Last week I posted my ambitious list of goals for the month. Since I claimed that post was meant to provide accountability, I will now give an update on my progress.
1. Submit a commentary piece based on the meeting we hosted. It's written, but I'm waiting for feedback from two coauthors. I expect them to make few comments, so with any luck this will go out early next week.
2. Turn around the manuscript that was rejected over the summer. Working on it. I did all the easy changes, but I'm having trouble getting my A into G to tackle the harder ones (e.g. rearranging the discussion).
3. Draft manuscript for special issue paper. Started today. I put the text from my thesis chapter into a new document, formatted it to meet the journal requirements, and generally refamiliarized myself with the work. I also made a first pass over the new data.
4. Work with PI to revise big manuscript. Done! He's waiting on feedback from a couple of people but intends to submit (to a GlamorMag) on Monday. Unfortunately, I think we'll start pretty much straight away on reformatting/revising for a more attainable journal. Good practice, of course, but I'm so sick of this paper right now!
5. Establish protocol for sample processing. Part 1 is done. Part 2 is drafted, and PI and I have discussed it but a few kinks remain. I think one more (focused) discussion and one practice session ought to take care of it.
6. Finalize protocol for lab experiment. All I've done so far is gather up all the stuff I had spread in multiple labs and move it to a new lab space I'll be using for this project. I hereby downgrade my goal for this item to get shit organized and make a plan for developing protocol in January.
I could have done more in the past week, but my predictable December slump is in full swing. When I feel all blah like this, I'm happy to get anything done at all even if I'm not functioning in high gear. Like, I'll suddenly realize I've been sitting at my desk for an hour just spacing out/making sure the Internet doesn't disappear/looking at colleagues' publishing records/whatever. Thus, although I intended to finished and submit the first manuscript before I started on the second, the edits on the first seemed too hard and I figured I should get something done even if the order of tasks didn't make the best sense. I know that if I just chip away at things and leave work each day a little further ahead than when I arrived, it will all get done.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
End-of-year ambition
It's December tomorrow, which means there is just one month left to meet my 2010 goals. I failed miserably on whatever New Year's resolutions I made, but I do have some goals for the next month that are attainable, if a bit lofty.
1. Submit a commentary piece based on the meeting we hosted in October. Today I finished a draft and sent it to the coauthors. This has to get done quickly no matter what, since timely publication is vital.
2. Submit the paper that got rejected this summer to a different journal. I revised it and got comments back from my coauthors over break, so now it's time to dive back into it. There's more work to do than I expected, but it's not insurmountable.
3. Write a manuscript for a special issue associated with the meeting I attended in September. I have a decent draft from my thesis, but right before Thanksgiving I got new data to incorporate into it. I want to have a complete draft to give to the coauthors before winter break so I can deal with their comments before the January 31 submission deadline.
4. Continue helping PI revise a major paper that needs to be submitted -- when else? -- before winter break. The data were collected before I started in this lab, but the manuscript was a total mess. We've been working on it together for several weeks and it's looking a whole lot better, but there's still plenty of work left to do.
5. We completed a major field sampling a couple of weeks ago. I need to get the protocol in place so that technicians can get sample processing underway. It's unclear how involved I'll be with the processing, so I might need to make time for that, too.
6. Finalize the protocol for the lab experiment that was giving me grief earlier this year. It kind of went by the wayside between late summer travel, the meeting we hosted, and the field work. I know PI is very anxious for me to make progress on that project now.
So that's what's on my plate for the next few weeks. I'm hoping that sharing here will give me some accountability, and I intend to post updates throughout the month. I really want to accomplish all of this before January, so I think I'll be able to do it!
1. Submit a commentary piece based on the meeting we hosted in October. Today I finished a draft and sent it to the coauthors. This has to get done quickly no matter what, since timely publication is vital.
2. Submit the paper that got rejected this summer to a different journal. I revised it and got comments back from my coauthors over break, so now it's time to dive back into it. There's more work to do than I expected, but it's not insurmountable.
3. Write a manuscript for a special issue associated with the meeting I attended in September. I have a decent draft from my thesis, but right before Thanksgiving I got new data to incorporate into it. I want to have a complete draft to give to the coauthors before winter break so I can deal with their comments before the January 31 submission deadline.
4. Continue helping PI revise a major paper that needs to be submitted -- when else? -- before winter break. The data were collected before I started in this lab, but the manuscript was a total mess. We've been working on it together for several weeks and it's looking a whole lot better, but there's still plenty of work left to do.
5. We completed a major field sampling a couple of weeks ago. I need to get the protocol in place so that technicians can get sample processing underway. It's unclear how involved I'll be with the processing, so I might need to make time for that, too.
6. Finalize the protocol for the lab experiment that was giving me grief earlier this year. It kind of went by the wayside between late summer travel, the meeting we hosted, and the field work. I know PI is very anxious for me to make progress on that project now.
So that's what's on my plate for the next few weeks. I'm hoping that sharing here will give me some accountability, and I intend to post updates throughout the month. I really want to accomplish all of this before January, so I think I'll be able to do it!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
That's why I'm here
Today PI and I did some major work to get a new project going. It relied heavily on my expertise, which is quite different from that of anyone else in the group. My old lab group could have done what I did, but they just don't have the time to help initiate new projects like this one. The whole point of me doing this postdoc was to bridge between my old group and the new group to make work like this happen.
It felt really good to use my skills to do the thing I was hired to do. I felt valuable. In addition, it felt good to do something familiar after months of working outside my comfort zone.
It felt really good to use my skills to do the thing I was hired to do. I felt valuable. In addition, it felt good to do something familiar after months of working outside my comfort zone.
Monday, November 15, 2010
fuck time
Ecogeoman recently got a new laptop. Remember how our apartment flooded due to a burst hot water pipe? Well, his laptop was in his backpack on the floor and was ruined. Fortunately, our renters' insurance covered a new one (plus a few small items that were also damaged). It came with Windows 7, which EGM is not quite used to yet. He was bitching about it tonight and I said, "time marches on. you'll get used to it." To which he replied, "fuck time".
Today I tried to set up a new instrument that is best operated remotely using a Palm Pilot thing. It is the least intuitive POS I've encountered in about 5 years. I messed around with it and the instrument for a couple of hours this evening but got almost nowhere. I wanted to have the thing ready to use tomorrow morning, but I ran out of time. Fuck time.
Today I tried to set up a new instrument that is best operated remotely using a Palm Pilot thing. It is the least intuitive POS I've encountered in about 5 years. I messed around with it and the instrument for a couple of hours this evening but got almost nowhere. I wanted to have the thing ready to use tomorrow morning, but I ran out of time. Fuck time.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Mantra
Most of you have probably read Ambivalent Academic's terrific post for Samia's excellent zomg grad school!!!1 carnival. My favorite part of the post was her recommendation to have a mantra. I had a mantra in my pre- and early grad school days, which was "Take care of it!" but it was usually directed at someone else rather than used to motivate myself. In contrast, I had a motivating mantra for grad school, and now I have a different one for my postdoc.
The grad school mantra was "you're a Good Scientist". It came up one day with my science best friend (SBF), a colleague from an institution in another state who was visiting to learn a lab technique. We started saying things like, "a Good Scientist would stay and finish this" or "you're such a Good Scientist for learning that statistical analysis", or "I'm a Good Scientist, because I did everything on my list". That held over after SBF left and helped get me through my thesis writing: "a Good Scientist would write one more paragraph". Since I very much wanted to be a Good Scientist (and still do!), I would find a way to rustle up some more concentration and write another paragraph.
Now my mantra is "put on your big girl panties". I love this one, which I got from my sister-in-law. It means, "grow up! stop being a whiny baby wearing diapers, put on your big girl panties, and get it done" It means you need to do the things you are capable of doing even if you don't want to do them. I have to say this to myself a lot these days because I have to do a lot of things that are outside my comfort zone.
The grad school mantra was "you're a Good Scientist". It came up one day with my science best friend (SBF), a colleague from an institution in another state who was visiting to learn a lab technique. We started saying things like, "a Good Scientist would stay and finish this" or "you're such a Good Scientist for learning that statistical analysis", or "I'm a Good Scientist, because I did everything on my list". That held over after SBF left and helped get me through my thesis writing: "a Good Scientist would write one more paragraph". Since I very much wanted to be a Good Scientist (and still do!), I would find a way to rustle up some more concentration and write another paragraph.
Now my mantra is "put on your big girl panties". I love this one, which I got from my sister-in-law. It means, "grow up! stop being a whiny baby wearing diapers, put on your big girl panties, and get it done" It means you need to do the things you are capable of doing even if you don't want to do them. I have to say this to myself a lot these days because I have to do a lot of things that are outside my comfort zone.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wish I could unhear it
A coworker told me something that I wish he hadn't. Let's say he admitted to me, in an after-hours phone call, that he likes cheese, and that cheese is something a little inappropriate. Suppose that it's okay for people at my work to like cheese, but that since everyone is lactose intolerant, it's not okay to eat cheese. I had suspected that he liked cheese for some time, but I didn't know for sure and it was easy for me to happily assume that there were no cheese-liking issues in our department.
Once I knew this person liked cheese, I couldn't stop wondering if it was interfering with our work. Did he make that decision because it's the best move for the project, or because he likes cheese? Is he volunteering for that task because he wants to be involved in the project or because he hopes to get some cheese out of it? And so on. It was driving me nuts! I just want to go about my business without having to analyze everyone's motivations before I make my own decisions.
Fortunately, my coworker called again tonight to say that he had an epiphany and he no longer likes cheese. I'm a little skeptical, but it's good if it's true. I'm curious to see how it plays out: will this new feeling persist, and will it have a noticeable impact on his behavior?
It would be nice to know that no cheese is clouding anyone's judgment, including my own.
Once I knew this person liked cheese, I couldn't stop wondering if it was interfering with our work. Did he make that decision because it's the best move for the project, or because he likes cheese? Is he volunteering for that task because he wants to be involved in the project or because he hopes to get some cheese out of it? And so on. It was driving me nuts! I just want to go about my business without having to analyze everyone's motivations before I make my own decisions.
Fortunately, my coworker called again tonight to say that he had an epiphany and he no longer likes cheese. I'm a little skeptical, but it's good if it's true. I'm curious to see how it plays out: will this new feeling persist, and will it have a noticeable impact on his behavior?
It would be nice to know that no cheese is clouding anyone's judgment, including my own.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Science chat
I had a great conversation about Science with my boss today. The best part was that I could tell he specifically made time to have the chat, in part because he knows that I need to get shit sorted soon if I want to do any significant field work this summer. Still, it would have been easy enough for him to forget the urgency of the upcoming field season, as he is not a field scientist.
Our lab's work divides out into two vastly unrelated subject areas that are bound together by one broad theme. The other postdoc's specialty is Area 1 and mine is Area 2. The technician is also interested in Area 2, but he'll be leaving in a few months. PI is a specialist in Area 1 but has dabbled heavily in Area 2. I'm not sure which one he prefers; I think 1 but the other postdoc guesses 2 and PI himself says his passion is the broad theme that ties them together. Recently, I was chatting with the other postdoc about how I would be sad when the technician leaves because I will be losing my scientific buddy. I wouldn't be surprised if she conveyed this to our PI and that precipitated our conversation today.
Anyway, I'm encouraged because PI and I are on the same page about the kind of projects I should do. Moreover, he seems very willing to give me the time I need to figure out experimental designs, gather preliminary data before we commit to a bigger project, and just learn some of this new stuff. I'm really glad I took this job.
Our lab's work divides out into two vastly unrelated subject areas that are bound together by one broad theme. The other postdoc's specialty is Area 1 and mine is Area 2. The technician is also interested in Area 2, but he'll be leaving in a few months. PI is a specialist in Area 1 but has dabbled heavily in Area 2. I'm not sure which one he prefers; I think 1 but the other postdoc guesses 2 and PI himself says his passion is the broad theme that ties them together. Recently, I was chatting with the other postdoc about how I would be sad when the technician leaves because I will be losing my scientific buddy. I wouldn't be surprised if she conveyed this to our PI and that precipitated our conversation today.
Anyway, I'm encouraged because PI and I are on the same page about the kind of projects I should do. Moreover, he seems very willing to give me the time I need to figure out experimental designs, gather preliminary data before we commit to a bigger project, and just learn some of this new stuff. I'm really glad I took this job.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Good Weekend
So far, this has been a pretty good weekend. On both Friday and Saturday, we slept in a little and had slow, relaxing starts to the the day. Then we went to EGM's office to work in the afternoons. Although we didn't work for more than 5-6 hours each day, I was really focused and actually got some stuff done. I always have this fantasy of a Good Weekend where I do both work and fun things. I imagine working really hard in the morning or afternoon, and then doing something fun in the evening and I feel great because I made the most of my day. But that almost never happens. Either I while away the day doing stupid shit while thinking I should do some work or chores or something, or I waste my time with fake work, or I get started too late so that I get in some good hours but finish at like, 9 pm and then just go home. This weekend, however, I actually made a Good Weekend happen.
On Friday I finished the first draft of the chapter I've been working on and sent it to my advisors and to Awesome Technician for review (probably only AT might read it before August). All I had left were to wrap up the discussion, abstract, and conclusions sections , which I thought would take no more than a couple of hours (they were all mostly written but not quite complete). Of course it took more like five. Still, I worked really hard and got it to a point where I felt comfortable asking for comments. What I want at this point (and what I asked for) is general comments about the organization, structure, and logic. Does it make sense? Did I miss anything big? I want feedback at that level before I spend a bunch of time polishing things that might just get deleted. But that seems to be really hard for people to do. Any advice for getting broad scale constructive criticism on early drafts?
On Saturday I started the data analysis for the next chapter! Progress! It feels great to move forward, but also scary because I intend to do some statistical analyses that are totally new to me. I need to be really careful to not stall due to fear, and to keep working even if I feel uncomfortable and not confident. My timeline and work plan don't have any room for any procrastination!
I said I did fun things too. Friday we watched some fireworks with a big group of friends and Saturday we went to a dinner party (with games!). Today I am taking the day mostly off to do some housework and to prepare for a trip -- I'm going to a short conference next week. If I finish my To Do list (which includes buying a book about said statistical techniques), then I'll go back to the data analysis. But if I don't get to it, I'm not going to feel guilty.
On Friday I finished the first draft of the chapter I've been working on and sent it to my advisors and to Awesome Technician for review (probably only AT might read it before August). All I had left were to wrap up the discussion, abstract, and conclusions sections , which I thought would take no more than a couple of hours (they were all mostly written but not quite complete). Of course it took more like five. Still, I worked really hard and got it to a point where I felt comfortable asking for comments. What I want at this point (and what I asked for) is general comments about the organization, structure, and logic. Does it make sense? Did I miss anything big? I want feedback at that level before I spend a bunch of time polishing things that might just get deleted. But that seems to be really hard for people to do. Any advice for getting broad scale constructive criticism on early drafts?
On Saturday I started the data analysis for the next chapter! Progress! It feels great to move forward, but also scary because I intend to do some statistical analyses that are totally new to me. I need to be really careful to not stall due to fear, and to keep working even if I feel uncomfortable and not confident. My timeline and work plan don't have any room for any procrastination!
I said I did fun things too. Friday we watched some fireworks with a big group of friends and Saturday we went to a dinner party (with games!). Today I am taking the day mostly off to do some housework and to prepare for a trip -- I'm going to a short conference next week. If I finish my To Do list (which includes buying a book about said statistical techniques), then I'll go back to the data analysis. But if I don't get to it, I'm not going to feel guilty.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sigh...
I've been pretty quiet lately. Things have been busy. We had friends visiting from Far Off Land for a couple of weeks, went to an out-of-town wedding, and have been working later recently. I could have made time to blog, but I just haven't felt compelled to write. Each evening I feel more interested in reading other blogs than in writing my own. Anyway, I thought I'd check in at least. I have some posts in mind - maybe I'll get them written soon.
I think my posting hiatus started with the realization of how little time I have left to finish my dissertation. I panicked a little bit, then worked out a timeline for completing each chapter. That helped, but I need to stay focused and crank up the hours to get it all done. Between deadline fears and cessation of carpooling, I've been really productive, but that has left little bandwidth at the end of the day for blogging. I'd like to let you know, though, that I am working on the last of my lab work which should be mostly done in the next 2 (or maybe 3) weeks; I completed the revisions on my revise and resubmit and am waiting for my advisors to comment (have been waiting for >4 weeks); I have rewritten big chunks of the next paper; and finally, I have written the methods section for the paper that will come from the current lab work. So I've been doing lots of things, just not blogging.
All this has made me very tense, however. I think the venting I do on blog helps that, so I will try to get back in the habit.
I think my posting hiatus started with the realization of how little time I have left to finish my dissertation. I panicked a little bit, then worked out a timeline for completing each chapter. That helped, but I need to stay focused and crank up the hours to get it all done. Between deadline fears and cessation of carpooling, I've been really productive, but that has left little bandwidth at the end of the day for blogging. I'd like to let you know, though, that I am working on the last of my lab work which should be mostly done in the next 2 (or maybe 3) weeks; I completed the revisions on my revise and resubmit and am waiting for my advisors to comment (have been waiting for >4 weeks); I have rewritten big chunks of the next paper; and finally, I have written the methods section for the paper that will come from the current lab work. So I've been doing lots of things, just not blogging.
All this has made me very tense, however. I think the venting I do on blog helps that, so I will try to get back in the habit.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Butt in chair, eyes open
Alice Academic posted an interesting question: How do you stop yourself from ramping up the coffee when you have a deadline? She has increased her coffee intake in recent months, wants to cut back, yet worries that she'll need it to get through her summer writing goals. Personally, I only drink coffee first thing in the morning, at which point it is the most delicious substance I can fathom, whereas later in the day it has the appeal of sewage sludge. But the core problem -- needing a boost to make the writing happen -- is common. When I'm not working in the lab, I do suffer from the antsy pantsies or, conversely, drooping eyelids. Here are some ways that I deal with it:
- Jumping-jacks. Everyone thinks this sounds really lame, but it works. 5-10 jj's when I'm getting sleepy perks me right up.
- I take a short walk around my building. Moving around, getting a little fresh air, and most importantly, getting a little sunshine really wakes me up.
- I almost always go to the far-away bathroom. My legs start to fall asleep if I'm at my desk too long, so it's good to get frequent "exercise snacks".
- No reading bloglines unless I'm eating, which is how I define an official break. I think keeping focused on a single task rather than flitting among distractions is a good thing, but it's so hard. I haven't decided if this one really helps or just makes me bored.
- Having my breaks really be breaks, and making myself wait for them until a specific time or I've met a specific goal.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Make it happen
Why does something that seems relatively simple on the surface always take so long to do? There is one instrument I occasionally use at the university. Since I don't use it all that often, I need help each time. Even if someone takes me through everything step-by-step, I don't repeat the process enough to commit it all to memory or to learn how to do even basic trouble shooting. Plus, by the time I use the instrument the next time, the protocol has usually changed.
This thing is a complicated piece of equipment, but it's not rocket science. There aren't that many steps to running it. Yet, it always seems to take up the whole f'ing day! I love getting the data, but using this instrument drives me crazy!
This thing is a complicated piece of equipment, but it's not rocket science. There aren't that many steps to running it. Yet, it always seems to take up the whole f'ing day! I love getting the data, but using this instrument drives me crazy!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Log jams
As hard as I try to follow great advice to push through the tough times in my work, I still find myself periodically stalled by difficult tasks. I get in a psychological situation where I can't get myself to do the task at hand, yet I won't let myself do anything else instead. So nothing gets done. It will end when I finally force my ass to stay in the chair and just do it, and it usually ends up less painful than I anticipated. In fact, the process of dreading the task is usually worse than actually doing it.
I have various tricks to get myself to just do it. Sometimes I think of a treat that I will give myself when I finish. Or Awesome Technician and I will make a bet over who will finish what we're doing first, or issue a Twix Challenge. Sometimes it works to set a timer and decide that I can't work on anything else for a certain amount of time. Or I disable my internet for a while. These tricks have variable success.
The thing is, I always feel so good when I finally finish the thing and relieve the log jam. It's always awesome to get back to the work I'd rather do and feel like I've made progress. Why can't I just get over it and take care of these things before my anxiety expands to make a log jam? How do you get over the inertia? How do you get yourself to work on something that feels so hard?
I have various tricks to get myself to just do it. Sometimes I think of a treat that I will give myself when I finish. Or Awesome Technician and I will make a bet over who will finish what we're doing first, or issue a Twix Challenge. Sometimes it works to set a timer and decide that I can't work on anything else for a certain amount of time. Or I disable my internet for a while. These tricks have variable success.
The thing is, I always feel so good when I finally finish the thing and relieve the log jam. It's always awesome to get back to the work I'd rather do and feel like I've made progress. Why can't I just get over it and take care of these things before my anxiety expands to make a log jam? How do you get over the inertia? How do you get yourself to work on something that feels so hard?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Learning to review
Yesterday I said how my work is all log-jammed by an overdue review. I feel bad that I haven't finished it, yet I can't get myself to get it done. I think the reason is that I feel unsure about my comments. Although I'm still green enough to feel sort of honored to be a reviewer, I hate doing it because I'm not sure if I know what I'm doing. Chuck recently wrote a nice post (with some good advice) about how learning to peer review is a major gap in grad student training. I agree.
This is not my first review. Occasionally, Research Advisor will get asked to review a paper that looks straightforward but she doesn't have time to read. If she thinks I can handle the content, she'll suggest me as a reviewer, letting the editor know that I am her student and that she will assist me if needed. So I read the paper and write the review, asking her questions as necessary. I also rely on her vast experience to help me determine how serious any errors are. I know that grad students are notoriously harsh reviewers and I have to admit I don't always have the judgment to decide if the fact that the authors used technique x instead of y is enough to kill the paper*.
This system works, I guess. It gives me an opportunity to cut my teeth on reviewing, a job I'm going to have to learn sooner or later. It's great to have a safety net. I think I'd be paralyzed with nerves if I had to submit the review without confirmation that it was sensible.
On the other hand, I would have really liked a little more training for this. If feels weird to me to write reviews when I have not received any for my own work. Sure, I've seen the reviews from a few of my colleagues' papers, but that's different from reading comments on your own work, which you know much more intimately (I hadn't even read the versions of my colleagues' manuscripts that were reviewed). I think the best scenario would be -- with the editor's blessing -- for RA and I both to review the same paper, with her having responsibility for it. We'd both write comments, discuss them, and then she would submit the review but I would get to read what she wrote. Perhaps we could do it that way a couple of times and then switch roles so that I would submit the final comments. After that, I could do my own reviews with the opportunity to check things with her as needed. I know that creates a lot more work**, but this is such an important part of the way we do science that I think it's worth it to take the time to properly train new students how to do it.
*I know the editor makes the final decision and all, but reviewers are still asked to give an overall judgment of the paper.
** I haven't asked her to do it this way because usually if she passes a review to me, she's totally swamped and I feel bad asking for her time. Plus, by the time it occurred to me to do it this way, I had done enough that I think she probably thinks I'm doing just fine.
This is not my first review. Occasionally, Research Advisor will get asked to review a paper that looks straightforward but she doesn't have time to read. If she thinks I can handle the content, she'll suggest me as a reviewer, letting the editor know that I am her student and that she will assist me if needed. So I read the paper and write the review, asking her questions as necessary. I also rely on her vast experience to help me determine how serious any errors are. I know that grad students are notoriously harsh reviewers and I have to admit I don't always have the judgment to decide if the fact that the authors used technique x instead of y is enough to kill the paper*.
This system works, I guess. It gives me an opportunity to cut my teeth on reviewing, a job I'm going to have to learn sooner or later. It's great to have a safety net. I think I'd be paralyzed with nerves if I had to submit the review without confirmation that it was sensible.
On the other hand, I would have really liked a little more training for this. If feels weird to me to write reviews when I have not received any for my own work. Sure, I've seen the reviews from a few of my colleagues' papers, but that's different from reading comments on your own work, which you know much more intimately (I hadn't even read the versions of my colleagues' manuscripts that were reviewed). I think the best scenario would be -- with the editor's blessing -- for RA and I both to review the same paper, with her having responsibility for it. We'd both write comments, discuss them, and then she would submit the review but I would get to read what she wrote. Perhaps we could do it that way a couple of times and then switch roles so that I would submit the final comments. After that, I could do my own reviews with the opportunity to check things with her as needed. I know that creates a lot more work**, but this is such an important part of the way we do science that I think it's worth it to take the time to properly train new students how to do it.
*I know the editor makes the final decision and all, but reviewers are still asked to give an overall judgment of the paper.
** I haven't asked her to do it this way because usually if she passes a review to me, she's totally swamped and I feel bad asking for her time. Plus, by the time it occurred to me to do it this way, I had done enough that I think she probably thinks I'm doing just fine.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Structure of a good talk
I used to think that a great talk started with a somewhat brief introduction that described only the context and main questions of the work. It wouldn't have any extraneous information before the data. That way, the data would seem puzzling to the audience until the speaker revealed the lynchpin concept in the discussion that would draw everything together. Aha! the audience would think, and they would perceive the speaker as a brilliant, creative mind
But, I've started to notice that a great talk makes the audience feel smart and important. It should be about the audience, not the speaker. Like entertainment. If they feel good at the end, they will think well of the speaker.
Hence, I have changed my mind about the structure of a great talk. I now think that the introduction should be a bigger part of the presentation. It should include enough background information that the audience can attempt to interpret the data as they see it. That way, they can make their own journey of discovery as the talk progresses. They can feel so clever if they figure out the interpretation before the speaker presents her own conclusion. Or, if the listeners had been forming an interpretation that is different from what the speaker suggests, they can think oh, now I get it or be ready to ask good questions.
I think this approach may help the audience stay engaged through the data, since they have the information they need to understand it. Without this, I think it's easy to lose people through data slides they think are boring and then they don't pay attention to the big reveal anyway.
What do you think? What kind of structure makes the best talk?
But, I've started to notice that a great talk makes the audience feel smart and important. It should be about the audience, not the speaker. Like entertainment. If they feel good at the end, they will think well of the speaker.
Hence, I have changed my mind about the structure of a great talk. I now think that the introduction should be a bigger part of the presentation. It should include enough background information that the audience can attempt to interpret the data as they see it. That way, they can make their own journey of discovery as the talk progresses. They can feel so clever if they figure out the interpretation before the speaker presents her own conclusion. Or, if the listeners had been forming an interpretation that is different from what the speaker suggests, they can think oh, now I get it or be ready to ask good questions.
I think this approach may help the audience stay engaged through the data, since they have the information they need to understand it. Without this, I think it's easy to lose people through data slides they think are boring and then they don't pay attention to the big reveal anyway.
What do you think? What kind of structure makes the best talk?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Motivation survey results
Now that a full week has passed since I posted this hastily composed work motivation survey, it's time to check out the responses. As it happens, I chose a question format that is somewhat difficult to interpret, especially with small number of responses. Thus, I simply noted the average rating for each response. The smaller the number, the more importance people assigned to the response, on average. Unfortunately, since it didn't occur to me to offer the same number of responses for each question, it's a little hard to compare the average ratings across questions (a possible average rating for Q4 could be 6 whereas the highest average rating for a response to Q3 is only 4) so I divided the average rating by the number of possible responses when I wanted to make generalizations among questions (not shown) .
So what might we have learned from this exercise? You may remember that the initial dialog centered on fear of scoopage. I now feel comfortable saying that fear of being scooped is not the primary work motivation for most people. Interestingly, the ranking of "love of science" increased (smaller numbers mean higher rank) after tenure (although the sample size decreased). It appears that, before tenure, both students and faculty find their primary motivation in the sheer volume of work they feel they must accomplish to reach the next career milestone. Still, love of science ranked pretty high. In contrast, prestige great enough to warrant the throwing of little pickles by a thousand naked women was not an important driver of overtime work. Go figure. The value people place on the opinions of their colleagues stays pretty constant until tenure, when it plummets. Ditto for bosses.
Social scientists certainly have a handy tool with their skills at designing surveys. There were clearly plenty of weaknesses with this one, notably the omission of a question directed at post docs, as Sciencemama pointed out. Sorry post docs. I had intended the thing to be just one question, but I got sucked in by the shininess of SurveyMonkey. Then I forgot you.
Okay, so here's the summary of the responses. The average rating follows each response.
Question 1. What is your primary motivation for working >40 hours per week?
32 responses
I'm worried I'll get scooped 3.96
I need to work a ton of hours to have the output necessary to get a job/tenure 2.25
My boss/advisor will disapprove if I don't 2.78
My colleagues will disapprove if I don't 3.66
For the love of scientific inquiry, what else? 2.16
Question 2. For grad students: If you feel obligated to work long hours, why?
19 responses
My advisor will think poorly of me if I don't 2.84
Other students will think poorly of me if I don't 3.79
I think it's necessary in order to amass enough work to graduate in a reasonable time 2.11
I want grad school to be as short as possible -- the ore hours I work each week, the fewer weeks I have to spend in this hell hole 3.06
I just love science! The more time I can spend with science, the happier I am! 2.95
Question 3. For non-tenured faculty: If you feel obligated to work long hours in order to achieve tenure, why?
7 responses
It's not possible to accomplish everything necessary for tenure in 40 hours/week. 1.50
My department chair/review committee will think I'm a slacker 2.29
My colleagues will think poorly of me, which will be apparent in my letters 3.00
Who care about tenure? I do it for the love, you insignificant, whiny student! 2.17
Question 4. For tenured faculty or non-tenure track real job people: why do you work so much?
5 responses
To be competitive for funding 2.40
For the prestige! I see myself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at me*. 5.60
For the love of science. duh. 1.60
Because all these over anxious students are always hounding me to read their papers and teach their courses and write their recommendations. wah, wah, wah. 3.75
To keep my boss happy. 4.20
To keep myself marketable in case I want to change jobs. 2.60
This line comes from the 1985 classic Real Genius, known to some as "The Popcorn Movie".
So what might we have learned from this exercise? You may remember that the initial dialog centered on fear of scoopage. I now feel comfortable saying that fear of being scooped is not the primary work motivation for most people. Interestingly, the ranking of "love of science" increased (smaller numbers mean higher rank) after tenure (although the sample size decreased). It appears that, before tenure, both students and faculty find their primary motivation in the sheer volume of work they feel they must accomplish to reach the next career milestone. Still, love of science ranked pretty high. In contrast, prestige great enough to warrant the throwing of little pickles by a thousand naked women was not an important driver of overtime work. Go figure. The value people place on the opinions of their colleagues stays pretty constant until tenure, when it plummets. Ditto for bosses.
Social scientists certainly have a handy tool with their skills at designing surveys. There were clearly plenty of weaknesses with this one, notably the omission of a question directed at post docs, as Sciencemama pointed out. Sorry post docs. I had intended the thing to be just one question, but I got sucked in by the shininess of SurveyMonkey. Then I forgot you.
Okay, so here's the summary of the responses. The average rating follows each response.
Question 1. What is your primary motivation for working >40 hours per week?
32 responses
I'm worried I'll get scooped 3.96
I need to work a ton of hours to have the output necessary to get a job/tenure 2.25
My boss/advisor will disapprove if I don't 2.78
My colleagues will disapprove if I don't 3.66
For the love of scientific inquiry, what else? 2.16
Question 2. For grad students: If you feel obligated to work long hours, why?
19 responses
My advisor will think poorly of me if I don't 2.84
Other students will think poorly of me if I don't 3.79
I think it's necessary in order to amass enough work to graduate in a reasonable time 2.11
I want grad school to be as short as possible -- the ore hours I work each week, the fewer weeks I have to spend in this hell hole 3.06
I just love science! The more time I can spend with science, the happier I am! 2.95
Question 3. For non-tenured faculty: If you feel obligated to work long hours in order to achieve tenure, why?
7 responses
It's not possible to accomplish everything necessary for tenure in 40 hours/week. 1.50
My department chair/review committee will think I'm a slacker 2.29
My colleagues will think poorly of me, which will be apparent in my letters 3.00
Who care about tenure? I do it for the love, you insignificant, whiny student! 2.17
Question 4. For tenured faculty or non-tenure track real job people: why do you work so much?
5 responses
To be competitive for funding 2.40
For the prestige! I see myself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at me*. 5.60
For the love of science. duh. 1.60
Because all these over anxious students are always hounding me to read their papers and teach their courses and write their recommendations. wah, wah, wah. 3.75
To keep my boss happy. 4.20
To keep myself marketable in case I want to change jobs. 2.60
This line comes from the 1985 classic Real Genius, known to some as "The Popcorn Movie".
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
December slump
My whiny post yesterday was a little bit of foreshadowing. Today I will discuss how I always feel crappy in December.
I have gone to a meeting in each of the past 3 or 4 Decembers. It sucks. There is always so much else going on with the holidays and scrambling to meet year-end goals. And I am never motivated in December. I'm either feeling lousy because it's dark and dreary or distracted because I'm excited about the approaching break/holiday. Every year I vow I won't do it again and then the next year I see myself hitting submit on an abstract for a December meeting. But I didn't this year! I'm blissfully deadline free until February. In any case, since it's so hard for me to set and stay focused on reasonable writing goals even when I'm feeling good, I think it's prudent for me to spend some time in the lab during a time when I know I'm easily distracted.
On top of my normal December yuck, EGM is away for 6 weeks (have I mentioned this yet? I'm one of those people who tells the same stories over and over and sometimes I worry I do it on the blog, too). I dropped him at the airport last weekend and now he's gone and I'm sad. I've never liked living alone. It's hard for me to resist turning into a giant stain when I'm home alone.
I mentioned the other day that I since I want to continue making progress on my new paper, I intend to write for the few first hours of each day and then move on to lab work. I think this is a great plan for my December because it should keep me moving. I think I'd spend a lot of time spacing out in front of my computer if I planned to just write this month. My idea is that if I plan to be at the bench, I'll at least be doing something. Seeing some measurable results will make me feel good about myself and perhaps keep me from slumping more. And it will be great to have something to show for myself when EGM returns.
I have gone to a meeting in each of the past 3 or 4 Decembers. It sucks. There is always so much else going on with the holidays and scrambling to meet year-end goals. And I am never motivated in December. I'm either feeling lousy because it's dark and dreary or distracted because I'm excited about the approaching break/holiday. Every year I vow I won't do it again and then the next year I see myself hitting submit on an abstract for a December meeting. But I didn't this year! I'm blissfully deadline free until February. In any case, since it's so hard for me to set and stay focused on reasonable writing goals even when I'm feeling good, I think it's prudent for me to spend some time in the lab during a time when I know I'm easily distracted.
On top of my normal December yuck, EGM is away for 6 weeks (have I mentioned this yet? I'm one of those people who tells the same stories over and over and sometimes I worry I do it on the blog, too). I dropped him at the airport last weekend and now he's gone and I'm sad. I've never liked living alone. It's hard for me to resist turning into a giant stain when I'm home alone.
I mentioned the other day that I since I want to continue making progress on my new paper, I intend to write for the few first hours of each day and then move on to lab work. I think this is a great plan for my December because it should keep me moving. I think I'd spend a lot of time spacing out in front of my computer if I planned to just write this month. My idea is that if I plan to be at the bench, I'll at least be doing something. Seeing some measurable results will make me feel good about myself and perhaps keep me from slumping more. And it will be great to have something to show for myself when EGM returns.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Oh yeah...
I almost forgot to tell you -- I got one of the little grants I applied for last month! I feel especially proud because no one read it besides EGM. He provided very useful comments about the presentation, but since both advisors were too busy to look over it at the time, nobody critiqued the science. It makes me feel good that it was my idea and that it was good enough to be funded. Granted, it is only a tiny award in a competition that likely has a very high success rate, but still. Unfortunately, EGM was not so lucky. He took it well though and was happy for me instead of being bummed for himself. What a guy.
The reason I didn't get all excited and post about this sooner was that they put me in a very strange category. This is semi-annual competition by my university graduate college. There is one application for more than one award, so you check the box for the one you're applying for. I got the other one. It is donor money earmarked for a type of research I most certainly do not do. I called the dean's office because I thought it might be a mistake (maybe there is another ecogeofemme who applied?). Nope. I guess there weren't too many fundable applications (or any at all?) that they could justify as meeting the requirements for this award. It seems like a major stretch to give it to me, but whatever. I'll take what I can get!
The reason I didn't get all excited and post about this sooner was that they put me in a very strange category. This is semi-annual competition by my university graduate college. There is one application for more than one award, so you check the box for the one you're applying for. I got the other one. It is donor money earmarked for a type of research I most certainly do not do. I called the dean's office because I thought it might be a mistake (maybe there is another ecogeofemme who applied?). Nope. I guess there weren't too many fundable applications (or any at all?) that they could justify as meeting the requirements for this award. It seems like a major stretch to give it to me, but whatever. I'll take what I can get!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Experiments
I recently listened to a seminar about data that came from experiments. Big deal, you say. It was interesting to me, however, because my research, although basic, is not amenable to small scale, proper experiments. Responses to treatments take a long time emerge and the really interesting work happens at a scale that cannot be easily captured on a lab bench.
Much of the work in my subfield would be better defined as "studies" instead of experiments. Most of the actual experiments are large, long term affairs that attract investigators from far flung institutions who write their own large grants to fund work on some aspect of the experiment. An advantage of this arrangement is that there is very little duplication of effort, which means there is very little scoop risk since everyone knows what everyone else is doing on a particular experiment. The downside is that you can't set up small, independent projects very easily and it's difficult to get much done without outside collaborators.
During that seminar, I was really envious of the students in that professor's lab. It would be so great to set up an actual controlled, replicated experiment in a lab, let it run for several weeks, and then have data. You'd be seeing the fruits of your work all the time! If something didn't work out, you'd be able to try again with so little investment. I think the pace of research would feel so much faster.
I love the work I do and have no desire to change fields. But damn, sometimes the progress seems downright glacial.
Much of the work in my subfield would be better defined as "studies" instead of experiments. Most of the actual experiments are large, long term affairs that attract investigators from far flung institutions who write their own large grants to fund work on some aspect of the experiment. An advantage of this arrangement is that there is very little duplication of effort, which means there is very little scoop risk since everyone knows what everyone else is doing on a particular experiment. The downside is that you can't set up small, independent projects very easily and it's difficult to get much done without outside collaborators.
During that seminar, I was really envious of the students in that professor's lab. It would be so great to set up an actual controlled, replicated experiment in a lab, let it run for several weeks, and then have data. You'd be seeing the fruits of your work all the time! If something didn't work out, you'd be able to try again with so little investment. I think the pace of research would feel so much faster.
I love the work I do and have no desire to change fields. But damn, sometimes the progress seems downright glacial.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Hi! My Name Is _____.
If I have written about this before, I'm sorry. But if I'm posting about this issue a second time, it means you guys didn't give me good enough advice.
The science staff is relatively friendly with the support staff where I work. I recognize everyone on the custodial and maintenance crews in my building and I know most of them by name. Some of them even chat with me (and other scientists) at length from time to time. There is one custodian in particular who always greets me and always says goodbye to me when he leaves for the day, which is great.
But. He calls me the wrong name.
He calls me by the name of another person in our group. It's similar to my name, sure. But it's wrong. At first I wasn't sure if I had heard him right and then I thought maybe he just made an isolated mistake. But then I realized that he just had it wrong. And then it went on for a long time where I never had an opportunity to correct him. Now it's been going on so long that I have no idea how to tell him without one or both of us feeling like a huge ass. Plus, I think by now the people he hangs out with know me by the wrong name too. It's not really a big deal because it's not like I have to interact with this person very much, but I'm sure it will come out sooner or later and it will be super awkward. Suggestions?
In other news, I almost met all of my goals for October 15. I got both little grants submitted and of course I finished the Crummy Tedious samples. The only thing I didn't quite complete was the next draft of my manuscript. I'm close though. I just have to polish the conclusions and write the abstract. I tried all afternoon but it was so hot and stuffy in my office that I just couldn't concentrate. I think I can get it done tomorrow though, so I feel pretty good all in all.
The science staff is relatively friendly with the support staff where I work. I recognize everyone on the custodial and maintenance crews in my building and I know most of them by name. Some of them even chat with me (and other scientists) at length from time to time. There is one custodian in particular who always greets me and always says goodbye to me when he leaves for the day, which is great.
But. He calls me the wrong name.
He calls me by the name of another person in our group. It's similar to my name, sure. But it's wrong. At first I wasn't sure if I had heard him right and then I thought maybe he just made an isolated mistake. But then I realized that he just had it wrong. And then it went on for a long time where I never had an opportunity to correct him. Now it's been going on so long that I have no idea how to tell him without one or both of us feeling like a huge ass. Plus, I think by now the people he hangs out with know me by the wrong name too. It's not really a big deal because it's not like I have to interact with this person very much, but I'm sure it will come out sooner or later and it will be super awkward. Suggestions?
In other news, I almost met all of my goals for October 15. I got both little grants submitted and of course I finished the Crummy Tedious samples. The only thing I didn't quite complete was the next draft of my manuscript. I'm close though. I just have to polish the conclusions and write the abstract. I tried all afternoon but it was so hot and stuffy in my office that I just couldn't concentrate. I think I can get it done tomorrow though, so I feel pretty good all in all.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Renewed hope
Last weekend I was all bummed because I had lost hope of meeting one of my goals. Not a big deal, but it put a small dent in my motivation. I didn't mention that one of the things prohibiting me from making the goal was a field trip scheduled for next week. Happily, today I learned that the trip has been cancelled!
With that news, I reworked my plans for the next week or so. I have two small grant applications, the latest round of manuscript revisions, and 24 more Crummy Tedious samples to finish before my (arbitrary) deadline of October 15.
With helpful comments from EGM, I think I have just finished the first grant proposal. It's not due until Monday, but I'm going to go ahead and turn it in tomorrow because I really don't want to spend any more time on it. The second one is a shorter version of the first and I have a draft, so I should be able to wrap that up in a half a day (being realistic about the time to do the supporting document crap*). I'll do that tomorrow morning so I can give Research Advisor time to read it if she wants, then I'll turn my attention to the manuscript. I have to revisit some calculations; depending on how onerous they are it might take me as little as half a day or as much as two days to finish the revisions. The Crummy Tedious samples will take 4-6 days, but I think I might be able to get some help from that international student. Although tight, it still might be possible to get it all done in a week.
Sorry to give you such a boring post but this is how I obsess about things sometimes. I'm ecstatic that I might make my goal after all, which is of course my primary source of self worth, just like all scientists, right?
*Mercifully, the supporting crap for these is nothing at all compared to big time grants.
With that news, I reworked my plans for the next week or so. I have two small grant applications, the latest round of manuscript revisions, and 24 more Crummy Tedious samples to finish before my (arbitrary) deadline of October 15.
With helpful comments from EGM, I think I have just finished the first grant proposal. It's not due until Monday, but I'm going to go ahead and turn it in tomorrow because I really don't want to spend any more time on it. The second one is a shorter version of the first and I have a draft, so I should be able to wrap that up in a half a day (being realistic about the time to do the supporting document crap*). I'll do that tomorrow morning so I can give Research Advisor time to read it if she wants, then I'll turn my attention to the manuscript. I have to revisit some calculations; depending on how onerous they are it might take me as little as half a day or as much as two days to finish the revisions. The Crummy Tedious samples will take 4-6 days, but I think I might be able to get some help from that international student. Although tight, it still might be possible to get it all done in a week.
Sorry to give you such a boring post but this is how I obsess about things sometimes. I'm ecstatic that I might make my goal after all, which is of course my primary source of self worth, just like all scientists, right?
*Mercifully, the supporting crap for these is nothing at all compared to big time grants.
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