How to do research Dan Simon Cleveland State University October 2003

The key is balance You can study too much, or not enough Gain / bandwidth can be too high, or too low

Solve the right problem Find a problem that is interesting and challenging Find a problem that is solvable Balance challenge with solvability Experience helps with balance

Solve the right problem in the right way Look for problem-driven solutions, not solution-driven problems

Achievability and Payoff Attack a problem that you can solve Attack a problem that has a payoff Likely Payoff Difficulty

Use the best tool to solve the problem Use available resources –Seminars –Books / Journals –Colleagues –Internet –Library Collect a repertoire of tools

Generalize and specialize Balance breadth and depth A generalist knows nothing about everything A specialist knows everything about nothing Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar ( ) Nobel Prize, 1983 A new topic every seven years

Have a plan of attack Follow your blueprint Be flexible enough to deviate from your blueprint

Simplify / complicate your work Simplify your work –Solve your problem one step at a time –Apply the theory to a simple problem Generalize the theory –F = ma –Eastern mysiticism and Zadeh’s fuzzy set theory Isaac Newton

Example However, Therefore, Furthermore, Finally,

Work! A necessary and sufficient condition Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration Thomas Edison

Persist Sometimes months of work pays off in a single day Know when to change your approach  = …

Don’t be afraid to fail “I have not failed. I have merely found 10,000 ways that did not work.” Admit your mistakes (so you can learn from them) Petroski, To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design

Faith and doubt Believe that your ideas will eventually work Healthy skepticism – don’t take someone else’s word for it, convince yourself

Communicate Read and write Speak Write and speak with authority

Progress is cumulative Build on others’ work Allow others to build on your work Isaac Newton 1642 – 1727 John Donne

Independence / cooperation Researchers need to be able to work independently Researchers need to be able to work as part of a team

Find balance in your life Relationships, spirituality, hobbies, rest Sabbath James Watson

Conclusion It all boils down to balance

References C. Loehle, A guide to increased creativity in research – inspiration or perspiration? BioScience 40(2), pp , February 1990 D. Bernstein, A student’s guide to research, IEEE Control Systems, pp , February 1999 R. Hamming, You and your research, IEEE Potentials, pp.37-40, October 1993 V. Li, Hints on writing technical papers and making presentations, IEEE Transactions on Education 42(2), pp , May 1999