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: Pyke, G.H. (2013) Struggling scientists. Please cite our papers! Current Science 105 (8): 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

Questions?