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In order to test the idea, you enter "research and planning" the first rotary in the research pathway. While circling around this rotary you learn what you need to know in order to translate your idea into testable form. You talk with your PI or your peers; you read papers and other literature; you examine experimental protocols. As you continue circling in this pathway you refine your original idea (or ideas). You also begin formulating hypotheses and designing experiments to test them. | In order to test the idea, you enter "research and planning" the first rotary in the research pathway. While circling around this rotary you learn what you need to know in order to translate your idea into testable form. You talk with your PI or your peers; you read papers and other literature; you examine experimental protocols. As you continue circling in this pathway you refine your original idea (or ideas). You also begin formulating hypotheses and designing experiments to test them. | ||
With your experimental plan in hand, you exit the research and planning pathway and enter the experimental pathway. | With your experimental plan in hand, you then exit the research and planning pathway and enter the experimental pathway. The experimental pathway has four major stops: experimentation, data collection, data analysis, and conclusions. With each circuit you make, you continue to refine your experimental methods. Feedback from collaborators and peers happens along the way, but is most common at the first and fourth quadrants of the cycle. As you conduct experiments and collect data you may make one or more return visits to the research and planning pathway before exiting the experimental pathway. | ||
The experimental pathway has several exit scenarios. In the first scenario your conclusions may spark a new idea, which initiates another trip through the pathway or a completely new iteration. These iterations can spiral off in a carefully planned direction, or they can take exiting new directions. (Possible reference to the Sydney Brenner letter to Max Perultz.) | |||
Revision as of 11:09, 2 May 2008
The research pathway
We've been talking recently about "the research pipeline" and visualizing as just that; a pipe. After talking with a bunch of OWW users and other members of the research community, I've come up with what I think is a more accurate description: the research pathway. This pathway is a series of rotaries you travel around and through on your way to the next idea.
Let's visualize the process.
Most research begins with an idea or a question. To investigate the idea you form a hypothesis, test it, then draw conclusions based on analysis of your data. These conclusions influence the next idea or question.
In order to test the idea, you enter "research and planning" the first rotary in the research pathway. While circling around this rotary you learn what you need to know in order to translate your idea into testable form. You talk with your PI or your peers; you read papers and other literature; you examine experimental protocols. As you continue circling in this pathway you refine your original idea (or ideas). You also begin formulating hypotheses and designing experiments to test them.
With your experimental plan in hand, you then exit the research and planning pathway and enter the experimental pathway. The experimental pathway has four major stops: experimentation, data collection, data analysis, and conclusions. With each circuit you make, you continue to refine your experimental methods. Feedback from collaborators and peers happens along the way, but is most common at the first and fourth quadrants of the cycle. As you conduct experiments and collect data you may make one or more return visits to the research and planning pathway before exiting the experimental pathway.
The experimental pathway has several exit scenarios. In the first scenario your conclusions may spark a new idea, which initiates another trip through the pathway or a completely new iteration. These iterations can spiral off in a carefully planned direction, or they can take exiting new directions. (Possible reference to the Sydney Brenner letter to Max Perultz.)
