WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.300 align:middle line:90% 00:00:00.300 --> 00:00:06.973 align:middle line:84% [Morse code beeps] [Whoosh] 00:00:07.774 --> 00:00:11.511 align:middle line:90% [Helicopter rotor] 00:00:13.346 --> 00:00:14.481 align:middle line:90% Hello. 00:00:14.481 --> 00:00:17.717 align:middle line:84% Welcome to the Formulating a Research Topic workshop. 00:00:18.318 --> 00:00:19.919 align:middle line:90% My name is Evan Kramer. 00:00:19.919 --> 00:00:23.990 align:middle line:84% I'm an AeroAstro Communication Lab Fellow, and I will be your instructor today. 00:00:25.458 --> 00:00:27.560 align:middle line:90% To get started let's take a moment 00:00:27.560 --> 00:00:30.563 align:middle line:90% to consider what quality research is. 00:00:30.964 --> 00:00:33.933 align:middle line:84% We all strive to produce it, but definitions 00:00:33.933 --> 00:00:36.936 align:middle line:90% of quality vary from person to person. 00:00:37.404 --> 00:00:40.106 align:middle line:84% However, there are some general characteristics 00:00:40.106 --> 00:00:44.444 align:middle line:84% that apply across the board which we will cover in this workshop. 00:00:45.745 --> 00:00:48.715 align:middle line:84% Please pause the video and spend five minutes 00:00:48.715 --> 00:00:52.752 align:middle line:84% listing and providing rationale for a set of characteristics 00:00:52.752 --> 00:00:55.989 align:middle line:84% you believe research must possess to be considered 00:00:55.989 --> 00:00:58.992 align:middle line:90% quality. 00:01:03.129 --> 00:01:06.132 align:middle line:90% [Alien spaceship beeps] 00:01:06.866 --> 00:01:08.034 align:middle line:90% Now that we're primed 00:01:08.034 --> 00:01:12.138 align:middle line:84% to talk about research topics, here's a list of our lesson goals. 00:01:13.473 --> 00:01:14.674 align:middle line:90% After this workshop, 00:01:14.674 --> 00:01:19.079 align:middle line:84% you will be able to understand common characteristics of quality 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:22.682 align:middle line:84% graduate school research, implement a framework 00:01:22.682 --> 00:01:25.752 align:middle line:84% for formulating a well-defined research topic, 00:01:26.753 --> 00:01:29.521 align:middle line:90% and pursue next steps for formalizing 00:01:29.521 --> 00:01:32.525 align:middle line:90% your initial research topic formulation. 00:01:33.960 --> 00:01:36.963 align:middle line:90% So quality research, what is it? 00:01:37.630 --> 00:01:40.033 align:middle line:90% Generally, quality research in graduate 00:01:40.033 --> 00:01:43.036 align:middle line:90% school possesses three characteristics. 00:01:43.169 --> 00:01:45.271 align:middle line:90% It is independent, meaning 00:01:45.271 --> 00:01:48.274 align:middle line:90% it can be conducted entirely by you 00:01:48.508 --> 00:01:51.511 align:middle line:90% without assistance from outside resources. 00:01:52.679 --> 00:01:57.183 align:middle line:84% It is important, meaning it makes a contribution towards 00:01:57.183 --> 00:02:01.121 align:middle line:84% answering a specific question or gap in knowledge 00:02:01.421 --> 00:02:04.724 align:middle line:84% raised by several scholars within the research community. 00:02:06.759 --> 00:02:08.328 align:middle line:90% And it is unique, 00:02:08.328 --> 00:02:11.898 align:middle line:84% meaning that it makes a first of its kind contribution 00:02:11.898 --> 00:02:15.635 align:middle line:84% by either addressing a previously unanswered question 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:18.905 align:middle line:90% or introducing a novel solution 00:02:18.905 --> 00:02:21.875 align:middle line:90% approach within an existing body of work. 00:02:22.075 --> 00:02:24.644 align:middle line:90% We've established some general criteria 00:02:24.644 --> 00:02:29.482 align:middle line:84% for what entails quality research, but how do we actually formulate 00:02:29.482 --> 00:02:32.819 align:middle line:84% a research topic that embodies those characteristics? 00:02:33.786 --> 00:02:38.158 align:middle line:84% The first step is to acknowledge, that to perform quality research, 00:02:38.158 --> 00:02:41.161 align:middle line:84% you must have a well-defined research topic. 00:02:41.528 --> 00:02:45.465 align:middle line:84% Formulating a well-defined research topic requires significant effort, 00:02:45.932 --> 00:02:49.903 align:middle line:84% but this effort is necessary to avoid running into unforeseen 00:02:49.903 --> 00:02:51.437 align:middle line:90% challenges during your Ph.D. 00:02:53.305 --> 00:02:53.606 align:middle line:90% It is 00:02:53.606 --> 00:02:56.643 align:middle line:84% important to emphasize that this process takes time. 00:02:57.577 --> 00:03:00.914 align:middle line:84% While it may be tempting to try to rush into a project, 00:03:01.214 --> 00:03:07.387 align:middle line:84% try to keep in mind that your chances of crafting a robust and cohesive research 00:03:07.654 --> 00:03:11.024 align:middle line:84% topic during graduate school is highly correlated 00:03:11.024 --> 00:03:15.328 align:middle line:84% with the amount of time and effort you spend during the formulation phase. 00:03:16.796 --> 00:03:18.731 align:middle line:90% We present a five phase 00:03:18.731 --> 00:03:21.801 align:middle line:84% framework in this workshop that can be implemented 00:03:22.268 --> 00:03:25.271 align:middle line:84% during the formulation of your research topic. 00:03:25.572 --> 00:03:28.575 align:middle line:84% We'll go into each phase on the following slides. 00:03:29.375 --> 00:03:32.378 align:middle line:84% The first phase involves personal reflection. 00:03:33.179 --> 00:03:36.783 align:middle line:84% Based on previous experiences and coursework, internships, 00:03:36.783 --> 00:03:40.954 align:middle line:84% and extracurricular activities, create a two column list. 00:03:41.853 --> 00:03:45.658 align:middle line:84% The first column lists research fields you found interesting. 00:03:46.392 --> 00:03:49.262 align:middle line:84% For example you might have had a summer internship 00:03:49.262 --> 00:03:52.265 align:middle line:84% where you were exposed to space propulsion work. 00:03:52.899 --> 00:03:55.034 align:middle line:90% Or, you might have taken an undergraduate. 00:03:55.034 --> 00:03:58.938 align:middle line:84% Course in aerospace controls that you particularly enjoyed. 00:04:00.707 --> 00:04:02.175 align:middle line:90% Note that these topics are 00:04:02.175 --> 00:04:05.945 align:middle line:84% specific enough to carry out some exploratory reading, 00:04:06.379 --> 00:04:09.249 align:middle line:90% but general enough to avoid unnecessarily 00:04:09.249 --> 00:04:12.352 align:middle line:90% over constraining you at an early stage. 00:04:14.020 --> 00:04:16.555 align:middle line:90% The second column lists ideas that align 00:04:16.555 --> 00:04:20.959 align:middle line:84% with your personal motivations to pursue a career in Stem research. 00:04:22.228 --> 00:04:25.531 align:middle line:84% Your personal motivations might be extremely diverse. 00:04:26.733 --> 00:04:29.669 align:middle line:84% For example, you may be passionate about increasing 00:04:29.669 --> 00:04:34.674 align:middle line:84% equitable access to space capabilities for low-resource nations 00:04:35.241 --> 00:04:38.344 align:middle line:90% and enabling efficient disaster response 00:04:38.344 --> 00:04:41.347 align:middle line:90% for remote communities. 00:04:41.748 --> 00:04:44.317 align:middle line:84% There are no wrong entries for this column. 00:04:44.317 --> 00:04:47.920 align:middle line:84% Anything that drives you to spend the next 2 to 5 years 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:50.923 align:middle line:90% performing research in STEM belongs here. 00:04:51.057 --> 00:04:54.060 align:middle line:84% Let's practice looking inwards in an activity. 00:04:54.861 --> 00:04:58.898 align:middle line:84% In the Research Topic Formulation worksheet, fill out the left and middle 00:04:58.898 --> 00:05:00.133 align:middle line:90% columns. 00:05:00.133 --> 00:05:05.405 align:middle line:84% Take ten minutes to get some ideas down, but feel free to revisit this table later, 00:05:05.405 --> 00:05:08.675 align:middle line:84% as this sort of personal reflection should not be rushed. 00:05:14.914 --> 00:05:17.917 align:middle line:90% [Alien spaceship beeps] 00:05:19.085 --> 00:05:20.953 align:middle line:90% Great job reflecting. 00:05:20.953 --> 00:05:23.456 align:middle line:84% With the entries you've written in your table, start 00:05:23.456 --> 00:05:26.459 align:middle line:84% familiarizing yourself with the current state-of-the-art. 00:05:27.493 --> 00:05:30.963 align:middle line:84% A good place to start would be popular science media outlets. 00:05:31.764 --> 00:05:34.967 align:middle line:90% Try places like Space.com, The Verge, 00:05:35.068 --> 00:05:39.238 align:middle line:84% and Scientific American for high level, accessible articles. 00:05:39.939 --> 00:05:44.644 align:middle line:84% As certain entries in your interest column pique your interest, start to perform 00:05:44.644 --> 00:05:49.215 align:middle line:84% deeper dives into your related academic literature using Google Scholar. 00:05:50.383 --> 00:05:54.454 align:middle line:84% It is likely that several of the topics in the left column of your list 00:05:54.854 --> 00:05:59.158 align:middle line:84% get crossed off really quickly, as you realize they no longer interest you. 00:06:00.460 --> 00:06:02.495 align:middle line:90% Try to narrow down your list of interests 00:06:02.495 --> 00:06:05.698 align:middle line:84% to about three before proceeding to the next step. 00:06:07.333 --> 00:06:11.971 align:middle line:84% After you've reflected, and done some reading into your topics of interest, 00:06:12.372 --> 00:06:15.274 align:middle line:84% it is time to expand your table with a third column. 00:06:16.476 --> 00:06:17.844 align:middle line:90% While personal interests and 00:06:17.844 --> 00:06:21.013 align:middle line:84% motivations are central to topic formulation, 00:06:21.848 --> 00:06:24.851 align:middle line:90% external factors must be considered too. 00:06:25.685 --> 00:06:29.555 align:middle line:84% You'll need to consider the priorities of who your funding is coming from, 00:06:29.989 --> 00:06:33.893 align:middle line:84% and you'll need to consider areas of your lab's research thrusts. 00:06:34.961 --> 00:06:37.029 align:middle line:84% The third column of your table will capture 00:06:37.029 --> 00:06:40.032 align:middle line:90% these external requirements. 00:06:40.099 --> 00:06:43.870 align:middle line:84% An example for a funding requirement might include ensuring your work 00:06:43.870 --> 00:06:48.574 align:middle line:84% integrates elements of testbed development for satellite dynamics 00:06:48.574 --> 00:06:52.478 align:middle line:84% and control algorithm testing, if a grant that is funding 00:06:52.478 --> 00:06:55.681 align:middle line:84% your work was written focusing on this research area. 00:06:57.250 --> 00:07:00.887 align:middle line:84% An example for a lab’s research thrust might be A.I. 00:07:00.887 --> 00:07:06.159 align:middle line:84% applied to satellite operations, if that is where your advisor's expertise 00:07:06.459 --> 00:07:09.462 align:middle line:90% and active research interests lie. 00:07:11.097 --> 00:07:13.833 align:middle line:84% If you're unsure about what belongs in this column, 00:07:13.833 --> 00:07:17.970 align:middle line:84% schedule a meeting with your advisor to discuss what external constraints 00:07:17.970 --> 00:07:21.073 align:middle line:84% you should consider during the topic formulation phase. 00:07:22.108 --> 00:07:23.042 align:middle line:90% The next step in our 00:07:23.042 --> 00:07:26.045 align:middle line:84% framework is to formulate a research statement. 00:07:27.113 --> 00:07:30.249 align:middle line:84% This is exciting because we're now starting to bring together 00:07:30.249 --> 00:07:33.252 align:middle line:84% all of the pieces that you've been working on separately. 00:07:34.220 --> 00:07:36.355 align:middle line:90% Research statements should be in 00:07:36.355 --> 00:07:39.358 align:middle line:90% “To...By...While” format. 00:07:39.592 --> 00:07:43.596 align:middle line:84% This format explicitly identifies what you are trying to accomplish, 00:07:44.363 --> 00:07:48.433 align:middle line:84% how you will accomplish it, and which constraints you will consider. 00:07:50.002 --> 00:07:53.039 align:middle line:84% Your table of entries contains the information needed 00:07:53.039 --> 00:07:56.042 align:middle line:84% to write your first draft of a research statement. 00:07:57.677 --> 00:07:59.145 align:middle line:90% A possible research statement 00:07:59.145 --> 00:08:02.482 align:middle line:84% could be defined with one entry from each column, 00:08:02.782 --> 00:08:07.553 align:middle line:84% or you may be able to create a topic with multiple entries from each column. 00:08:09.322 --> 00:08:13.292 align:middle line:84% An example research statement from the previously shown table entries 00:08:13.292 --> 00:08:18.264 align:middle line:84% is, “To enable efficient natural disaster response for remote communities 00:08:18.664 --> 00:08:23.002 align:middle line:84% by developing an A.I.- powered rapid response scheduling algorithm 00:08:23.469 --> 00:08:27.507 align:middle line:84% for a remote sensing satellite while accounting for limitations 00:08:27.507 --> 00:08:31.344 align:middle line:84% to satellite operations imposed by the space environment.” 00:08:33.712 --> 00:08:34.614 align:middle line:90% Implementing this 00:08:34.614 --> 00:08:37.984 align:middle line:84% research statement format by referencing your table entries 00:08:38.518 --> 00:08:43.222 align:middle line:84% not only describes what you'll do, how you'll do it, and within what constraints, 00:08:43.722 --> 00:08:47.093 align:middle line:84% but it also ensures that your own personal interests, 00:08:47.093 --> 00:08:50.129 align:middle line:90% motivations, and relevant external factors 00:08:50.496 --> 00:08:53.499 align:middle line:90% are captured in your formulation. 00:08:53.533 --> 00:08:56.536 align:middle line:84% We'll now practice writing a research statement. 00:08:56.869 --> 00:08:59.605 align:middle line:84% The first step will be to write some entries in the third 00:08:59.605 --> 00:09:02.608 align:middle line:84% column of your table for external requirements. 00:09:03.543 --> 00:09:06.312 align:middle line:90% After that, and regardless of how mature 00:09:06.312 --> 00:09:09.315 align:middle line:90% you feel your entries in your table are, 00:09:09.882 --> 00:09:14.453 align:middle line:84% go ahead and draft a research statement in “To...By...While” format, 00:09:14.687 --> 00:09:18.324 align:middle line:84% that communicates what you're proposing to do, how you'll do it, 00:09:18.891 --> 00:09:21.894 align:middle line:84% and which constraints or assumptions you'll be working under. 00:09:22.562 --> 00:09:25.498 align:middle line:84% Please take ten minutes for this activity before returning 00:09:25.498 --> 00:09:28.501 align:middle line:90% to the workshop. 00:09:32.605 --> 00:09:34.006 align:middle line:90% [Alien spaceship beeps] 00:09:36.742 --> 00:09:39.745 align:middle line:84% Congratulations on drafting your first research statement. 00:09:40.313 --> 00:09:43.482 align:middle line:84% The last phase in the formulation framework is to iterate 00:09:43.649 --> 00:09:45.751 align:middle line:90% and track your work. 00:09:45.751 --> 00:09:48.487 align:middle line:84% You'll end up creating several iterations of research 00:09:48.487 --> 00:09:51.490 align:middle line:84% statements as you continue to read literature. 00:09:51.490 --> 00:09:55.361 align:middle line:84% Your readings will inform how you iterate on your research statements 00:09:55.361 --> 00:09:58.331 align:middle line:84% language to pinpoint exact gaps in knowledge. 00:09:59.699 --> 00:10:01.267 align:middle line:90% As you continue to read, 00:10:01.267 --> 00:10:05.938 align:middle line:84% formulate a focus area Venn diagram where your topic is at the center 00:10:06.405 --> 00:10:10.142 align:middle line:84% and related literature gets organized into regions surrounding it. 00:10:11.410 --> 00:10:13.679 align:middle line:90% This diagram will help you stay organized 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:16.682 align:middle line:90% and track all of the papers that you read. 00:10:16.782 --> 00:10:18.951 align:middle line:90% It is also a really useful way to visually 00:10:18.951 --> 00:10:21.954 align:middle line:90% describe the research that you perform. 00:10:22.355 --> 00:10:25.257 align:middle line:84% You might even find it useful to include in presentations 00:10:25.257 --> 00:10:27.226 align:middle line:90% you give, including your Ph.D. 00:10:27.226 --> 00:10:29.028 align:middle line:90% proposal defense down the road, 00:10:29.028 --> 00:10:32.832 align:middle line:84% since it effectively contextualizes your research topic. 00:10:34.266 --> 00:10:35.368 align:middle line:90% You've now completed 00:10:35.368 --> 00:10:38.571 align:middle line:84% all the steps in the research topic formulation framework. 00:10:39.238 --> 00:10:42.208 align:middle line:90% So what exactly comes next? 00:10:42.208 --> 00:10:44.944 align:middle line:90% After initial formulation comes official 00:10:44.944 --> 00:10:47.947 align:middle line:90% formalization of your research topic. 00:10:48.881 --> 00:10:52.752 align:middle line:84% Formalization involves the addition of more structure to what 00:10:52.752 --> 00:10:55.821 align:middle line:84% you are working on by clearly articulating why 00:10:56.188 --> 00:10:59.091 align:middle line:90% and how you're going to perform it. 00:10:59.091 --> 00:11:02.461 align:middle line:84% Central to articulating why and how you're performing 00:11:02.461 --> 00:11:05.898 align:middle line:84% your research is a gap analysis that frames your work 00:11:06.265 --> 00:11:09.268 align:middle line:84% within the context of the current state-of-the-art. 00:11:09.702 --> 00:11:13.172 align:middle line:84% The concept is similar to the reading you did during formulation, 00:11:13.739 --> 00:11:17.643 align:middle line:84% but now it is extremely focused in the sense that you need to amass 00:11:17.643 --> 00:11:22.014 align:middle line:84% a set of papers that describe the current state-of-the-art for the topic 00:11:22.014 --> 00:11:26.719 align:middle line:84% you're focusing on and what they're clearly demonstrated limitations are. 00:11:28.187 --> 00:11:31.290 align:middle line:84% An example gap analysis is shown in the table at right, 00:11:31.390 --> 00:11:34.560 align:middle line:84% where the focus area of the topic is radiometric 00:11:34.827 --> 00:11:38.564 align:middle line:84% terrain correction for synthetic aperture radar satellite imagery. 00:11:39.865 --> 00:11:42.868 align:middle line:84% The current state-of-the-art is summarized in the middle cell 00:11:43.169 --> 00:11:47.239 align:middle line:84% and the limitations of the current approach are listed in the bottom cell, 00:11:47.540 --> 00:11:51.644 align:middle line:84% with citations to the literature references that point out these gaps. 00:11:53.245 --> 00:11:57.450 align:middle line:84% After you've completed your gap analysis, you'll have an extremely robust 00:11:57.450 --> 00:12:01.754 align:middle line:84% and documented case for why the research you are pursuing is worthwhile. 00:12:02.555 --> 00:12:06.392 align:middle line:84% With a gap analysis in hand, you can progress to write the following. 00:12:07.493 --> 00:12:09.862 align:middle line:90% Focused questions serve as a stepwise 00:12:09.862 --> 00:12:12.865 align:middle line:90% set of milestones, posed as questions, 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:16.402 align:middle line:84% that must be answered to address a focus area. 00:12:17.470 --> 00:12:18.104 align:middle line:90% A Ph.D. 00:12:18.104 --> 00:12:21.774 align:middle line:84% research topic might have 3 to 5 focus questions, 00:12:22.174 --> 00:12:25.311 align:middle line:84% some of which are contingent upon answers to others. 00:12:26.178 --> 00:12:30.616 align:middle line:84% Objective statements directly respond to focus questions and detail 00:12:30.616 --> 00:12:34.153 align:middle line:84% what you will do, how you will do it, and within which constraints. 00:12:34.887 --> 00:12:39.225 align:middle line:84% These share the structure of research statements, but are narrower in scope. 00:12:40.993 --> 00:12:44.330 align:middle line:84% Contribution statements clearly defined the novel insights, 00:12:44.330 --> 00:12:48.334 align:middle line:84% advancements, and solutions your research offers to the field. 00:12:49.735 --> 00:12:53.906 align:middle line:84% These are the statements you will claim you fulfilled when you defend your Ph.D. 00:12:54.039 --> 00:12:57.042 align:middle line:90% dissertation down the road. 00:12:57.977 --> 00:12:59.612 align:middle line:90% There is understandable uncertainty 00:12:59.612 --> 00:13:02.782 align:middle line:84% early on in the research formalization process. 00:13:03.616 --> 00:13:05.951 align:middle line:84% You might not know how to write all of your questions, 00:13:05.951 --> 00:13:08.954 align:middle line:90% objectives, and contributions. 00:13:09.355 --> 00:13:12.458 align:middle line:84% Your gap analysis ahould offer a starting point, however, 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.162 align:middle line:84% and as you progress during your graduate school journey, 00:13:16.529 --> 00:13:19.532 align:middle line:84% you can revisit language in your statements. 00:13:19.999 --> 00:13:22.568 align:middle line:84% Once you've completed the formalization steps, 00:13:22.568 --> 00:13:25.871 align:middle line:84% you have a solid course charted for your graduate school research. 00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:30.442 align:middle line:84% That concludes this workshop on formulating a research topic. 00:13:31.177 --> 00:13:35.447 align:middle line:84% You should now be able to understand common characteristics of quality 00:13:35.447 --> 00:13:39.218 align:middle line:84% graduate school research, implement a framework 00:13:39.218 --> 00:13:43.722 align:middle line:84% for formulating a well-defined research topic, and pursue next steps 00:13:43.722 --> 00:13:47.459 align:middle line:84% for formalizing your initial research topic formulation. 00:13:49.929 --> 00:13:50.663 align:middle line:90% I hope you find the 00:13:50.663 --> 00:13:54.066 align:middle line:84% presented resources useful in your graduate school research journey. 00:13:54.667 --> 00:13:57.269 align:middle line:90% This workshop was created and presented 00:13:57.269 --> 00:14:00.472 align:middle line:84% by Fellows of the MIT AeroAstro Communication Lab. 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:04.276 align:middle line:84% You can find other workshops related to technical communication 00:14:04.276 --> 00:14:07.279 align:middle line:90% in our MIT OpenCourseWare repository. 00:14:07.413 --> 00:14:08.480 align:middle line:90% Thank you. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:11.283 align:middle line:90% [Morse code beeps]