Research

Here I take notes of passing thoughts on research.

What should be a good aim when doing research?

Getting papers accepted vs. getting citations vs. generating research impact, what is the ultimate goal?

From a discussion with more senior researchers I am getting a feeling that none of the abovementioned goals are ultimate. Instead, for them the ultimate goal is very simple: to enjoy the research process.

All the aims listed in the paragraph should be a “why-not” addition to the enjoyment of research itself.

Knowledge, Research Skills and Intuition

Knowledge sets the foundation for every scholarly pursuit, research skills make you a qualified scholar, while intuition decides how far you can go.

A Scholarly Investment in Effort

Let’s consider a simplified scenario. Suppose that the sum of our available time for work throughout our life is a fixed number. You are free to allocate the time to whatever you see fit. What would be your schedule if you want to produce world-class scientific research?

For me, I would definitely like to reserve some quality time for the cultivation of intuitions. Acquirement of knowledge is certainly important, but a mindless bump into the vast universe of knowledge only gets us lost in it. We simply do not have the time to learn everything. We need guidances. Quality guidances. And that is where intuitions come into the picture.

Theories Serve to Predict?

It seems to me that people generally favor theories that predicts better. Indeed, how can a theory be useful and remembered if it cannot predict anything?

The ability to predict is oftentimes more credited compared to the completeness of theory itself. What are we seeking, utility or theory itself?