The term "research" is a broad way to describe many different skills. Designing scientifically-sound experiments, testing your hypotheses, and analyzing data are only part of the equation. Research is also about asking the right questions, choosing which problems to work on, and knowing when to move on. Here are a few highly-recommended reads on how to do good research and what types of expectations are reasonable for yourself.
- How to develop good research questions (Nature Human Behavior, Megan A. K. Peters) - Article outlining the "phases" of how to come up with a good direction and common pitfalls to avoid.
- How to choose a good scientific problem
- You and Your Research (Dr. Richard Hamming, retired Bell Labs scientist) - Transcript of a talk given to scientists at the prolific Bell Labs, on the question "Why do so few scientists make significant contributions and so many are forgotten in the long run?". How to make your research career impactful
- How a Ph.D. is like riding a bike (Science blog, Ehsan Hamzehpoor) - Article on expectations during a Ph.D. and what the purpose of one is.
- Advice for Applying to PhD Programs - Anita Devineni's blog post on applying to grad school
- How to Apply for Postdoctoral Positions and Choose the Right One - Anita's blog post on choosing a postdoc
- The Genius Fallacy
- The illustrated guide to a Ph.D.
- Tough love: an insensitive guide to thriving in your PhD
- You're only human: a six-step strategy to surviving your PhD
- Add more yourself...!