Research Interests

[PsychResearch]

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How did everyone chose what research to conduct?
Do you have a specific area you are researching? How did you decide that was IT in terms of research interests?

How long did it take you to develop and refine your interests? Is there a certain type of research that counts more versus other? For instance, if one does a good publishable dissertation that involves analyzing their advisor's data is that perceived less than coming up with your own study or conducting secondary data analysis that is not 100% directly related to your advisor's publication pursuits (although it is in the same area)?

When does one specializes in an area? If one wanted to conduct research as a career, is the post doc the time to freshen up, improve skills, and actually specialize? Or will noone look at me as a potential post doc unless I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight for the research topic?

How much do stats skills count into getting a post doc? This is an area I'm good at.

Is it advised that students do their post doc at the same place where they did the PhD or elsewhere? what is the timeline in applying for a post doc? how much longer in advance does the advisor need to know that the student is interested in applying for a post doc? what are some things that the advisor can do to facilitate the process?

I have so many questions...i hope this will generate a good discussion. thank you.

 

[PsychScience]

I have so many questions...i hope this will generate a good discussion. thank you.

Woah! There are a lot of questions in this one post.... I will attempt to respond to a few...

How did everyone chose what research to conduct?
Do you have a specific area you are researching? How did you decide that was IT in terms of research interests?

I decided on the research in my area because I was passionate about change in this area and I also saw it as an area of need in the world. In short, it was something I was both interested in and also something I believed the field needed. I should clarify, that I also have found that you can be both specific and broad in your research interests. It is good to have a focused area of research, but I have also gotten involved in side projects that also interest me, but may not be long-term career interests. An individual's research also can change over time, so I don't believe there is any one and only "IT" in terms of research.

How long did it take you to develop and refine your interests? Is there a certain type of research that counts more versus other? For instance, if one does a good publishable dissertation that involves analyzing their advisor's data is that perceived less than coming up with your own study or conducting secondary data analysis that is not 100% directly related to your advisor's publication pursuits (although it is in the same area)

I'm not sure there is a real answer to the how long to develop and refine your interests question. Personally, I took time off of grad school and this really really helped me find a focus for my current research and future goals. However, I also anticipate that my research interests will change with time and also as I develop new questions in the field. So, really, developing and refining research interests is an ongoing process for me.

Not sure about your question about one type of research "counting" more versus other types of research. All research is valuable. However, if coming out of school you have never done original data collection, I think others will wonder if you have the skill set to generate an original hypothesis and create a study to test this hypothesis. I also know that at our university you have to do an original study for your dissertation. You can use an existing database for your thesis, but not your dissertation

When does one specializes in an area? If one wanted to conduct research as a career, is the post doc the time to freshen up, improve skills, and actually specialize? Or will noone look at me as a potential post doc unless I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight for the research topic?
.

As I alluded to above, grad school is a great oppurtunity to be both a specialist and generalist. I have my focused research and clinical interests, and have picked major projects (dissertation and masters) and practicums based on these interests. However, I also supplemented these more specialized interests with other training that I thought would make me more well-rounded and expose me to a larger variety of patient populations. I'm looking forward to internship to increase my generalist training, and then I hope to get a 2- year post doc where I can specialize more. Granted, I think that even in my supplemental training and my more generalist approach I can tell a pretty coherent story about why these additional trainings enhance my more narrow focus. However, this is just me! Some people choose a more specialized approach from the get go.

How much do stats skills count into getting a post doc? This is an area I'm good at.

Stats skills are ALWAYS important. I minored in stats, and although I doubt that my ability in this area will be a determining factor in whether I get a job or not, I do believe that understanding statistics is an invaluable skill that will help you in whatever job you do wherever you are at (however, I am admittedly biased)

Is it advised that students do their post doc at the same place where they did the PhD or elsewhere? what is the timeline in applying for a post doc? how much longer in advance does the advisor need to know that the student is interested in applying for a post doc? what are some things that the advisor can do to facilitate the process?

Personally, I would go someplace other than where I got my degree to do my post doc. Post doc is a great opportunity to expand your clinical and research training, and in doing so make additional connections that may help you in your eventual job search. I don't see any reason why I would consider continuing my training in a place where I already had connections and spent half a decade immersed in the training. I feel like I would just be duplicating experiences that I already had. However, I am sure that some people can make a strong counterargument against my position, and I have also known people who have done this and been quite successful.

I'm sure I missed a question or two in there, but there you have it.

 

[cara susanna]

I didn't really find my research interests until junior year of undergrad, and I'm still kind of honing what exactly interests me.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I didn't really find my research interests until junior year of undergrad, and I'm still kind of honing what exactly interests me.

Same here, as a 1st year PhD student. I have a broad-ish idea of what I'm interested in (population and broad topic) but am working on narrowing it down further. I got there by working as an RA my junior and senior years of undergrad and finding I really loved doing research on certain broad issues within the specific population with which we worked. My first year doing research (end of sophomore, beginning of junior year), I bounced around a bit in terms of interests and labs, although it was still invaluable experience.