Doing GREAT Research S. Keshav University of Waterloo December 10, 2007 GREAT Research - Grounded - Risky - Ethical - Absorbing - Thorough Grounded - Look for gap between hype and reality - Use appropriate theory - Assumptions are critical - Be the harshest critic of your own work - Prepare to move on Risky - Chasm of uncertainty - Bridge of research - Risky! - Envision your goal - How will it change the world? Ethical - Funding sources Absorbing - Be passionate - Read widely - Attend diverse talks - Share your ideas - Maintain a research site Thorough - Always begin with a literature survey - Start with the smallest non-trivial instance - Learn as you go - Prepare to change - Crystallize solutions - Keep an eye open for the unexpected - Carry a notebook On writing papers - Publish, but not at any cost - Quality trumps quantity - Avoid gratuitous math - Fuzzy writing indicates fuzzy thinking - Use the one week rule - Hone your writing and thoughts - Rejection strengthens your work On giving talks - One idea per slide - Two minutes per slide - Audience can remember only three things - Impact is inversely proportional to word count - Start with a compelling example - End on time! On attending talks - Take detailed notes - Attend talks in diverse areas - Ask questions. It keeps you from sleeping The bottom line - Have fun doing research! - You’re not going to make any money anyway :-)