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| - | Must Read: How to pursue research by Prof. Chandra R Murthy, IISc | + | ======Must Read: How to pursue research by Prof. Chandra R Murthy, IISc====== |
| - | 23 AUGUST 2008 22 COMMENTS | + | |
| + | 23 AUGUST 2008 | ||
| Hi All, | Hi All, | ||
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| CM: Chandra R Murthy | CM: Chandra R Murthy | ||
| - | Me: A student has decided to do research – how do u suggest that he does a self analysis to really find out whether he is really interested? (peer pressure is very common in colleges, so he might have resorted to research just because his friends are into it) | + | * Me: A student has decided to do research – how do u suggest that he does a self analysis to really find out whether he is really interested? (peer pressure is very common in colleges, so he might have resorted to research just because his friends are into it) |
| - | CM: This is an excellent first question! Perhaps, the best way for me to answer it is to talk a bit about what I think it takes to do research. Then, the student can determine on his or her own, whether or not research is their cup of tea. | + | * CM: This is an excellent first question! Perhaps, the best way for me to answer it is to talk a bit about what I think it takes to do research. Then, the student can determine on his or her own, whether or not research is their cup of tea. |
| Research is the process of discovering or inventing something new, with the keyword being new. How would you know that something is new? By exhaustively surveying and studying what is “old”, of course. So, the first step in any research is to look up google, IEEE Xplore, CiteSeer, etc (and any other search engine you might fancy) and dig up anything that was ever published in your field and make sure you know about it. | Research is the process of discovering or inventing something new, with the keyword being new. How would you know that something is new? By exhaustively surveying and studying what is “old”, of course. So, the first step in any research is to look up google, IEEE Xplore, CiteSeer, etc (and any other search engine you might fancy) and dig up anything that was ever published in your field and make sure you know about it. | ||
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| If you really want to do research, I would recommend switching fields and picking up an area that you find interesting – it should pique your curiosity and make you want to learn more. | If you really want to do research, I would recommend switching fields and picking up an area that you find interesting – it should pique your curiosity and make you want to learn more. | ||
| - | Me: In a 4 year college term, when do you suggest is the ideal time for a student to decide upon his career – Research, Job, MBA etc., and if he resorts to research when do you think he should decide upon his topic of interest ? | + | * Me: In a 4 year college term, when do you suggest is the ideal time for a student to decide upon his career – Research, Job, MBA etc., and if he resorts to research when do you think he should decide upon his topic of interest ? |
| - | CM: I would say that during the third year is the best time. You would have had a flavor of courses in your department, and you can look ahead and find out a bit about what is in store for you. You can find out about the kinds of jobs your seniors have got, the kind of research positions available, and the prospects for getting into the MBA or the IAS. Yes, the IAS is still a good option! | + | * CM: I would say that during the third year is the best time. You would have had a flavor of courses in your department, and you can look ahead and find out a bit about what is in store for you. You can find out about the kinds of jobs your seniors have got, the kind of research positions available, and the prospects for getting into the MBA or the IAS. Yes, the IAS is still a good option! |
| - | Me: Considering your field, a student of ECE has decided on research – how can he choose the right topic? ECE is an ocean with many applied applications too and every topic might be equally interesting and challenging for a freshman researcher – how do you suggest he take up the right choice which will suit him and which will help him ? | + | * Me: Considering your field, a student of ECE has decided on research – how can he choose the right topic? ECE is an ocean with many applied applications too and every topic might be equally interesting and challenging for a freshman researcher – how do you suggest he take up the right choice which will suit him and which will help him ? |
| - | CM: I actually don’t know the answer to this question. My best suggestion is to look back (and forward) at the different subjects and decide based on | + | * CM: I actually don’t know the answer to this question. My best suggestion is to look back (and forward) at the different subjects and decide based on |
| (a) which subject interested you the most, and | (a) which subject interested you the most, and | ||
| (b) which subject you did the best in. | (b) which subject you did the best in. | ||
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| There is no one answer that works for everybody. | There is no one answer that works for everybody. | ||
| - | Me: Adjunct to the above question – Unless he works on a research/project in a particular topic in some field, he cannot know whether that topic is really of interest to him or not. Now how do u suggest that he goes about finding out a proper guide whom can guide him on a research topic in that field ? | + | * Me: Adjunct to the above question – Unless he works on a research/project in a particular topic in some field, he cannot know whether that topic is really of interest to him or not. Now how do u suggest that he goes about finding out a proper guide whom can guide him on a research topic in that field ? |
| - | CM: Another good question. It reminds me of the story of Tenali Ramakrishna. Legend goes that when Goddess Mahakali appeared before him, She offered him a drink from one, and only one, of two cups: the cup of wisdom or the cup of wealth. | + | * CM: Another good question. It reminds me of the story of Tenali Ramakrishna. Legend goes that when Goddess Mahakali appeared before him, She offered him a drink from one, and only one, of two cups: the cup of wisdom or the cup of wealth. |
| He said he wanted to taste both to see what they were like. Before She knew what was happening, he had gulped down the contents of both cups! I wish we could do that, to learn deeply about multiple topics and then decide which one to pursue research in. | He said he wanted to taste both to see what they were like. Before She knew what was happening, he had gulped down the contents of both cups! I wish we could do that, to learn deeply about multiple topics and then decide which one to pursue research in. | ||
| In an ideal world that is what one would do. However, we are constrained by time, and cannot spend years studying a subject. | In an ideal world that is what one would do. However, we are constrained by time, and cannot spend years studying a subject. | ||
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| If you can’t communicate with your future supervisor, it will be very difficult for you to do research under him or her. | If you can’t communicate with your future supervisor, it will be very difficult for you to do research under him or her. | ||
| - | Me: Some may say that reading research articles will help him decide the topic of his interest, definitely a freshman cannot make much sense out of a research article, at that stage he won’t be able to completely extract all the information possible from a research article – so for him every article will be equally entising, again – what do you suggest that he can do to pin point his area of interest ? | + | * Me: Some may say that reading research articles will help him decide the topic of his interest, definitely a freshman cannot make much sense out of a research article, at that stage he won’t be able to completely extract all the information possible from a research article – so for him every article will be equally entising, again – what do you suggest that he can do to pin point his area of interest ? |
| - | CM: There are some good magazines, such as the IEEE Spectrum or the IEEE Communications Magazine, or the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine | + | * CM: There are some good magazines, such as the IEEE Spectrum or the IEEE Communications Magazine, or the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine |
| (there are similar magazines for every sub-field). These are partly meant exactly for this purpose – to help people who know little about the area get a better feel for it. | (there are similar magazines for every sub-field). These are partly meant exactly for this purpose – to help people who know little about the area get a better feel for it. | ||
| So, reading these magazines would work better than reading some esoteric research article that may not make much sense you. | So, reading these magazines would work better than reading some esoteric research article that may not make much sense you. | ||
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| So once you pick up a topic, do work at it long and hard enough to at least make sure you are completely disenchanted before moving to a different one! | So once you pick up a topic, do work at it long and hard enough to at least make sure you are completely disenchanted before moving to a different one! | ||
| - | Me: Is it always necessary to have a guide for research? Can a student go about on his own ? | + | * Me: Is it always necessary to have a guide for research? Can a student go about on his own ? |
| - | CM: Having a guide is useful, at least initially. The main things a guide can bring to you would be to point you in a fruitful direction of research. | + | * CM: Having a guide is useful, at least initially. The main things a guide can bring to you would be to point you in a fruitful direction of research. |
| However, keep in mind that what you do is not going to be research if your guide spoon-feeds you through the process of doing research. The goal for any student should be to eventually become an independent researcher, so if you are able to get there directly, then why not? | However, keep in mind that what you do is not going to be research if your guide spoon-feeds you through the process of doing research. The goal for any student should be to eventually become an independent researcher, so if you are able to get there directly, then why not? | ||
| - | Me: If a student is stuck at some point of his research, and he is not able to get the hurdle clarified by anyone, what do you suggest him to do at this junction? | + | * Me: If a student is stuck at some point of his research, and he is not able to get the hurdle clarified by anyone, what do you suggest him to do at this junction? |
| Can he email profs in IISc, IITs or other schools asking his doubt? What are the chances of hearing back? | Can he email profs in IISc, IITs or other schools asking his doubt? What are the chances of hearing back? | ||
| - | CM: There are a few things you can do if you are stuck. | + | * CM: There are a few things you can do if you are stuck. |
| First, ask yourself why you are stuck – whether it is because you don’t have enough information or because the problem is basically difficult. | First, ask yourself why you are stuck – whether it is because you don’t have enough information or because the problem is basically difficult. | ||
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| you are welcome to write to anyone, anywhere in the world! What’s the worst that can happen? That the person will ignore your email, or write back asking you not to bother him or her, but that’s not a big deal, right? | you are welcome to write to anyone, anywhere in the world! What’s the worst that can happen? That the person will ignore your email, or write back asking you not to bother him or her, but that’s not a big deal, right? | ||
| - | Me: Sure sir. There is certainly nothing to lose. | + | * Me: Sure sir. There is certainly nothing to lose. |
| - | Me: Is Research only about publishing papers and getting citations? Is there something more to research than just publishing scores of papers ? | + | * Me: Is Research only about publishing papers and getting citations? Is there something more to research than just publishing scores of papers ? |
| - | CM: Of course not. Publications are merely the way research is evaluated. I hope people doing research are doing it because they like the process of doing research, and the publications comes as a by-product, not the other way around! | + | * CM: Of course not. Publications are merely the way research is evaluated. I hope people doing research are doing it because they like the process of doing research, and the publications comes as a by-product, not the other way around! |
| - | Me: What do you think is the most vital and unique part of Research that can never be got in any other spectrum of professions? | + | * Me: What do you think is the most vital and unique part of Research that can never be got in any other spectrum of professions? |
| CM: As I mentioned above, do keep in mind that any profession can involve research, depending on how you approach it. So I guess the answer would be that the unique part of research is its uniqueness, that you are riding a wave that nobody has ridden before. | CM: As I mentioned above, do keep in mind that any profession can involve research, depending on how you approach it. So I guess the answer would be that the unique part of research is its uniqueness, that you are riding a wave that nobody has ridden before. | ||
| - | Me: Some people work on topics that are completely theoretical, whimsical and have no practical application at all, what do u suggest on these research topics? Working for long hours, putting in loads of effort and proving something which has no practical implication, which can never be realized, which is just there only on the paper – do u think these research are sustainable ? | + | * Me: Some people work on topics that are completely theoretical, whimsical and have no practical application at all, what do u suggest on these research topics? Working for long hours, putting in loads of effort and proving something which has no practical implication, which can never be realized, which is just there only on the paper – do u think these research are sustainable ? |
| - | CM: I’m guessing the person who wrote this question is not terribly fond of theoretical research! There are many research problems that have little or no practical application, but calling them whimsical would be to trivialize the researcher’s efforts! | + | * CM: I’m guessing the person who wrote this question is not terribly fond of theoretical research! There are many research problems that have little or no practical application, but calling them whimsical would be to trivialize the researcher’s efforts! |
| Research does tend to be futuristic. If you could think of a practical application today, probably the research would have already been long done. | Research does tend to be futuristic. If you could think of a practical application today, probably the research would have already been long done. | ||
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| This, of course, makes it clear that research is sustainable only if it is done in sufficient “volume” so that all kinds of research can happen and feed into each other. | This, of course, makes it clear that research is sustainable only if it is done in sufficient “volume” so that all kinds of research can happen and feed into each other. | ||
| - | Me: Why did you chose on coming into the academia over taking up an engineer post in any core company ? | + | * Me: Why did you chose on coming into the academia over taking up an engineer post in any core company ? |
| - | CM: Simple! I am happy being in the academia! | + | * CM: Simple! I am happy being in the academia! |
| - | Sure Sir, Thank you sooo much for sparing your time and answering these questions. I really appreciate ur effort. | + | * Me: Sure Sir, Thank you sooo much for sparing your time and answering these questions. I really appreciate ur effort. |
| On behalf of Coffee With Sundar Readers, a very special thanks to you sir! | On behalf of Coffee With Sundar Readers, a very special thanks to you sir! | ||
