How to survive in research: advice for the novice investigator

Dan Siskind; Stephen Parker; Samantha Loi; Jeffrey C Looi; Matthew D Macfarlane; Sally Merry; Geoff Smith; Steve Kisely

doi:10.1177/1039856214562078

How to survive in research: advice for the novice investigator

Australas Psychiatry. 2015 Feb;23(1):22-4. doi: 10.1177/1039856214562078. Epub 2014 Dec 15.

Authors

Dan Siskind¹, Stephen Parker², Samantha Loi³, Jeffrey C Looi⁴, Matthew D Macfarlane⁵, Sally Merry⁶, Geoff Smith⁷, Steve Kisely⁸

Affiliations

¹ Committee for Research, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), Melbourne, VICUniversity of Queensland, School of Medicine and Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia d.siskind@uq.edu.au.
² Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICUniversity of Queensland, School of Medicine and Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
³ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICAcademic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, St Vincent's Health, University of Melbourne, St George's Hospital, VIC, Australia.
⁴ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICAcademic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australia and Mental Health Service, ACT Health Directorate, Canberra Hospital, Woden, ACT, Australia.
⁵ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICGraduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong and Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
⁶ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VIC, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁷ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICCentre for Mental Health Policy Research, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁸ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICUniversity of Queensland School of Medicine, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

PMID: 25512965
DOI: 10.1177/1039856214562078

Abstract

Objectives: This paper, written by the RANZCP Committee for Research, provides an outline for how to survive in research, considering the ingredients likely to contribute to success, the role of supportive structures and the expected challenges. Learning how to survive in research is relevant for both trainees and for Fellows undertaking research at any stage of their career.

Conclusions: Intellectual curiosity, perseverance, frustration tolerance, patience and humility are key for success as a researcher. Selection of the right supervisor is important, as is development and maintenance of a good working supervisor/supervisee relationship. The personal benefits of undertaking research include flexibility in work hours, and improved skills in writing, oral presentations, objectivity, critical thinking, problem solving and project management.

Keywords: early career; psychiatry; research.

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological*
Biomedical Research / methods*
Humans
Mentors*
Psychiatry
Research Personnel / psychology*