how does a research masters work

Degrees Explained: Should I study a Master’s of Research (MRes)?

There are many options available if you want to tackle a postgraduate qualification, but one of the lesser-known options is the Master of Research, which lets you specialise in a specific area of interest.

Unlike a classic Master’s course, you’ll spend your MRes degree researching your chosen topic before producing a thesis which then determines your grade.

This is ideal if you’re looking to delve into a particular area of an industry or subject in more detail, since you’ll be able to specialise rather than follow a set course structure.

How does it differ to a standard Master’s degree?

In a typical Master’s degree, you’ll complete a range of units assessed through essays and exams, and a research project at the end – in a Master’s of Research, you take fewer or no units and instead spend the entire course focusing on one or a few research projects of your choice.
You will work closely with your tutor as they guide you through the research process, rather than being taught by your professors in the conventional sense.
It’s a lot more self-guided – there may be deadlines and progress reports you have to meet to continue your course, but it’s not as regimented as in a traditional Master’s degree. This means you have to be self-motivated to ensure you make timely progress.

You’ll be spending a lot of time with the books on a MRes. Source: Shutterstock

What are the benefits?

You have more autonomy over what you study – rather than having to take core units, you submit your own proposal for research when you apply. This means you’re studying something you’re genuinely interested in rather than having to take compusory modules you don’t necessarily enjoy.
It’s on your schedule – you’re not forced to write essays and sit exams on dates dictated by the university. You can plan your studies around your life and manage your time to suit you. While this comes with its own challenges, it can be favourable if you have prior commitments.
You’ll graduate with a deep specialisation in the research area. After spending a whole programme looking into one topic, you’ll graduate as an expert in the field. You’ll likely have uncovered new information or progressed thinking in some way, making it a great way to fast track your career.
If you plan to study a doctorate degree after your Master’s, you will already have some of the crucial skills ready to fulfil your potential, including time management, self-motivation and staying organised during a long piece of work.

Who should study this degree?

The nature of this degree means it really isn’t for everyone – but if you have the following traits it may be a good fit:

You work best under your own direction – you don’t lack self-motivation and get the most done when you’re left to your own devices. You don’t need someone hovering over you to make sure you’re hitting your deadlines and you enjoy having freedom to complete your own tasks.
You have a niche interest area – the thought of studying compulsory modules fills you with dread because you know exactly where your interests lie. You enjoy delving deep into an area rather than gaining broad overviews, and love working under your own steam.

This definitely rings true in a Master’s of Research. Source: Giphy

How are you assessed?

Since this course instilling both academic and professional research skills, it can assess you in through various methods:

A portfolio of articles or projects you’ve completed
A thesis you have worked on throughout the year
Evidence of influence your work has had in the field

Your tutor will be on hand to guide you through assessments which are tailored to your industry and project.

How to choose your Master of Research programme

As you will be spending most of your studies researching for one project, it’s essential you find an institution that specialises in this area.

It’s important your research goals align with the department you choose. Source: Shutterstock

You need to ensure there’s a professor in the department who has a background in your research area, otherwise, you’ll have no one to guide you through your studies. Spend time researching academics in your area of interest and get in touch to see if they have availability.

If you aim to pursue a PhD afterwards, going to a high ranking university is a good idea, or at least finding a leading professor to work alongside.

This will show your commitment to academic research and improve your chances of finding scholarships to continue your studies.

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Quiz: Which postgraduate route will be the best for you?

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What is a Masters by Research?

What is a Masters by Research (MRes)? In this blog post, Emily Ankers - who has just finished her MRes in the Carnegie School of Sport – tells us all about life as an MRes student and shares her top tips on tackling that 30,000 word thesis.

What the heck is a Masters by Research? A Masters by Research (MRes) is not like your traditional taught Masters - you don't do pre-set modules, assignments and exams. Your result comes from one massive, colossal research project that you carry out over the period of 12 months and write up as a juicy 30,000 word thesis. Or in my case, 32,036 words + 79 pages of Appendix. Why did I struggle to keep it short? Because it was a HUGE piece of research. I am sitting on more data than I know what to do with that did not go into the final edit of the thesis. Within 12 months you cram in a systematic literature review, getting to grips with theories, methodology, epistemology (bleugh), researcher training, ethics application, data collection, data analysis, data synthesis and writing and editing of the thesis. I did my MRes in the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University. It is interdisciplinary in nature but draws heavily on sociology and history. When I came into my MRes I was not a sociologist by background but a historian. Now I would also consider myself a sociologist. For context my thesis is titled 'Everyday' Women's Experiences of Rock Climbing (1970 - 2020). It involves discussions and conversations relating to changing representations of women in climbing print media over time, changes in how women experience climbing, how 'everyday' aspects of life impact on climbing experience and understanding and perceptions of femininity by everyday female climbers. I didn't start writing this to talk about what I found out but to share what it was like to do an MRes and what an MRes consists of. My project was heavily sociological - a humanities way of doing things. Ultimately an MRes project will vary from subject to subject but a lot of the steps in how you do research are similar.

So what are those steps?

1. Preliminary Reading: trying to find out what research already exists, where are the gaps, what have other people commonly found... 2. Proposal: with support of one of my lovely supervisors, Dr. Carol Osborne helped me to craft a proposal that would get through the university applications process, with the root of the project idea (if so desired, I could do a post on how I went about applying). 3. Induction: oh how exciting, meeting other students, found out that there were actually some fellow MRes students in the same School as I (big shout out to Hamza and Jonny), getting familiar with the library etc... I was new to Leeds Beckett so finding my way around was part of the process (pre-Covid times). 4. Literature Searching: seriously what's what, this helped me form my plan and to understand what theories are out there. My final thesis referenced 117 secondary sources but I read a hell of a lot more than that throughout the year, literature searching isn't just limited to start of the project, you have to read as you go but you do a big chunk at the beginning. 5. Literature Review: what a mammoth task, does what it says on the tin. 6. Epistemology and Theory: reading about and learning about all of the different sociological theories and frameworks, an area very new to me. I hated this section because it was so challenging, useful though, I have to admit it. Unbelievably I'm in the process of writing a chapter on the value of a critical postfeminist approach (the value of it as a theory), oh how times have changed. 7. Methodology Planning: what theory are you going to use, what research questions are you going to answer, what data are you going to collect, how will you analyse it, how will you make sure that your chosen theory helps you to answer your research questions? 8. Ethical Considerations and Ethical Approval Application: as a researcher you have to consider how your study could have ethical implications and go through an extensive ethics application process with the university. 9. Data Collection: for me this included multiple visits to an archive (I spent 42.5 hours in the Mountain Heritage Trust reading room) and interviewing 15 participants via video/phone call. 10. Transcribing: I transcribed all interviews myself, this was the most time consuming part of the project. 11. Data Analysis: Okay so for the data collected at the archive I coded images that I had found in climbing magazines, assigning meaning or connotations to representations of female climbers. With the interview transcripts I went through and identified reoccurring patterns and ideas relating to the research questions and dominant themes of the research. 12. Planning the Writing: Okay so this is kind of a weird step because my Literature Review, my Methodology and Ethics, were all written as I went along. I also didn't do my Data Collection and Analysis in two fully separate stages, I was ahead with the Content Analysis so that was getting written as I was carrying out interviews. If that makes sense! You have to be pretty flexible and I found it really kept my motivation up if I could dip in and out of things, so that I wasn't doing the same thing for a long period of time. 13. Write Up! : This sounds like a lot of work, but actually like I said, quite a chunk was already written. I'd already done all the really hard work like trying to understand what epistemology means (still not 100% sure), data collection and analysis, it was just a case of writing up what I'd found using the lens I'd chosen (critical postfeminist). 14. Editing: oh joy, this was really difficult and made me never want to look at my thesis again. Editing is a brutal process, I found the read aloud function on Word very helpful indeed.

Okay so they are the steps, but what was my experience of actually doing them?

This year has been a bit weird, granted, I completed over half of my MRes from home in my office. Not the exciting zipping around to meet and interview different people that I had imagined. To complete a research degree to schedule, heightened by the pandemic, you have to be incredibly motivated. I like to tick things off my list, in fact I find it really hard when I don't understand things or if I can't tick things off my to-do list immediately. In a large scale research study, even things like ticking off "transcribe participant three interview" takes a while. To put it into context, it would take me six hours to transcribe 60 minutes on a reasonably good day. On a rushed, I need to finish this, day, I would be transcribing full pelt from 8am to 8pm to get one transcript done in a day. One interview transcript in an entire study is a tiny piece to the puzzle, just to give a sense of scale. Okay so I had to break things down a lot, or, assign morning to this task, afternoon to another and not worry too much about how much I actually completed. This also goes for reading academic texts. It's not realistic to say I'll read one article today, because you can read pieces by different authors at different rates and you'll find some more challenging than others. I'm pretty good at reading academic texts now, but I've recently been looking at some new ideas and I spent a whole day reading 20 pages this week and then I was lying down for about three hours because my brain was so frazzled. That's just how it goes sometimes! On a similar line, I've had to learn that I won't understand everything straight away and my ideas won't click into place immediately. So right now I'm trying to come up with a methodology for a proposal, and I'm trying to fit it to a set theory, and I'm not quite cracking it yet. So I'm literally writing this blog post while my brain works on that in the background and that's fine.

I set up a women’s climbing magazine called Beta Magazine whilst carrying out my research

Something I've found really useful is to have something else going on (if you have the privilege of brain space, time, money) to do that. I set up a women's climbing and outdoors magazine called Beta Magazine whilst carrying out my research and I've really benefitted from channelling some of my energy and worries into that, so that not everything was focused on my MRes. Especially working in lockdown, it would have been pretty detrimental to my mental health to have soley focused on my MRes study.

What you can expect from an MRes

I'll finish by rounding up what you can expect from an MRes based on my experience if you're considering doing one. Throw yourself into life as a postgraduate researcher So it depends what university you go to but at Leeds Beckett you get thrown into the postgraduate research world and that means attending workshops, seminars, meetings, conferences alongside PhD researchers. That was a bit intimidating at first but I just made sure I was open that I was an MRes student and reminded myself that I might not understand what these complex ideas being discussed might mean and I didn't need to understand them immediately. All PhD students that I have worked alongside have been incredibly supportive and interested in what I was doing. You need to be self-disciplined You really do need to be self-disciplined. When I did my undergraduate degree I would go climbing or to the gym during the day, I would go for coffee with friends or nip into the city. Doing my MRes I've kept week days as work days and I've (mostly) managed to have my weekends as time off. There have been a few occasions where I was rushing to meet deadlines but overall, treating my MRes as a job worked really well. Learn to be organised You need to be organised, or learn to be organised. It depends on your subject area and methodology but I was in communication with many different people, so I needed to keep track of who I was meeting with, when, why. I needed to keep track of what I'd read so far, which author said what, or used which theory. I needed to keep on top of seminars and workshops that I was responsible for booking onto myself and getting myself there. Listen to feedback You need to be able to take feedback. It can be really hard when you're told, scrap this bit, it doesn't work, after you spent a long time trying to get your head around an idea and writing it up. This is the nature of academic work, everything will always be questioned and in flux, you might come across one idea and it will completely flip your study on its head. I would just say it's really helpful to know that there are lots of ideas, frameworks and theories that exist, none are right, none are wrong (well, that's not always true) but being comfortable with knowing you could potentially change your mind or another idea could be on offer is a great tool.

A great introduction to the world of research

An MRes is a great introduction to the world of research, especially if you're considering a PhD but you're not sure. It is incredibly hard work but it's also really satisfying to hold a book in your hand that you wrote (my MRes isn't an actual book, I got a hard back bound copy). The impact and knowledge exchange that comes from an MRes can be huge too. I now have the knowledge and understanding of how to be critical that makes me suitable to be a member of organisations and groups where I can actively make suggestions and contributions towards improving certain issues within climbing. I can also appreciate how much I don't know yet and that motivates me to keep finding out new information. The more you learn, the more you realise you don't know, classic. You need to be passionate about what you're researching to keep that motivation going but if you really believe in what you're doing, you're in business.

Find out more

Insta: @active.em.blog Twitter: @active_em_blog Check out Beta Magazine on Insta: @betamagazineclub

", "label": ""}' href="https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blogs/research-enterprise/authors/emily-ankers/"> Emily Ankers

More from the blog, celebrating the winners of our postgraduate research student photo competition - #rkefest23" }'> celebrating the winners of our postgraduate research student photo competition - #rkefest23, becoming and being a research awards supervisor" }'> becoming and being a research awards supervisor, what is a masters by research" }'> what is a masters by research.

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A Master of Research degree prepares prospective PhD candidates for doctoral research in a specific area. A programme of projects, seminars and lectures is offered in an area of research and can be tailored to help the student identify a specific PhD topic. Some programmes are designed to allow students to gain a breadth of experience across a range of multidisciplinary approaches to a particular topic.

An MRes has a major research element, which may take the form of a number of short projects in rotation that you write up for assessment. It may also involve a menu of taught elements, providing training in a variety of general and discipline-specific research methods.

The MRes is generally offered as part of a four-year doctoral programme. In these four-year programmes, the MRes is offered ONLY in conjunction with the PhD. Continuation to the PhD is subject to satisfactory performance in the MRes and the identification of a suitable topic and supervisor.

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How to Conduct Responsible Research: A Guide for Graduate Students

Alison l. antes.

1 Department of Medicine, Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-362-6006

Leonard B. Maggi, Jr.

2 Department of Medicine, Division of Molecular Oncology, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-362-4102

Researchers must conduct research responsibly for it to have an impact and to safeguard trust in science. Essential responsibilities of researchers include using rigorous, reproducible research methods, reporting findings in a trustworthy manner, and giving the researchers who contributed appropriate authorship credit. This “how-to” guide covers strategies and practices for doing reproducible research and being a responsible author. The article also covers how to utilize decision-making strategies when uncertain about the best way to proceed in a challenging situation. The advice focuses especially on graduate students but is appropriate for undergraduates and experienced researchers. The article begins with an overview of the responsible conduct of research, research misconduct, and ethical behavior in the scientific workplace. The takeaway message is that responsible conduct of research requires a thoughtful approach to doing research to ensure trustworthy results and conclusions and that researchers receive fair credit.

INTRODUCTION

Doing research is stimulating and fulfilling work. Scientists make discoveries to build knowledge and solve problems, and they work with other dedicated researchers. Research is a highly complex activity, so it takes years for beginning researchers to learn everything they need to know to do science well. Part of this large body of knowledge is learning how to do research responsibly. Our purpose in this article is to provide graduate students a guide for how to perform responsible research. Our advice is also relevant to undergraduate researchers and for principal investigators (PIs), postdocs, or other researchers who mentor beginning researchers and wish to share our advice.

We begin by introducing some fundamentals about the responsible conduct of research (RCR), research misconduct, and ethical behavior. We focus on how to do reproducible science and be a responsible author. We provide practical advice for these topics and present scenarios to practice thinking through challenges in research. Our article concludes with decision-making strategies for addressing complex problems.

What is the responsible conduct of research?

To be committed to RCR means upholding the highest standards of honesty, accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity ( Steneck, 2007 ). Each day, RCR requires engaging in research in a conscientious, intentional fashion that yields the best science possible ( “Research Integrity is Much More Than Misconduct,” 2019 ). We adopt a practical, “how-to” approach, discussing the behaviors and habits that yield responsible research. However, some background knowledge about RCR is helpful to frame our discussion.

The scientific community uses many terms to refer to ethical and responsible behavior in research: responsible conduct of research, research integrity, scientific integrity, and research ethics ( National Academies of Science, 2009 ; National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2017 ; Steneck, 2007 ). A helpful way to think about these concepts is “doing good science in a good manner” ( DuBois & Antes, 2018 ). This means that the way researchers do their work, from experimental procedures to data analysis and interpretation, research reporting, and so on, leads to trustworthy research findings and conclusions. It also includes respectful interactions among researchers both within research teams (e.g., between peers, mentors and trainees, and collaborators) and with researchers external to the team (e.g., peer reviewers). We expand on trainee-mentor relationships and interpersonal dynamics with labmates in a companion article ( Antes & Maggi, 2021 ). When research involves human or animal research subjects, RCR includes protecting the well-being of research subjects.

We do not cover all potential RCR topics but focus on what we consider fundamentals for graduate students. Common topics covered in texts and courses on RCR include the following: authorship and publication; collaboration; conflicts of interest; data management, sharing, and ownership; intellectual property; mentor and trainee responsibilities; peer review; protecting human subjects; protecting animal subjects; research misconduct; the role of researchers in society; and laboratory safety. A number of topics prominently discussed among the scientific community in recent years are also relevant to RCR. These include the reproducibility of research ( Baker, 2016 ; Barba, 2016 ; Winchester, 2018 ), diversity and inclusion in science ( Asplund & Welle, 2018 ; Hofstra et al., 2020 ; Meyers, Brown, Moneta-Koehler, & Chalkley, 2018 ; National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2018a ; Roper, 2019 ), harassment and bullying ( Else, 2018 ; National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2018b ; “ No Place for Bullies in Science,” 2018 ), healthy research work environments ( Norris, Dirnagl, Zigmond, Thompson-Peer, & Chow, 2018 ; “ Research Institutions Must Put the Health of Labs First,” 2018 ), and the mental health of graduate students ( Evans, Bira, Gastelum, Weiss, & Vanderford, 2018 ).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) ( National Institutes of Health, 2009 ) and the National Science Foundation ( National Science Foundation, 2017 ) have formal policies indicating research trainees must receive education in RCR. Researchers are accountable to these funding agencies and the public which supports research through billions in tax dollars annually. The public stands to benefit from, or be harmed by, research. For example, the public may be harmed if medical treatments or social policies are based on untrustworthy research findings. Funding for research, participation in research, and utilization of the fruits of research all rely on public trust ( Resnik, 2011 ). Trustworthy findings are also essential for good stewardship of scarce resources ( Emanuel, Wendler, & Grady, 2000 ). Researchers are further accountable to their peers, colleagues, and scientists more broadly. Trust in the work of other researchers is essential for science to advance. Finally, researchers are accountable for complying with the rules and policies of their universities or research institutions, such as rules about laboratory safety, bullying and harassment, and the treatment of animal research subjects.

What is research misconduct?

When researchers intentionally misrepresent or manipulate their results, these cases of scientific fraud often make the news headlines ( Chappell, 2019 ; O’Connor, 2018 ; Park, 2012 ), and they can seriously undermine public trust in research. These cases also harm trust within the scientific community.

The U.S. defines research misconduct as fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP) ( Department of Health and Human Services, 2005 ). FFP violate the fundamental ethical principle of honesty. Fabrication is making up data, and falsification is manipulating or changing data or results so they are no longer truthful. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty because it includes using someone’s words or ideas and portraying them as your own. When brought to light, misconduct involves lengthy investigations and serious consequences, such as ineligibility to receive federal research funding, loss of employment, paper retractions, and, for students, withdrawal of graduate degrees.

One aspect of responsible behavior includes addressing misconduct if you observe it. We suggest a guide titled “Responding to Research Wrongdoing: A User-Friendly Guide” that provides advice for thinking about your options if you think you have observed misconduct ( Keith-Spiegel, Sieber, & Koocher, 2010 ). Your university will have written policies and procedures for investigating allegations of misconduct. Making an allegation is very serious. As Keith-Spiegel et al.’s guide indicates, it is important to know the evidence that supports your claim, and what to expect in the process. We encourage, if possible, talking to the persons involved first. For example, one of us knew of a graduate student who reported to a journal editor their suspicion of falsified data in a manuscript. It turned out that the student was incorrect. Going above the PI directly to the editor ultimately led to the PI leaving the university, and the student had a difficult time finding a new lab to complete their degree. If the student had first spoken to the PI and lab members, they could have learned that their assumptions about the data in the paper were wrong. In turn, they could have avoided accusing the PI of a serious form of scientific misconduct—making up data—and harming everyone’s scientific career.

What shapes ethical behavior in the scientific workplace?

Responsible conduct of research and research misconduct are two sides of a continuum of behavior—RCR upholds the ideals of research and research misconduct violates them. Problematic practices that fall in the middle but are not defined formally as research misconduct have been labeled as detrimental research practices ( National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2017 ). Researchers conducting misleading statistical analyses or PIs providing inadequate supervision are examples of the latter. Research suggests that characteristics of individual researchers and research environments explain (un)ethical behavior in the scientific workplace ( Antes et al., 2007 ; Antes, English, Baldwin, & DuBois, 2018 ; Davis, Riske-Morris, & Diaz, 2007 ; DuBois et al., 2013 ).

These two influences on ethical behavior are helpful to keep in mind when thinking about your behavior. When people think about their ethical behavior, they think about their personal values and integrity and tend to overlook the influence of their environment. While “being a good person” and having the right intentions are essential to ethical behavior, the environment also has an influence. In addition, knowledge of standards for ethical research is important for ethical behavior, and graduate students new to research do not yet know everything they need to. They also have not fully refined their ethical decision-making skills for solving professional problems. We discuss strategies for ethical decision-making in the final section of this article ( McIntosh, Antes, & DuBois, 2020 ).

The research environment influences ethical behavior in a number of ways. For example, if a research group explicitly discusses high standards for research, people will be more likely to prioritize these ideals in their behavior ( Plemmons et al., 2020 ). A mentor who sets a good example is another important factor ( Anderson et al., 2007 ). Research labs must also provide individuals with adequate training, supervision and feedback, opportunities to discuss data, and the psychological safety to feel comfortable communicating about problems, including mistakes ( Antes, Kuykendall, & DuBois, 2019a , 2019b ). On the other hand, unfair research environments, inadequate supervision, poor communication, and severe stress and anxiety may undermine ethical decision-making and behavior; particularly when many of these factors exist together. Thus, (un)ethical behavior is a complex interplay of individual factors (e.g., personality, stress, decision-making skills) and the environment.

For graduate students, it is important to attend to what you are learning and how the environment around you might influence your behavior. You do not know what you do not know, and you necessarily rely on others to teach you responsible practices. So, it is important to be aware. Ultimately, you are accountable for your behavior. You cannot just say “I didn’t know.” Rather, just like you are curious about your scientific questions, maintain a curiosity about responsible behavior as a researcher. If you feel uncomfortable with something, pay attention to that feeling, speak to someone you trust, and seek out information about how to handle the situation. In what follows, we cover key tips for responsible behavior in the areas of reproducibility and authorship that we hope will help you as you begin.

HOW TO DO REPRODUCIBLE SCIENCE

The foremost responsibility of scientists is to ensure they conduct research in such a manner that the findings are trustworthy. Reproducibility is the ability to duplicate results ( Goodman, Fanelli, & Ioannidis, 2016 ). The scientific community has called for greater openness, transparency, and rigor as key remedies for lack of reproducibility ( Munafò et al., 2017 ). As a graduate student, essential to fostering reproducibility is the rigor of your approach to doing experiments and handling data. We discuss how to utilize research protocols, document experiments in a lab notebook, and handle data responsibly.

Utilize research protocols

1. learn and utilize the lab’s protocols.

Research protocols describe the step-by-step procedures for doing an experiment. They are critical for the quality and reproducibility of experiments. Lab members must learn and follow the lab’s protocols with the understanding that they may need to make adjustments based on the requirements of a specific experiment.

Also, it is important to distinguish between the experiment you are performing and analyzing the data from that experiment. For example, the experiment you want to perform might be to determine if loss of a gene blocks cell growth. Several protocols, each with pros and cons, will allow you to examine “cell growth.” Using the wrong experimental protocol can produce data that leads to muddled conclusions. In this example, the gene does block cell growth, but the experiment used to produce the data that you analyze to understand cell growth is wrong, thus giving a result that is a false negative.

When first joining a lab, it is essential to commit to learning the protocols necessary for your assigned research project. Researchers must ensure they are proficient in executing a protocol and can perform their experiments reliably. If you do not feel confident with a protocol, you should do practice runs if possible. Repetition is the best way to work through difficulties with protocols. Often it takes several attempts to work through the steps of a protocol before you will be comfortable performing it. Asking to watch another lab member perform the protocol is also helpful. Be sure to watch closely how steps are performed, as often there are minor steps taken that are not written down. Also, experienced lab members may do things as second nature and not think to explicitly mention them when working through the protocol. Ask questions of other lab members so that you can improve your knowledge and gain confidence with a protocol. It is better to ask a question than potentially ruin a valuable or hard-to-get sample.

Be cautious of differences in the standing protocols in the lab and how you actually perform the experiment. Even the most minor deviations can seriously impact the results and reproducibility of an experiment. As mentioned above, often there are minor things that are done that might not be listed in the protocol. Paying attention and asking questions are the best ways to learn, in addition to adding notes to the protocol if you find minor details are missing.

2. Develop your own protocols

Often you will find that a project requires a protocol that has not been performed in the lab. If performing a new experiment in the lab and no protocol exists, find a protocol and try it. Protocols can be obtained from many different sources. A great source is other labs on campus, as you can speak directly to the person who performs the experiment. There are many journal sources as well, such as Current Protocols, Nature Protocols, Nature Methods, and Cell STAR Methods . These methods journals provide the most detailed protocols for experiments often with troubleshooting tips. Scientific papers are the most common source of protocols. However, keep in mind that due to the common brevity of methods sections, they often omit crucial details or reference other papers that may not contain a complete description of the protocol.

3. Handle mistakes or problems promptly

At some point, everyone encounters problems with a protocol, or realizes they made a mistake. You should be prepared to handle this situation by being able to detail exactly how you performed the experiment. Did you skip a step? Shorten or lengthen a time point? Did you have to make a new buffer or borrow a labmate’s buffer? There are too many ways an experiment can go wrong to list here but being able to recount all the steps you performed in detail will help you work through the problem. Keep in mind that often the best way to understand how to perform an experiment is learning from when something goes wrong. This situation requires you to critically think through what was done and understand the steps taken. When everything works perfectly, it is easy to pay less attention to the details, which can lead to problems down the line.

It is up to you to be attentive and meticulous in the lab. Paying attention to the details may feel like a pain at first, or even seem overwhelming. Practice and repetition will help this focus on details become a natural part of your lab work. Ultimately, this skill will be essential to being a responsible scientist.

Document experiments in a lab notebook

1. recognize the importance of a lab notebook.

Maintaining detailed documentation in a lab notebook allows researchers to keep track of their experiments and generation of data. This detailed documentation helps you communicate about your research with others in the lab, and serves as a basis for preparing publications. It also provides a lasting record for the lab that exists beyond your time in the lab. After graduate students leave the lab, sometimes it is necessary to go back to the results of older experiments. A complete and detailed notebook is essential, or all of the time, effort, and resources are lost.

2. Learn the note-keeping practices in your lab

When you enter a new lab, it is important to understand how the lab keeps notebooks and the expectations for documentation. Being conscientious about documentation will make you a better scientist. In some labs, the PI might routinely examine your notebook, while in other labs you may be expected to maintain a notebook, but it may not be regularly viewed by others. It is tempting to become relaxed in documentation if you think your notebook may not be reviewed. Avoid this temptation; documentation of your ideas and process will improve your ability to think critically about research. Further, even if the PI or lab members do not physically view your notebook, you will need to communicate with them about your experiments. This documentation is necessary to communicate effectively about your work.

3. Organize your lab notebook

Different labs use different formats; some use electronic notebooks while others handwritten notebooks. The contents of a good notebook include the purpose of the experiment, the details of the experimental procedure, the data, and thoughts about the results. To effectively document your experiment, there are 5 critical questions that the information you record should be able to answer.

Why I am doing this experiment? (purpose)
What did I do to perform the experiment? (protocol)
What are the results of what I did? (data, graphs)
What do I think about the results?
What do I think are the next steps?

We also recommend a table of contents. It will make the information more useful to you and the lab in the future. The table of contents should list the title of the experiment, the date(s) it was performed, and the page numbers on which it is recorded. Also, make sure that you write clearly and provide a legend or explanation of any shorthand or non-standard abbreviation you use. Often labs will have a combination of written lab notebooks and electronic data. It is important to reference where electronic data are located that go with each experiment. The idea is to make it as easy as possible to understand what you did and where to find all the data (electronic and hard copy) that accompanies your experiment.

Keeping a lab notebook becomes easier with practice. It can be thought of almost like journaling about your experiment. Sometimes people think of it as just a place to paste their protocol and a graph or data. We strongly encourage you to include your thoughts about why you made the decisions you made when conducting the experiment and to document your thoughts about next steps.

4. Commit to doing it the right way

A common reason to become lax in documentation is feeling rushed for time. Although documentation takes time, it saves time in the long-run and fosters good science. Without good notes, you will waste time trying to recall precisely what you did, reproduce your findings, and remember what you thought would be important next steps. The lab notebook helps you think about your research critically and keep your thoughts together. It can also save you time later when writing up results for publication. Further, well-documented data will help you draft a cogent and rigorous dissertation.

Handle data responsibly

1. keep all data.

Data are the product of research. Data include raw data, processed data, analyzed data, figures, and tables. Many data today are electronic, but not all. Generating data requires a lot of time and resources and researchers must treat data with care. The first essential tip is to keep all data. Do not discard data just because the experiment did not turn out as expected. A lot of experiments do not turn out to yield publishable data, but the results are still important for informing next steps.

Always keep the original, raw data. That is, as you process and analyze data, always maintain an unprocessed version of the original data.

Universities and funding agencies have data retention policies. These policies specify the number of years beyond a grant that data must be kept. Some policies also indicate researchers need to retain original data that served as the basis for a publication for a certain number of years. Therefore, your data will be important well beyond your time in graduate school. Most labs require you to keep samples for reanalysis until a paper is published, then the analyzed data are enough. If you leave a lab before a paper is accepted for publication, you are responsible for ensuring your data and original samples are well documented for others to find and use.

2. Document all data

In addition to keeping all data, data must be well-organized and documented. This means that no matter the way you keep your data (e.g., electronic or in written lab notebooks), there is a clear guide—in your lab notebook, a binder, or on a lab hard drive—to finding the data for a particular experiment. For example, it must be clear which data produced a particular graph. Version control of data is also critical. Your documentation should include “metadata” (data about your data) that tracks versions of the data. For example, as you edit data for a table, you should save separate versions of the tables, name the files sequentially, and note the changes that were made to each version.

3. Backup your data

You should backup electronic data regularly. Ideally, your lab has a shared server or cloud storage to backup data. If you are supposed to put your data there, make sure you do it! When you leave the lab, it must be possible to find your data.

4. Perform data analysis honestly and competently

Inappropriate use of statistics is a major concern in the scientific community, as the results and conclusions will be misleading if done incorrectly ( DeMets, 1999 ). Some practices are clearly an abuse of statistics, while other inappropriate practices stem from lack of knowledge. For example, a practice called “p-hacking” describes when researchers “collect or select data or statistical analyses until nonsignificant results become significant” ( Head, Holman, Lanfear, Kahn, & Jennions, 2015 ). In addition to avoiding such misbehavior, it is essential to be proficient with statistics to ensure you do statistical procedures appropriately. Learning statistical procedures and analyzing data takes many years of practice, and your statistics courses may only cover the basics. You will need to know when to consult others for help. In addition to consulting members in your lab or your PI, your university may have statistical experts who can provide consultations.

5. Master pressure to obtain favored results

When you conduct an experiment, the results are the results. As a beginning researcher, it is important to be prepared to manage the frustration of experiments not turning out as expected. It is also important to manage the real or perceived pressure to produce favored results. Investigators can become wedded to a hypothesis, and they can have a difficult time accepting the results. Sometimes you may feel this pressure coming from yourself; for example, if you want to please your PI, or if you want to get results for a certain publication. It is important to always follow the data no matter where it leads.

If you do feel pressure, this situation can be uncomfortable and stressful. If you have been meticulous and followed the above recommendations, this can be one great safeguard. You will be better able to confidently communicate your results to the PI because of your detailed documentation, and you will be more confident in your procedures if the possibility of error is suggested. Typically, with enough evidence that the unexpected results are real, the PI will concede. We recommend seeking the support of friends or colleagues to vent and cope with stress. In the rare case that the PI does not relent, you could turn to an advisor outside the lab if you need advice about how to proceed. They can help you look at the data objectively and also help you think about the interpersonal aspects of navigating this situation.

6. Communicate about your data in the lab

A critical element of reproducible research is communication in the lab. Ideally, there are weekly or bi-weekly meetings to discuss data. You need to develop your communication skills for writing and speaking about data. Often you and your labmates will discuss experimental issues and results informally during the course of daily work. This is an excellent way to hone critical thinking and communication skills about data.

Scenario 1 – The Protocol is Not Working

At the beginning of a rotation during their first year, a graduate student is handed a lab notebook and a pen and is told to keep track of their work. There does not appear to be a specific format to follow. There are standard lab protocols that everyone follows, but minor tweaks to the protocols do not seem to be tracked from experiment to experiment in the standard lab protocol nor in other lab notebooks. After two weeks of trying to follow one of the standard lab protocols, the student still cannot get the experiment to work. The student has included the appropriate positive and negative controls which are failing, making the experiment uninterpretable. After asking others in the lab for help, the graduate student learns that no one currently in the lab has performed this particular experiment. The former lab member who had performed the experiment only lists the standard protocol in their lab notebook.

How should the graduate student start to solve the problem?

Speaking to the PI would be the next logical step. As a first-year student in a lab rotation, the PI should expect this type of situation and provide additional troubleshooting guidance. It is possible that the PI may want to see how the new graduate student thinks critically and handles adversity in the lab. Rather than giving an answer, the PI might ask the student to work through the problem. The PI should give guidance, but it may not be an immediate fix for the problem. If the PI’s suggestions fail to correct the problem, asking a labmate or the PI for the contact information of the former lab member who most recently performed the experiment would be a reasonable next step. The graduate student’s conversations with the PI and labmates in this situation will help them learn a lot about how the people in the lab interact.

Most of the answers for these types of problems will require you as a graduate student to take the initiative to answer. They will require your effort and ingenuity to talk to other lab members, other labs at the university, and even scour the literature for alternatives. While labs have standard protocols, there are multiple ways to do many experiments, and working out an alternative will teach you more than when everything works. Having to troubleshoot problems will result in better standard protocols in the lab and better science.

HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE AUTHOR

Researchers communicate their findings via peer-reviewed publications, and publications are important for advancing in a research career. Many graduate students will first author or co-author publications in graduate school. For good advice on how to write a research manuscript, consult the Current Protocols article “How to write a research manuscript” ( Frank, 2018 ). We focus on the issues of assigning authors and reporting your findings responsibly. First, we describe some important basics: journal impact factors, predatory journals, and peer review.

What are journal impact factors?

It is helpful to understand journal impact factors. There is criticism about an overemphasis on impact factors for evaluating the quality or importance of researchers’ work ( DePellegrin & Johnston, 2015 ), but they remain common for this purpose. Journal impact factors reflect the average number of times articles in a journal were cited in the last two years. Higher impact factors place journals at a higher rank. Approximately 2% of journals have an impact factor of 10 or higher. For example, Cell, Science, and Nature have impact factors of approximately 39, 42, and 43, respectively. Journals can be great journals but have lower impact factors; often this is because they focus on a smaller specialty field. For example, Journal of Immunology and Oncogene are respected journals, but their impact factors are about 4 and 7, respectively.

Research trainees often want to publish in journals with the highest possible impact factor because they expect this to be viewed favorably when applying to future positions. We encourage you to bear in mind that many different journals publish excellent science and focus on publishing where your work will reach the desired audience. Also, keep in mind that while a high impact factor can direct you to respectable, high-impact science, it does not guarantee that the science in the paper is good or even correct. You must critically evaluate all papers you read no matter the impact factor.

What are predatory journals?

Predatory journals have flourished over the past few years as publishing science has moved online. An international panel defined predatory journals as follows ( Grudniewicz et al., 2019 ):

Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices. (p. 211)

Often young researchers receive emails soliciting them to submit their work to a journal. There are typically small fees (around $99 US) requested but these fees will be much lower than open access fees of reputable journals (often around $2000 US). A warning sign of a predatory journal is outlandish promises, such as 24-hour peer review or immediate publication. You can find a list of predatory journals created by a postdoc in Europe at BeallsList.net ( “Beall’s List of Potential Predatory Journals and Publishers,” 2020 ).

What is peer review?

Peer reviewers are other scientists who have the expertise to evaluate a manuscript. Typically 2 or 3 reviewers evaluate a manuscript. First, an editor performs an initial screen of the manuscript to ensure its appropriateness for the journal and that it meets basic quality standards. At this stage, an editor can decide to reject the manuscript and not send it to review. Not sending a paper for peer review is common in the highest impact journals that receive more submissions per year than can be reviewed and published. For average-impact journals and specialty journals, typically your paper will be sent for peer review.

In general, peer review focuses on three aspects of a manuscript: research design and methods, validity of the data and conclusions, and significance. Peer reviewers assess the merit and rigor of the research design and methodology, and they evaluate the overall validity of the results, interpretations, and conclusions. Essentially, reviewers want to ensure that the data support the claims. Additionally, reviewers evaluate the overall significance, or contribution, of the findings, which involves the novelty of the research and the likelihood that the findings will advance the field. Significance standards vary between journals. Some journals are open to publishing findings that are incremental advancements in a field, while others want to publish only what they deem as major advancements. This feature can distinguish the highest impact journals which seek the most significant advancements and other journals that tend to consider a broader range of work as long as it is scientifically sound. It is important to keep in mind that determining at the stage of review and publication whether a paper is “high impact” is quite subjective. In reality, this can only really be determined in retrospect.

The key ethical issues in peer review are fairness, objectivity, and confidentiality ( Shamoo & Resnik, 2015 ). Peer reviewers are to evaluate the manuscript on its merits and not based on biases related to the authors or the science itself. If reviewers have a conflict of interest, this should be disclosed to the editor. Confidentiality of peer review means that the reviewers should keep private the information; they should not share the information with others or use it to their benefit. Reviewers can ultimately recommend that the manuscript is rejected, revised, and resubmitted (major or minor revisions), or accepted. The editor evaluates the reviewers’ feedback and makes a judgment about rejecting, accepting, or requesting a revision. Sometimes PIs will ask experienced graduate students to assist with peer reviewing a manuscript. This is a good learning opportunity. The PI should disclose to the editor that they included a trainee in preparing the review.

Assign authorship fairly

Authorship gives credit to the people who contributed to the research. This includes thinking of the ideas, designing and performing experiments, interpreting the results, and writing the paper. Two key questions regarding authorship include: 1 - Who will be an author? 2 - What will be the order in which authors are listed? These seem simple on the surface but can get quite complex.

1. Know authorship guidelines

Authorship guidelines published by journals, professional societies, and universities communicate key principles of authorship and standards for earning authorship. The core ethical principle of assigning authorship is fairness in who receives credit for the work. The people who contributed to the work should get credit for it. This seems simply enough, but determining authorship can (and often does) create conflict.

Many universities have authorship guidelines, and you should know the policies at your university. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides four criteria for determining who should be an author ( International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, 2020 ). These criteria indicate that an author should do all of the following: 1) make “substantial contributions” to the development of the idea or research design, or to acquiring, analyzing, or interpreting the data, 2) write the manuscript or revise it a substantive way, 3) give approval of the final manuscript (i.e., before it is submitted for review, and after it is revised, if necessary), and 4) agree to be responsible for any questions about the accuracy or integrity of the research.

Several types of authorship violate these guidelines and should be avoided. Guest authorship is when respected researchers are added out of appreciation, or to have the manuscript be perceived more favorably to get it published or increase its impact. Gift authorship is giving authorship to reward an individual, or as a favor. Ghost authorship is when someone made significant contributions to the paper but is not listed as an author. To increase transparency, some journals require authors to indicate how each individual contributed to the research and manuscript.

2. Apply the guidelines

Conflicts often arise from disagreements about how much people contributed to the research and whether those contributions merit authorship. The best approach is an open, honest, and ongoing discussion about authorship, which we discuss in #3 below. To have effective, informed conversations about authorship, you must understand how to apply the guidelines to your specific situation. The following is a simple rule of thumb that indicates there are three components of authorship. We do not list giving final approval of the manuscript and agreeing to be accountable, but we do consider these essentials of authorship.

Thinking – this means contributing to the ideas leading to the hypothesis of the work, designing experiments to address the hypothesis, and/or analyzing the results in the larger context of the literature in the field.
Doing – this means performing and analyzing the experiments.
Writing – this means editing a draft, or writing the entire paper. The first author often writes the entire first draft.

In our experience, a first author would typically do all three. They also usually coordinate the writing and editing process. Co-authors are typically very involved in at least two of the three, and are somewhat involved in the other. The PI, who oversees and contributes to all three, is often the last, or “senior author.” The “senior author” is typically the “corresponding author”—the person listed as the individual to contact about the paper. The other co-authors are listed between the first and senior author either alphabetically, or more commonly, in order from the largest to smallest contribution.

Problems in assigning authorship typically arise due to people’s interpretations of #1 (thinking) and #2 (doing)—what and how much each individual contributed to a project’s design, execution, and analysis. Different fields or PIs may have their own slight variations on these guidelines. The potential conflicts associated with assigning authorship lead to the most common recommendation for responsibly assigning authorship: discuss authorship expectations early and revisit them during the project.

3. Discuss authorship with your collaborators

Publications are important for career advancement, so you can see why people might be worried about fairness in assigning authorship. If the problem arises from a lack of a shared understanding about contributions to the research, the only way to clarify this is an open discussion. This discussion should ideally take place very early at the beginning of a project, and should be ongoing. Hopefully you work in a laboratory that makes these discussions a natural part of the research process; this makes it much easier to understand the expectations upfront.

We encourage you to speak up about your interest in making a contribution that would merit authorship, especially if you want to earn first authorship. Sometimes norms about authoring papers in a lab make it clear you are expected to first and co-author publications, but it is best to communicate your interest in earning authorship. If the project is not yours, but you wish to collaborate, you can inquire what you may be able to contribute that would merit authorship.

If it is not a norm in your lab to discuss authorship throughout the life of projects, then as a graduate student you may feel reluctant to speak up. You could initiate a conversation with a more senior graduate student, a postdoc, or your PI, depending on the dynamics in the group. You could ask generally about how the lab approaches assignment of authorship, but discussing a specific project and paper may be best. It may feel awkward to ask, but asking early is less uncomfortable than waiting until the end of the project. If the group is already drafting a manuscript and you are told that your contribution is insufficient for authorship, this situation is much more discouraging than if you had asked earlier about what is expected to earn authorship.

How to report findings responsibly

The most significant responsibility of authors is to present their research accurately and honestly. Deliberately presenting misleading information is clearly unethical, but there are significant judgment calls about how to present your research findings. For example, an author can mislead by overstating the conclusions given what the data support.

1. Commit to presenting your findings honestly

Any good scientific manuscript writer will tell you that you need to “tell a good story.” This means that your paper is organized and framed to draw the reader into the research and convince them of the importance of the findings. But, this story must be sound and justified by the data. Other authors are presenting their findings in the best, most “publishable” light, so it is a balancing act to be persuasive but also responsible in presenting your findings in a trustworthy manner. To present your findings honestly, you must be conscious of how you interpret your data and present your conclusions so that they are accurate and not overstated.

One misbehavior known as “HARKing,” Hypothesis After the Results are Known, occurs when hypotheses are created after seeing the results of an experiment, but they are presented as if they were defined prior to collecting the data ( Munafò et al., 2017 ). This practice should be avoided. HARKing may be driven, in part, by a concern in scientific publishing known as publication bias. This bias is a preference that reviewers, editors, and researchers have for papers describing positive findings instead of negative findings ( Carroll, Toumpakari, Johnson, & Betts, 2017 ). This preference can lead to manipulating one’s practices, such as by HARKing, so that positive findings can be reported.

It is important to note that in addition to avoiding misbehaviors such as HARKing, all researchers are susceptible to a number of more subtle traps in judgment. Even the most well-intentioned researcher may jump to conclusions, discount alternative explanations, or accept results that seem correct without further scrutiny ( Nuzzo, 2015 ). Therefore, researchers must not only commit to presenting their findings honestly but consider how they can counteract such traps by slowing down and increasing their skepticism towards their findings.

2. Provide an appropriate amount of detail

Providing enough detail in a manuscript can be a challenge with the word limits imposed by most journals. Therefore, you will need to determine what details to include and which to exclude, or potentially include in the supplemental materials. Methods sections can be long and are often the first to be shortened, but complete methods are important for others to evaluate the research and to repeat the methods in other studies. Even more significant is making decisions about what experimental data to include and potentially exclude from the manuscript. Researchers must determine what data is required to create a complete scientific story that supports the central hypothesis of the paper. On the other hand, it is not necessary or helpful to include so much data in the manuscript, or in supplemental material, that the central point of the paper is difficult to discern. It is a tricky balance.

3. Follow proper citation practices

Of course, responsible authorship requires avoiding plagiarism. Many researchers think that plagiarism is not a concern for them because they assume it is always done intentionally by “copying and pasting” someone else’s words and claiming them as your own. Sometimes poor writing practices, such as taking notes from references without distinguishing between direct quotes and paraphrased material, can lead to including material that is not quoted properly. More broadly, proper citation practices include accurately and completely referencing prior studies to provide appropriate context for your manuscript.

4. Attend to the other important details

The journal will require several pieces of additional information, such as disclosure of sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest. Typically, graduate students do not have relationships that constitute conflicts of interest, but a PI who is a co-author may. In submitting a manuscript, also make sure to acknowledge individuals not listed as authors but who contributed to the work.

5. Share data and promote transparency

Data sharing is a key facet of promoting transparency in science ( Nosek et al., 2015 ). It will be important to know the expectations of the journals in which you wish to publish. Many top journals now require data sharing; for example, sharing your data files in an online repository so others have access to the data for secondary use. Funding agencies like NIH also increasingly require data sharing. To further foster transparency and public trust in research, researchers must deposit their final peer-reviewed manuscripts that report on research funded by NIH to PubMed Central. PubMed makes biomedical and life science research publicly accessible in a free, online database.

Scenario 2 – Authors In Conflict

To prepare a manuscript for publication, a postdoc’s data is added to a graduate student’s thesis project. After working together to combine the data and write the paper, the postdoc requests co-first authorship on the paper. The graduate student balks at this request on the basis that it is their thesis project. In a weekly meeting with the lab’s PI to discuss the status of the paper, the graduate student states that they should divide the data between the authors as a way to prove that the graduate student should be the sole first author. The PI agrees to this attempt to quantify how much data each person contributed to the manuscript. All parties agree the writing and thinking were equally shared between them. After this assessment, the graduate student sees that the postdoc actually contributed more than half of the data presented in the paper. The graduate student and a second graduate student contributed the remaining data; this means the graduate student contributed much less than half of the data in the paper. However, the graduate student is still adamant that they must be the sole first author of the paper because it is their thesis project.

Is the graduate student correct in insisting that it is their project, so they are entitled to be the sole first author?

Co-first authorship became popular about 10 years ago as a way to acknowledge shared contributions to a paper in which authors worked together and contributed equally. If the postdoc contributed half of the data and worked with the graduate student to combine their interpretations and write the first draft of the paper, then the postdoc did make a substantial contribution. If the graduate student wrote much of the first draft of the paper, contributed significantly to the second half of data, and played a major role in the thesis concept and design, this is also a major contribution. We summarized authorship requirements as contributing to thinking, doing, and writing, and we noted that a first author usually contributes to all of these. The graduate student has met all 3 elements to claim first authorship. However, it appears that the postdoc has also met these 3 requirements. Thus, it is at least reasonable for the postdoc to ask about co-first authorship.

The best way to move forward is to discuss their perspectives openly. Both the graduate student and postdoc want first authorship on papers to advance their careers. The postdoc feels they contributed more to the overall concept and design than the graduate student is recognizing, and the postdoc did contribute half of the data. This is likely frustrating and upsetting for the postdoc. On the other hand, perhaps the postdoc is forgetting how much a thesis becomes like “your baby,” so to speak. The work is the graduate student’s thesis, so it is easy to see why the graduate student would feel a sense of ownership of it. Given this fact, it may be hard for the graduate student to accept the idea that they would share first-author recognition for the work. Yet, the graduate student should consider that the manuscript would not be possible without the postdoc’s contribution. Further, if the postdoc was truly being unreasonable, then the postdoc could make the case for sole first authorship based on contributing the most data to the paper, in addition to contributing ideas and writing the paper. The graduate student should consider that the postdoc may be suggesting co-first authorship in good faith.

As with any interpersonal conflict, clear communication is key. While it might be temporarily uncomfortable to voice their views and address this disagreement, it is critical to avoiding permanent damage to their working relationship. The pair should consider each other’s perspectives and potential alternatives. For example, if the graduate student is first author and the postdoc second, at a minimum they could include an author note in the manuscript that describes the contribution of each author. This would make it clear the scope of the postdoc’s contribution, if they decided not to go with co-first authorship. Also, the graduate student should consider their assumptions about co-first authorship. Maybe they assume it makes it appear they contributed less, but instead, perhaps co-first authorship highlights their collaborative approach to science. Collaboration is a desirable quality many (although arguably not all) research organizations look for when they are hiring.

They will also need to speak with others for advice. The pair should definitely speak with the PI who could provide input about how these cases have been handled in the past. Ultimately, if they cannot reach an agreement, the PI, who is likely to be the last or “senior” author, may make the final decision. They should also speak to the other graduate student who is an author.

If either individual is upset with the situation, they will want to discuss it when they have had time to cool down. This might mean taking a day before discussing, or speaking with someone outside of the lab for support. Ideally, all authors on this paper would have initiated this conversation earlier, and the standards in the lab for first authorship would be discussed routinely. Clear communication may have avoided the conflict.

HOW TO USE DECISION-MAKING STRATEGIES TO NAVIGATE CHALLENGES

We have provided advice on some specific challenges you might encounter in research. This final section covers our overarching recommendation that you adopt a set of ethical decision-making strategies. These strategies help researchers address challenges by helping them think through a problem and possible alternatives ( McIntosh et al., 2020 ). The strategies encourage you to gather information, examine possible outcomes, consider your assumptions, and address emotional reactions before acting. They are especially helpful when you are uncertain how to proceed, face a new problem, or when the consequences of a decision could negatively impact you or others. The strategies also help people be honest with themselves, such as when they are discounting important factors or have competing goals, by encouraging them to identify outside perspectives and test their motivations. You can remember the strategies using the acronym SMART .

1. S eek Help

Obtain input from others who can be objective and that you trust. They can assist you with assessing the situation, predicting possible outcomes, and identifying potential options. They can also provide you with support. Individuals to consult may be peers, other faculty, or people in your personal life. It is important that you trust the people you talk with, but it is also good when they challenge your perspective, or encourage you to think in a new way about a problem. Keep in mind that people such as program directors and university ombudsmen are often available for confidential, objective advice.

2. M anage Emotions

Consider your emotional reaction to the situation and how it might influence your assessment of the situation, and your potential decisions and actions. In particular, identify negative emotions, like frustration, anxiety, fear, and anger, as they particularly tend to diminish decision-making and the quality of interactions with others. Take time to address these emotions before acting, for example, by exercising, listening to music, or simply taking a day before responding.

3. A nticipate Consequences

Think about how the situation could turn out. This includes for you, for the research team, and anyone else involved. Consider the short, middle-term, and longer-term impacts of the problem and your potential approach to addressing the situation. Ideally, it is possible to identify win-win outcomes. Often, however, in tough professional situations, you may need to select the best option from among several that are not ideal.

4. R ecognize Rules and Context

Determine if any ethical principles, professional policies, or rules apply that might help guide your choices. For instance, if the problem involves an authorship dispute, consider the authorship guidelines that apply. Recognizing the context means considering the situational factors that could impact your options and how you proceed. For example, factors such as the reality that ultimately the PI may have the final decision about authorship.

5. T est Assumptions and Motives

Examine your beliefs about the situation and whether any of your thoughts may not be justified. This includes critically examining the personal motivations and goals that are driving your interpretation of the problem and thoughts about how to resolve it.

These strategies do not have to be engaged in order, and they are interrelated. For example, seeking help can help you manage emotions, test assumptions, and anticipate consequences. Go back to the scenarios and our advice throughout this article, and you will see many of our suggestions align with these strategies. Practice applying SMART strategies when you encounter a problem and they will become more natural.

Learning practices for responsible research will be the foundation for your success in graduate school and your career. We encourage you to be reflective and intentional as you learn and hope that our advice helps you along the way.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute (Antes, K01HG008990) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (UL1 TR002345).

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Schools & departments

Masters by Research (MScR)

Our Masters by Research (MScR) degrees provide a particularly strong preparation for PhD study. They are sometimes offered as part of a doctoral training programme.

MScR, MRes or MARes?

The Masters by Research programmes offered at Edinburgh are abbreviated as MScR; however, at other institutions, it can be abbreviated as MRes (generally in sciences and technology) or MARes (in arts and humanities).

Regardless of the abbreviation, Masters by Research programmes tend to place an emphasis on research skills: around two thirds of the course content consists of research project work. (In contrast, about one third of a taught masters programme will focus on research work).

Masters by Research programmes aim to develop your research skills and, as a result, they provide a good preparation for postdoctoral study. If you are unsure whether a PhD is right for you, a Masters by Research can give you useful experience of what studying for a doctorate might be like, whilst at the same time allowing you to earn a valuable masters level qualification.

Most taught programmes are also designed with PhD progression in mind, so it is worth exploring your options fully.

Find an MScR programme

Programme structure

Masters by Research programmes tend to be available to study full time for one year, or part time for two years, and are likely to end with a final research project or dissertation.

At some universities, the MScR is offered as part of a four-year doctoral programme, where continuation to the PhD is subject to satisfactory performance in the MScR and the identification of a suitable topic and supervisor. This is not the same at Edinburgh: not all Masters by Research at Edinburgh lead directly to a PhD, and you can choose to do a Masters by Research on its own without the need to proceed to a PhD.

Do I need to write a research proposal?

As part of your application for a Masters by Research programme, you will usually need to submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field and outlining your project’s aims and expected outcomes.

You should contact a prospective supervisor for further information on what to include in your proposal.

Our guide to writing a research proposal will take you through the process step-by-step:

How to write a research proposal

Do I need to find a supervisor?

We recommend you identify a suitable supervisor to discuss your research idea before you apply to ensure that we have the right specialist area you are interested in

How to find a supervisor

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Masters by Research

What is an mres.

In the UK, a Research Masters (MRes) is a postgraduate course available in a range of academic fields.

The MRes is designed to prepare students for a career as an academic researcher or consultant, or in industry where an understanding of research would be useful.

However, it differs from a taught Masters by placing particular emphasis on a large dissertation (usually between 35,000 - 40,000 words) in addition to several taught modules.

Therefore an MRes works on the principle that the ability to undertake research is acquired through a mix of being taught about research and actually doing research.

An MRes will give you a taste of a research environment and help you identify subject areas of interest should you wish to progress to a PhD programme.

How long does a Research Masters last?

An MRes in the UK usually requires at least one year of full-time study.

Some courses can be longer, and a part-time degree will normally last two years.

How many credits is it worth?

An MRes is normally worth 180 UK credits, most of which will be earned through research.

A typical MRes might involve around 160 credits of research work (in the form of multiple projects, or a single large dissertation).

This will be supplemented by around 20 credits of training.

Should I study a Research Masters?

The MRes is great if you want to gain research training.

This might be because you want to prepare for a PhD. Though an MA or MSc includes a dissertation, the MRes offers much more research experience. It also provides more extensive research training, allowing you to get going quickly when you start a PhD.

Alternatively, you may actually study an MRes because you don’t want to do a PhD. Many professions value research skills, but a full three-year PhD may not always be necessary. An MRes offers a shorter, more focussed, route into research.

However, an MRes might present a more challenging transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study. You’ll still have some guidance and support (and won’t simply be thrown in at the deep end!) but there will be a more rapid emphasis on independent work.

What are the entry requirements?

An MRes degree will have similar admissions requirements to a taught MA or MSc, the most important of which will be a Bachelors degree.

This should be in a relevant subject, with a good overall result (usually a 2:1 or higher ).

In addition, you may also be asked to put forward a research proposal, or a personal statement describing your academic goals and interests.

Admissions tutors will want to know that you have the enthusiasm and motivation to complete a more independent program of study.

Which subjects offer a Research Masters?

You can study an MRes in any subject, provided it offers enough scope for research training.

Some universities distinguish between different types of MRes, mirroring the distinction between taught MA or MSc programs:

An MRes in Arts and Humanities subjects may be referred to as a ‘Master of Arts by Research’ (often shortened to MARes or MA (Res)).
An MRes in Science and Technology subjects may be referred to as a ‘Master of Science by Research’ (often shortened to MScRes or MSc (Res)).

What can I expect on my Research Masters?

Usually, you will choose a topic, be assigned a supervisor and then conduct an independent investigation before presenting a thesis of your findings.

The research required for an MRes is much more involved, and you may be asked to complete multiple research projects.

This is more likely for technical or professional subjects that require training in different types of research.

Alternatively you might just have to complete one large project.

If so, you can expect this to be much longer than the dissertation for a taught degree . Whereas an MA, for example, will usually require a dissertation of 15-20,000 words, an equivalent MRes project will be around 35,000 or more.

The academic scope of your research may also be more demanding, and although you won’t be judged by PhD standards, you may be expected to be closer to this level than an equivalent MA or MSc dissertation.

The advantage of this is that an MRes offers a full academic research experience. While the dissertation is a single (but significant) part of a taught Masters, your work on an MRes will make you a proficient and professional researcher.

After that, applying for and starting a PhD will become much easier.

How do I apply for a Research Masters?

When looking for a Research Masters course, there are a number of factors you should consider before making any final decisions.

1. Do your research

If you are considering applying for a Research Masters course, it's a good idea to start researching programmes up to a year before you intend to start the course.

For example, if you wish to start an MRes in September 2021, begin your search in September 2020.

This will give you plenty of time to thoroughly investigate all the Research Masters programmes that you think are potential candidates, and to narrow down your choices and make your final decision.

It will also allow you to put together carefully tailored applications, as well as sort out any required documentation, such as references and English Language tests (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS).

2. Check the entry requirements

Double check the application requirements for all courses you are considering applying to, as sometimes they may not be wholly clear, and therefore confuse you as to whether you meet the institution's criteria.

If this is the case, contact the admissions team for the programme and ask them to clarify the entry requirements.

3. Make sure your application is complete

For any application you make, be sure you have included all the necessary information before sending it off.

This includes your personal statement, references, undergraduate degree transcript, English language test results, and any relevant funding application form(s).

4. Talk to your referees

Be considerate of your referees and make sure you give them plenty of time to write you a reference.

Remember they are busy with their own lives, and you can not expect them to clear their schedule to write you a reference if you've only asked them a week before the application deadline.

Ideally, ask them at least a month before you are planning to send off your application - tell them a bit about the course you are applying to, and why you want to do it.

A copy of the course content, your personal statement and your CV may be helpful to them to write you a good reference.

5. Give yourself plenty of time

For some universities, you are able to fill in and submit your application online - however, if you have to post your application off, make sure you complete it in plenty of time for the mail service to deliver it before the application deadline.

It's worth contacting the institution you have applied to a week or so after mailing your application to make sure they have received it, as it could end up being lost or delayed in the mailing process.

Make sure you get your application in well before the deadline, as places on Master's courses are generally limited, and you don't want to miss out on being considered for a place on the course because all the spaces are already full.

As well as all the factors above, you will also need to consider how expensive the course is. Fees can range from just over £3,000 to £10,000, or even higher for some management and highly specialised courses.

Money is likely to be a significant factor in making your final decision, so think realistically about how much you can afford to spend if you don't obtain a scolarship to help fund your studies. Make sure there is funding available from the department that you can apply for.

Higher fees tend to be charged on specialist courses or on courses from universities with an excellent reputation.

If you are trying to choose between different courses with different fees, think carefully about what you are actually paying for and whether it is worth paying extra for a specialist course, or for the name of the institution on your CV.

You shoud also think about your living costs once you start your course - generally the South is more expensive than the North. Living in London will require you to fork out a lot more for food, rent, and transport than living in York.

Take a look at our postgraduate funding section for ideas and advice on covering the expenses for your course.

7. Open Days

These are a great way of finding out more about where and what you will be studying - it's a chance to get a taste of postgraduate life at a particular university.

When you are attending Open Days , make it a priority to find out how the postgraduate community is treated.

Talk to as many postgrad students as you can and ask them what support they receive, how much, and are there any special provisions in terms of societies, resources or facilities?

Writing a research proposal

If you're applying for a Research Masters, you will have to put together a research proposal as part of the application process.

Why do I need to write a research proposal?

The research proposal is important for several reasons:

It allows the university to assess your application in terms of your readiness to undertake a research degree by evaluating your ability to put your knowledge and your own ideas together of your chosen subject, and how you communicate this to others.
MRes students commence work on their research project from the start of their programme of study - the outline research proposal provides a basis for this.
It allows the university to identify a supervisor with expertise in your chosen area.

The provisional proposal you provide with your application does not commit you to a set agenda of study from which you may never digress. It is likely you find your path of research changes anyway as your work progresses.

What should I include in my research proposal?

The university you are applying to will normally have guidelines on what you are expected to write in your research proposal for the course.

These may either be on their website or in a booklet of information about the MRes sent to you through the mail.

It's important to read these guideline notes carefully, as they vary slightly between different institutions.

However, you will generally be asked to include at least some of the following:

Statement of your research question and your objectives.
Other key questions and sub-questions you want to ask.
The research methodology you will use and your reasons for using these particular methods.
How your research is important and what gaps you hope to fill within current knowledge.
Identification of current developments in your chosen research topic.
A realistic time plan for carrying out all your research (i.e. make sure you can answer your research question within the time period allocated).
A short list of references to key articles and texts included in the application.

It is crucial that your proposal includes ample information on what you intend to research, and make sure it is well-written and that your ideas are communicated both clearly and concisely.

This is so that your application has the best chance of gaining the interests of the faculty members to whom you are applying to.

If you do not spend enough time drafting and refining your proposal, and submit a poorly written effort, it is very likely your application will be rejected.

The quality of your research proposal is very important, as the time you spend thinking about it and writing it will be useful in guiding your research when you begin your course.

It will also be the focus of discussions between you and your supervisor, as well as play a vital role in ganing acceptance on to your chosen MRes course.

Therefore it is well worth putting a lot of time and effort into drafting and polishing your research proposal before sending off your application.

How long should the research proposal be?

Universities will usually provide a word limit, though your research proposal will vary in length according to the academic discipline you are interested in.

Generally the proposal is required to be on average between one and two pages of A4.

What if I want to do a PhD afterwards?

If you know you want to continue to a PhD after your Masters you might want to think about a ‘1+3’ program, which combine a Masters and a PhD .

You will start by completing one year of Masters level work, followed by three years at PhD level.

UK universities usually offer these ‘joint’ programmes as fully-funded pathways, designed to develop prospective researchers.

The Masters year of a 1+3 programme is often an MRes course, taking advantage of the degree’s focus on research training.

Studying in this way will award you an MRes after one year of study and a PhD after four.

Further information

For more tips and advice on applying for a postgraduate course, please see:

Should I do a Masters course?
Pros and cons
Postgraduate courses
Entry requirements
Choosing a university
Taught vs Research Masters
Taught Masters Degree
Postgraduate funding

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You are currently on: Taught or research masters

Taught or research masters

Masters degrees at the University of Auckland are generally offered as either research or taught (coursework) masters. Find out more about the benefits of both for international students.

What is a masters degree?

A masters degree is a degree programme demonstrably in advance of undergraduate level, that provides training in scholarship and research.

This allows you to build on your previous study by increasing your knowledge in a specific subject area, enhancing your career prospects and understanding. It offers transferrable skills, researched alongside leading academic staff, rigorous intellectual analysis and problem solving.

Masters degrees usually consist of full time study of either:

one year (120 points)
18 months (180 points)
or two years (240 points)

Our masters programmes are generally 180 points (18 months of full-time study) or 240 points (two years of full-time study). If you have already completed a year of postgraduate study, e.g. a postgraduate diploma, you may be admitted directly to a 120 point version (one year of full-time study).

Eligibility for the different options depends on the prior study you have completed. Some programmes will only include some of these options.

A masters degree can be structured as either a research or a taught programme and will have a points value assigned to it.

Research masters include a thesis or research portfolio of at least 90 points.
Taught masters are comprised of mainly taught courses, but can include a dissertation or research project of less than 90 points.

What's the difference between a taught or research masters?

Taught masters.

Taught (or coursework) masters degrees will give you advanced specialist training in your chosen field. They are usually completed by coursework only, although some can include a dissertation.

Taught masters programmes are becoming increasingly popular with international students at the University of Auckland. With a focus on applied learning and preparation for work, these programmes can produce well-rounded graduates with a broad range of technical and soft skills.

We offer taught masters degrees across various disciplines.

Research masters

As New Zealand’s premier research-led university, we also offer research masters for international students.

A research masters degree provides you with the opportunity to develop advanced research skills and present findings in a documented scholarly form such as a thesis. Your research should make an independent contribution to learning or offer a critical perspective on existing scholarship or methodology.

The University of Auckland has earned a great reputation for delivering academic and research excellence within a supportive learning environment. We give you the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with outstanding academic staff from New Zealand and around the world.

The University has built a broad academic community of researchers, scholars and students who are ready to support you as you challenge current beliefs, form and test new ideas, and embark on an enriching and fulfilling career. We look forward to welcoming you as a member of our community.

How to Become a Research Psychologist

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

Why Become a Research Psychologist

What do research psychologists do, where do research psychologists work, research psychology careers.

What do you do if you love psychology but have no interest in working in mental health? Fortunately, psychology is a very diverse field, and there are plenty of opportunities. One that you might consider is becoming a research psychologist.

Consider the following question from a reader:

" I love psychology, which is why I'm currently working on my bachelor's degree in psychology. I don't want to work in mental health, so my ultimate plan is to become a researcher. While I know that this means I will probably need to go to graduate school, I'm not quite sure exactly where to begin. What type of psychology degree do I need if I want to work in research?"

At a Glance

What do you do if you love psychology but don't want to become a therapist or work in mental health? You might consider becoming a research psychologist. These professionals conduct research and may work in various settings, including universities, research labs, the military, government agencies, and private businesses.

This scenario is not at all uncommon in psychology. Many students love the subject, yet are not at all interested in working in mental health settings. Experimental fields are great options for people who are fascinated by psychology and enjoy performing research.

As a psychology student , you've probably already gotten a taste of just how diverse the field can be. This can be a great thing because it allows for so many different career paths and options, but it can also be confusing for students as they struggle to select an educational path.

Just like many other areas of psychology , becoming a research psychologist is not a "one size fits all" career. There are actually many different degrees that you could potentially pursue.

Start by taking into account what type of research you want to perform and what specific topics interest you the most.

In order to decide if this field is right for you, it is important to first understand exactly what these professionals do:

Also known as experimental psychologists , research psychologists study a broad range of human and animal behavior.
They design and conduct experiments exploring how people act, think, behave, interact, learn, feel, and perform under different conditions.
They also design studies and evaluate research for flaws and bias.
This can encompass an enormous range of topics, including memory , attention, cognition, decision-making, perception, and just about any psychological topic you can think of!

If you enjoy research and still want to work in mental health, there are also mental health professionals who perform research and conduct studies in clinical settings.

Educational backgrounds and requirements for experimental psychologists can vary depending upon where you want to work.

In most cases, you will start by earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. Some students may then choose to earn a master's, but many will go on to receive a doctorate degree.

Bachelor's Degree

Many students interested in becoming research psychologists begin with a bachelor's in psychology . However, some come from a background in a related area such as social work or even from an entirely unrelated degree area altogether.

Remember, it is possible to switch to psychology for graduate school , even if your undergraduate degree is in an unrelated subject.

Master's Degree

In some cases, students might then choose to pursue a master's degree in experimental psychology. However, it is important to note that job opportunities are generally more limited with a master's degree, which is why many opt to instead go on to earn a doctorate degree in psychology .

Doctorate Degree

While you might think you are limited to earning a PhD in experimental psychology, there are actually many different options that you might opt to pursue.

For example, if you are interested in studying the human brain, you might earn a degree focused on neuropsychology. Have an active interest in social behavior? Then, you might want to consider a doctorate in social psychology .

How to Get Started

While you might not be exactly sure about what specialty you want to pursue, you can now do plenty of things to prepare for your future as a research psychologist . Start by taking as many undergraduate courses in research methods , statistics , and experimental design as possible.

Sign up for research opportunities through your school's psychology department and consider signing up as a research assistant. It's a great way to gain valuable experience while earning college credits.

As you can see, research is something that plays a significant role in virtually every field of psychology . Your goal now is to determine which particular specialty area interests you the most and exactly where you might want to work someday.

Research psychologists are employed in a wide range of sectors, including private research firms, universities, corporations, the military, and government agencies.

So what kind of jobs will you be able to get as a research psychologist? While there are many different options, a few that you might consider include:

College Professor

Many research psychologists work at colleges and universities, teaching undergraduate and graduate students and conducting research.

Research Analyst

A research analyst evaluates data that has been collected. This career involves performing statistical analyses and managing data to ensure it is collected, recorded, and analyzed properly.

Research Scientist

A research scientist conducted grant-funded research. They are often the lead investigators of a study and are responsible for hiring assistants, managing projects, designing experiments, writing journal articles, and sharing the results of their experiments.

If you enjoy research and aren't interested in working in the field of mental health, a career as a research psychologist might be a great choice for you. To enter this field, you should focus on earning an undergraduate degree in psychology before going to graduate school to get your doctorate. Taking coursework in statistics and research methodology can help, but you should also take advantage of any opportunity to participate in research.

Bishop DV. The psychology of experimental psychologists: Overcoming cognitive constraints to improve research: The 47th Sir Frederic Bartlett Lecture . Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) . 2020;73(1):1-19. doi:10.1177/1747021819886519

Smith KV, Thew GR. Conducting research in clinical psychology practice: Barriers, facilitators, and recommendations . Br J Clin Psychol . 2017;56(3):347-356. doi:10.1111/bjc.12142

Scholtz SE, de Klerk W, de Beer LT. The use of research methods in psychological research: A systematised review . Front Res Metr Anal . 2020;5:1. doi:10.3389/frma.2020.00001

American Psychological Association. Pursuing a Career in Experimental Psychology . Updated March 2014.

The Princeton Review. Experimental Psychology .

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

VUSN matching program to inspire philanthropy, drive research and work to ease health inequities

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In support of its commitment to fighting health inequities, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has launched an ambitious campaign to raise and match $1 million to support health disparity research.

Pamela R. Jeffries, dean and Valere Potter Distinguished Professor of Nursing, recently announced the school’s Nursing Health Equity Fellowship program, setting aside $1 million for health equity research at the school and asking VUSN supporters to make a 1:1 philanthropic match to fund this critical research.

VUSN has long tackled health inequities—the systemic variations that prevent certain communities from attaining optimal health—through research, student clinical experiences and faculty practice. These inequities affect millions of people around the country and are especially pronounced for people of color, those with disabilities, individuals who belong to the LGBTQ+ community and those who live in low-income or rural areas.

The school has increased its emphasis on health equity in recent years. Recent initiatives have included building health equity education and efforts into its new Master of Nursing registered nurse program, providing COVID-19 vaccines to the uninsured through Vanderbilt’s mobile vaccine program, and conducting interdisciplinary research within the Vanderbilt Center for Research on Inequality and Health , a pioneering center launched this fall in partnership with the College of Arts and Science.

“For nurses to provide world-class support to our patients, we must also address the broader circumstances, contexts and injustices that underlie their care,” Jeffries said. “I initiated this match program to amplify health equity research today and to instill a lifelong passion for this issue among our talented faculty and students.”

Gifts made as part of the match program will fund faculty and student fellowships, as well as health equity programs to be offered as part of Immersion Vanderbilt, a curriculum requirement for all undergraduate students that promotes experiential learning beyond the classroom. Together, these initiatives will spark research across topics such as: how a neighborhood’s drinking water and environmental factors affect children’s cognitive development; strategies for the fair and efficient distribution of preventative care resources among underserved populations; and other potential projects and applications.

The match will run until Dec. 31, or until the $1 million in match dollars are fulfilled. Eligible gifts include endowed commitments in the amount of $100,000 or more, paid in a single payment or pledged over multiple scheduled payments.

In addition to directly supporting Vanderbilt’s health equity scholars, gifts made in support of the Health Equity Fellowship program will power the momentum of Vanderbilt’s Dare to Grow campaign, a $3.2 billion effort that will fund Vanderbilt’s most ambitious vision: to be the great university of the 21st century.

Keep Reading

Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery added to Discovery Vanderbilt portfolio; philanthropic matching launched

Diermeier announces enhanced retirement plan with increased match, auto enrollment

Daring to Grow: The stories that shaped Vanderbilt in 2023

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Building, Architecture, Outdoors, City, Aerial View, Urban, Office Building, Cityscape

Clinical Research Nurse

Madison, Wisconsin
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH/CARBONE COMP CANCER CENTER
Health and Wellness Services
Partially Remote
Staff-Full Time
Staff-Part Time
Opening at: Apr 26 2024 at 14:25 CDT
Closing at: May 10 2024 at 23:55 CDT

Job Summary:

The Clinical Research Nurse will join the Clinical Research Central Office (CRCO) at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) to coordinate cancer clinical research within one or more Disease-Oriented Teams. The primary duties of this job involve the management of subjects enrolled in clinical research studies at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. This position will report to the Clinical Team Manager and work under the general direction of the Principal Investigator of each research study. This position has the ability to work remotely 1 day/week and does not include any nights or weekends. Prefer full time FTE, but will consider down to 0.8 FTE for the right candidate. The Clinical Research Nurse must have a high degree of clinical expertise with a specific focus on the treatment of patients with anticancer agents and a specialized nursing competence in the field of Oncology Research.

Responsibilities:

10% Secures and schedules logistics for clinical research projects according to the research plan
10% Assists in the recruitment and screening of subjects for clinical studies by conducting physical health assessments
10% Provides professional nursing care to patients according to established protocols
15% Provides appropriate treatment plan direction and information to study participants
20% Serves as main point of contact and liaison to project participants, investigators, research sponsors, and the research team delivering study information in accordance with established research project standards and protocols
10% Collects, verifies, and enters data into database and analyzes clinical information data
15% Serves a primary point of contact for emergent study participant situations related to adverse effects or complications of the study
10% May provide expertise, training, and guidance to the community, peers, and/or students

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Preferred Bachelor's Degree Nursing

Qualifications:

Minimum one year nursing experience required. Candidates should have exceptional clinical nursing skills and expertise coupled with a strong interest in clinical research. Prior experience working with Oncology patients is preferred. Prior clinical research experience preferred. License/Certification should also include BLS certification required

License/Certification:

Required RN - Registered Nurse - State Licensure And/Or Compact State Licensure Required BCLS - Basic Life Support

Full or Part Time: 80% - 100% This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $68,000 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications

Additional Information:

- Work experience should demonstrate dependability, flexibility, and maturity. Candidates must be effective at building interpersonal relationships with constructive interactions, be clear and effective communicators, promote and create collegial environments that value accountability. Employees will also be expected to uphold UWCCC core values as defined below: - Respect: Demonstrate respect for self and others -- behave professionally. - Integrity: Act with integrity and honesty. - Teamwork: Commit to and demonstrate teamwork. - Excellence: Ensure excellence, quality, and high ethical standards in conduct and performance. -TB testing and a Caregiver Background Check will be required at the time of employment. This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations. The selected candidate will be required to pass an initial Caregiver Check to be eligible for employment under the Wisconsin Caregiver Law and then every four years. - The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply Now" button. You will be asked to upload a resume and cover letter, and provide three professional/supervisor references as a part of the application process. Please ensure that the resume and cover letter address how you meet the minimum/preferred qualifications for the position.

Jennifer Wilkie [email protected] 608-262-8025 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Research Nurse(HS042)

Department(s):

A53-MEDICAL SCHOOL/CARBONE CANC CTR/CANC CTR

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

The university of wisconsin-madison is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer..

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Education | How Denver is approaching its Black Student…

Education | How Denver is approaching its Black Student Success work

“we have to be ruthless in our pursuit of equity” denver superintendent alex marrero said.

DENVER, CO - APRIL 04: Denver Green School Southeast 8th graders, Suren Sadeghi, left, and Rishon Harvey work an exercise in Nicole Saab’s literacy class in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, April 04, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Giant easel-sized sticky notes hung on the walls of Nicole Saab’s classroom. On each, Saab had written a student’s name and a simple prompt: Ask me about banning books! Ask me about cyberbullying! Ask me about children and video games!

The topics had been chosen by her eighth grade literacy students at Denver Green School Southeast. The activity was a group brainstorming session to help guide students’ research. As Bob Marley played through the classroom speakers, Saab directed her students, pencils in hand, to move from poster to poster, writing questions about their classmates’ research topics.

“Write something you would want to know,” Saab told her students. “Be curious. Challenge that person. Like, really challenge them.”

The activity was typical of Saab’s approach to teaching: Students were up out of their seats, moving around, making noise, and engaging with each other. “No opt outs” is one of Saab’s classroom rules, although she makes exceptions for students who are tired or hungry, giving them short breaks or one of the snacks she keeps stashed in a corner.

Saab is one of 10 Denver Public Schools teachers who’ve helped their Black students achieve stellar academic progress and whose teaching methods are being studied by university researchers as part of the district’s Black Student Success work.

Saab’s syllabus includes literature ranging from George Orwell’s classic novel “Animal Farm” to rapper Tupac Shakur’s poem “The Rose That Grew From Concrete.” Saab also opens up to her students, sharing her heritage — she’s Lebanese — and her own experiences as a Denver Public Schools student whose father was a longtime principal.

“I am the warm demander,” Saab said in an interview. “I will love up on you, but I have super high expectations and this will be a rigorous class.”

Once the researchers have finished their study of Saab and the other teachers, the idea is to spread whatever effective teaching methods they find throughout the district, starting next year with six elementary schools.

“We want to be strategic,” said Michael Atkins, the district’s new director of Black Student Success. “These six schools are a learning lab so our babies can inform us of what we’re doing well or what we’re not before we full-scale do things we think will work.”

DPS has for the past five years put an emphasis on improving education for Black students, ever since the school board passed a Black Excellence Resolution in 2019. The Black Student Success team, led by Atkins, was created this school year and is the latest phase of that work. The district has budgeted $750,000 for the team’s work next year, a district spokesperson said.

About 14% of Denver’s 88,000 students are Black, and data shows the district is not serving them well. Black students are more likely to be harshly disciplined than white students, and they are less likely to score at grade level on state literacy and math tests.

The mandate of the 2019 resolution, and the idea behind the new Black Student Success work, is to change that. It’s a mission that’s personal to Atkins, who attended DPS during the era of busing to integrate Denver schools and faced discrimination and low expectations. Before he took this position, Atkins was principal of Stedman Elementary, one of Denver’s most integrated schools.

“My whole goal in education is to make sure that babies that look like me don’t have the same experience I did walking the halls of DPS,” he said.

Some principals see chance to “break the system”

Chris Fleming is principal of Joe Shoemaker School, an elementary school about five miles southeast of Denver Green School. Shoemaker is one the six schools in the inaugural Black Student Success cohort, all of which serve a significant population of Black students — and all of which have principals who want to do better by those students.

About a quarter of students at Shoemaker are Black, higher than the district average. Just 9% of Black students at Shoemaker met expectations on the state literacy test last spring, according to state data. That’s compared to 35% of white students who did.

The test score gap between Black students and white students — a persistent and pervasive problem at schools across the country — is the biggest issue Fleming hopes Denver’s new Black Student Success team can address districtwide.

“We want to be a place that has a lab site that’s like, ‘We’ve figured this out. We have a cadre of schools that, in my most aspirational dream, have eliminated the achievement gap,’” Fleming said. “That’s a big goal. But why not shoot for it?”

Shoemaker has had a taste of success already. For the past two years, the school has experimented with what it calls “equity cohorts.”

Each teacher picks four to seven students of color, with an emphasis on Black students, who are reading significantly below grade level, Fleming said. The teachers focus on building relationships with those students, nurturing them socially and academically. Out of about 450 students last school year, Fleming counted 187 who were getting extra attention.

When Fleming and other school leaders would go into teachers’ classrooms to observe, they zeroed in on the students in the equity cohorts. Whereas a teacher’s unconscious bias may have caused them to not call on those students as much or discipline them more, Fleming said, “when teachers knew we were watching those students, that changed.”

Test scores also improved. Although most Shoemaker students were still reading below grade level, students of color made higher-than-average gains, resulting in a splash of green on the school’s color-coded report card in a sea of yellow and red.

“That was the validation,” Fleming said. “We knew it was the right thing.”

But the equity cohorts have been harder to maintain this year, Fleming said. There are multiple reasons, including teacher turnover and a host of new district and school initiatives. That’s the reason Fleming wanted to participate in the Black Student Success work.

“Like with anything else, when you take on too many initiatives, it’s too much,” Fleming said. “Anytime you can narrow a focus, you have more success.”

Principals at other participating schools echoed Fleming.

“There are so many different competing priorities in a school district,” said Corey Jenks, principal at Columbine Elementary, located in a historically Black northeast Denver neighborhood where gentrification has caused Columbine’s Black student population to dwindle to about 21%. “I’m most excited to have a very clear, very specific and really relevant focus that I know will stay true.”

Gabriela Quiroga-Beck, principal at far northeast Denver’s Oakland Elementary, where about 20% of the student population is Black, said she was hesitant to join the cohort of six schools. She worried the initiative would be like others that gained steam but then petered out.

“But in this case, the six of us, we wanted to do something, we wanted to change the system,” Quiroga-Beck said of herself and the other principals. “So I said yes.”

“This is a great opportunity,” she added, “to kind of break the system in favor of our Black students.”

“We have to be ruthless in our pursuit of equity”

The work is still in the beginning stages. The researchers, including Erin Anderson, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Denver, are finishing their study of Saab and the other highly effective teachers.

Anderson said her hope is to pull out “actionable change ideas” that teachers at the six schools in the cohort could try in their own classrooms next school year.

“We are really trying to take research and put it back into practice,” Anderson said. “From practice to research to practice is sort of the model here.”

Meanwhile, the principals of the six schools will attend leadership training this summer through the University of Virginia, a program widely used by DPS and other districts around the country.

But first, on a Friday afternoon in March, the principals gathered in a conference room at DPS headquarters to strategize. Atkins opened the session with a metaphor.

Students, he said, are like plants. Educators are like rain. And you know those little stickers, Atkins said, that come with plants? The ones that tell you, based on the number of raindrop icons, exactly how much rain the plants need? Every student has one of those stickers.

“What is that raindrop icon for our Black students?” Atkins said.

On sticky notes, the principals wrote problems they’re trying to solve. Students being bored and unengaged in class. Too many absences. Generational trauma from bad experiences in school. The principals asked big, brainstorming-type questions about possible solutions.

“How are you getting every single kid to soak up everything you say and collaborate in small groups without you having to monitor them because they are so excited about their own success?” said Jenks, the principal at Columbine Elementary.

Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero stopped by the session. He thanked the principals for agreeing to take part in something innovative — “Is it a bit of an exploration? Yes, it is.” — and pointed to where the word “equity,” one of the district’s core values, was written on the wall.

“We have to be ruthless in our pursuit of equity beyond just the fancy words we have plastered,” he said. “I’m excited for this work — we’re putting a lot into it — and I’m excited that it’s you all.”

It’s work that, if successful, could impact how the district serves other student groups. Marrero has talked about starting a Latinx Student Success team.

Improving classroom instruction by studying teachers like Saab will likely be just one prong of the district’s plan. Saab, who spends half her time teaching and half her time coaching other teachers at her school, said she felt proud to be chosen for the study.

She conceded it’s not possible to coach personality; some teachers are naturals at connecting with students, she said, while others are not. But she said it is possible to coach best practices: “How does a classroom look more collaborative? How do you engage with a student who looks like they’re opting out? Is it punitive or do you get to know them?

“You can do the work,” Saab said of teachers. “I think that’s what’s important.”

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at [email protected].

Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit news organization covering education issues. For more, visit chalkbeat.org/co .

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Drinking fruit juice as a child can stop obesity later in life, new research suggests.

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A new study has discovered that having fizzy drinks such as cola before the age of two can cause weight gain in your twenties, while kids who drink fruit juice tend to have healthier diets in the future .

The Swansea University research followed 14,000 British children from birth to adulthood and is believed to be the longest of its kind ever reported.

The results, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that children who drank fizzy drinks or sugar-sweetened fruit cordials before the age of two gained more weight when they were 24 years old.

A new study found that children who drank fruit juice instead of soda at an early age tended to have healthier diets later in life.

At three years old, toddlers who drank cola were seen to consume more calories, fat, protein, and sugar but less fiber while those given pure apple juice consumed less fat and sugar but higher amounts of fiber.

A link was also found between childhood drinks and different food choices, with kids who had pure apple juice eating more fish, fruit, green vegetables, and salad — compared with cola kids who ate more burgers, sausages, pizza, french fries, meat, chocolate, and sweets.

Lead researcher Professor David Benton said: “The early diet establishes a food pattern that influences, throughout life, whether weight increases.

“The important challenge is to ensure that a child develops a good dietary habit: one that offers less fat and sugar, although pure fruit juice, one of your five a day, adds vitamin C, potassium, folate, and plant polyphenols.”

Additionally, the team discovered a link between sugar-sweetened drinks and social deprivation, with children from richer backgrounds more likely to have access to pure fruit juice.

The researchers hope that their findings will encourage parents to pay more attention to their children’s diet in the first years of life.

Dr. Hayley Young added: “Obesity is a serious health concern, one that increases the risk of many other conditions.

“Our study shows that the dietary causes of adult obesity begin in early childhood and that if we are to control it, more attention needs to be given to our diet in the first years of life.”

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Masters Vs PhD: The Difference Between Masters & PhD/Doctorates 2023+
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The Master of Research (MRes) Degree
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Drinking fruit juice as a child can stop obesity later in life, new
A new study has discovered that having fizzy drinks such as cola before the age of two can cause weight gain in your twenties, while kids who drink fruit juice tend to have healthier diets in the ...