by trr007 | Dec 21, 2020 | Bash, Data, Efficiency, Figure, Graph, Plot, R
This meeting is nicely summarized by its advertisement flyer below. Of course, the Zoom link is no longer active. Some additional tips and links are provided below the flyer. The recording of the Zoom meeting is available for viewing on YouTube. Adam Hughs also...
by trr007 | Oct 7, 2020 | Advisors, Culture, Efficiency, Meetings, Priorities
Every research lab has its own culture, climate, and expectations. It seems that no two labs are identical. If you’re considering which research group to join, evaluating the lab culture may be just as important as the research when making your decision!...
by trr007 | Sep 21, 2020 | Advisors, Articles, Dissertation, Journals, Literature
Obtaining a new research topic in grad school seems to roughly split into two main methods: coming up with a topic yourself, and having a topic assigned or suggested to you. Of course, there can be some overlap, and starting from one method may lead into the other....
by trr007 | Aug 27, 2020 | Advisors, Bash, Dissertation, Efficiency, Goals, Priorities, Python, Sleep, Time management
Grad school is sure to be a challenge to your skills, discipline, education, and time. While you probably acknowledged these aspects of grad student life before you signed the dotted line, how can you make sure you make the most of your time in grad school? Below is a...
by trr007 | Jul 30, 2020 | CV, Format, Layout, Publications, Resume, Scientific posters, Style
CV is Latin for Curriculum Vitae, which is translated as “[the] curriculum of [my] life.” In an academic setting, your CV will often take the place of a résumé. As a new grad student, your CV may only be a couple of pages long; meanwhile, it’s not...
by trr007 | Jul 7, 2020 | Advisors, Efficiency, Finances, Pets, Priorities, Time management
Many of us find that our time in grad school has taught us a thing or two– about research practices or even life in general. Below is a collection of lessons learned by real grad students, not organized in any particular order. ...
by trr007 | May 21, 2020 | Efficiency, Time management
It can be hard to balance responsibilities and manage time well as a grad student. Sometimes it’s hard to focus even in your work environment– be it your research lab or your campus library– where one might have expected others to be working on...
by trr007 | May 21, 2020 | Articles, Journals, Literature
We’re all supposed to read scientific and peer reviewed literature on a regular basis… so they say. But nearly all grad students find reading journal articles to be a difficult and exhausting chore. How often, how many articles, and how in-depth you...
by mbparett | Apr 21, 2020 | Committee meetings, Project proposals
Most science departments/programs at the University of Arkansas (and most all grad universities, in fact) require 2nd year grad students to defend a formal research proposal to a committee of faculty from relevant departments. Most science grad students have a lot of...
by mbparett | Apr 21, 2020 | Design, Format, Illustrator, Layout, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Scientific posters, Style
Poster presentations are a hallmark of the scientific community. We’ve all seen bad ones, and hopefully at least a few good ones. Posters are meant to catch attention, concisely convey key findings, and (often) be accessible to a wider audience than a technical...
by mbparett | Apr 21, 2020 | Curve, Figure, Function, Gnuplot, Graph, ImageMagick, Plot, Python, R
Many incoming grad students rely on Microsoft Excel to do basic data manipulations and graphing. However, even a quick survey of published, peer reviewed research articles will show that Excel is rarely used to generate publication-quality figures. There are several...
by mbparett | Apr 21, 2020 | Art, Figure, Gnuplot, Graph, Illustrator, ImageMagick, Photoshop, Picture, Plot, PowerPoint, Scientific art
The graphs, plots, and figures used in scientific publications and advertisements are rightly considered artwork. When designing your next figure, don’t settle for anything less than an appealing graphic! With the vast array of computer programs available to...
by mbparett | Apr 21, 2020 | Citations, EndNote, Format, Google Scholar, References, Zotero
Published, peer reviewed journal articles contain dozens, if not hundreds, of citations or references to other such research articles. Each journal or publisher may have its own preferred style for formatting the data of these references. (In this case,...