getting your science research published in peer-reviewed journals isn’t just for professors and grad students! Here’s how 4 #AthabascaU undergraduate science students got their work published. #Research #UndergraduateResearch #PeerReviewed #AIResearch #WildfirePrevention

Most of the students ask me, Mam, how to identify the research gap!!! Identifying a research gap is like finding a missing puzzle piece in a vast picture of knowledge. It is crucial for thesis or dissertations because it shows where new insights are needed, guiding researchers to contribute original findings rather than repeating what's already known. A research gap highlights the unexplored or under-explored areas within a field, offering a clear direction for investigation. This focus ensures the research is relevant, valuable, and adds depth to the existing body of knowledge. By pinpointing where the current literature falls short, researchers can tailor their studies to address these deficiencies, pushing the boundaries of understanding further. Essentially, recognizing and addressing a research gap ensures that academic work not only broadens our comprehension of a subject but also solves real-world problems, leading to advancements and innovations that can shape the future.

Those of you who have academic labs with multiple PhD students: do you write all of your grant proposals yourself? How do you find time? Or do you make your PhD students (and/or postdocs) do it? How? There's no agenda here, I'm just genuinely curious. For reference, I try to write my grant proposals myself or with other faculty. As a result, I submit far too few grant proposals, so my lab is always broke and I frequently worry about how to fund my students. Relatedly, I almost never force my students to do anything; the only thing I know how to do is to inspire them.

If they have faculty ambitions, you're doing them a favor to have them help with proposals. Even if they don't, they might like it. Some people are just good at it. It's a helpful but orthogonal skill to other aspects of research. For postdocs, it usually is part of the expectation list. If they aren't interested in that, they probably shouldn't seek postdocs. BTW, you're going to be fine. It's a stress most of us encounter but you have what it takes to advance the profession and deserve to be funded for that, and the right opportunities will emerge, whether initiated by you or in collaboration. It's feast or famine sometimes, and either scenario has its own challenges. Never get tired of sending proposals; you don't know which one will open new frontiers.

Understanding the differences between thesis/dissertation and journal article enables you to approach each of them with the structure, depth and style appropriate to the purpose. Here we list some of the differences between a thesis or dissertation and a journal article. #education #research #science #technology #academia #university #students #learningandgrowing #learning  ---------------------------- Follow Academic Growth Space .

📢 Calling All Educators, Researchers, and Professionals! 🚀 What do you think a generic Research Methods course for all science postgraduate students should teach (i.e. a foundational course across all scientific disciplines)? I’d love to hear your thoughts on what core research skills or methods should be included for students in multidisciplinary science programs? If you've taught or taken a similar course, or have insights from your field, please share your suggestions! I'm particularly interested in vets with a postgraduate education, but open to hear from others too! #Education #ResearchMethods #HigherEd #ScienceTeaching #Collaboration

Shifting the primary focus of a PhD program towards publication output rather than the quality of the dissertation can introduce several ethical and academic issues. This emphasis might encourage practices like data manipulation or undue haste in conducting experiments, compromising the integrity of the research. Additionally, the pressure to publish can lead candidates to fragment their work into multiple smaller papers, potentially diluting the depth and coherence of the scholarly inquiry that a PhD thesis is meant to demonstrate. Such an environment can also foster a competitive rather than collaborative ethos, which may undermine the comprehensive learning and exploratory spirit essential to doctoral education. Excessive focus on publication metrics may sideline important but less publishable findings, steering research away from novel or risky topics that could be more intellectually rewarding.

GRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR Theme: From Conception to Submission of Thesis: What Graduate Students Must Know

Why don’t some PhD students have a publication when they graduate? What causes this situation during their 3-5 years of study? There are many reasons. I will give two. In my own case, I had two changes of PhD advisors after I started my degree. Two of them were assistant professors, and the last two were effectively assigned to me to ensure that I would not have to restart my research. None of the three spent any time helping me identify what was publishable, or even how to write a publishable paper. I graduated after 6 years because it was clear to everyone I had solved a hard problem and written an acceptable dissertation, but I never got a formal publication from my PhD work. I have had several students whose focus was not on a career in research. They performed well in their PhD work, but were not driven to publish. I had them write papers, but for a variety of reasons and even with my help, those items did not get published. However, they completed their PhD research and wrote acceptable dissertations that were accepted by committees and external readers, so they graduated. #PhD #Graduate #Research #Scholar

Watch the videos provided in the link below about undergraduate research as scholars discuss aspects mentoring undergraduate research across the disciplines.