Finding a Research Topic

1
Finding a Research Topic
Anirban Banerjee and Michalis Faloutsos, Departmen
t of Computer Science and Engineering, University
of California at Riverside
2
Problem Addressed

• How to identify a research area that is both
  interesting and exciting for you.

3
Outline

• Problem addressed
• The Right Research Topic
• Identifying your Preferences
• Interacting with people
• Recap

4
The Right Research Topic

• A field that compliments
• Your personal preferences.
• Your technical strengths.
• The professional profile which you foresee for
  yourself after your PhD.
• Makes you feel like waking up each morning and
  getting to work as soon as possible.

5
Characteristics of the Right Research Topic

• Interesting for you
• Well specified
• Can you explain it in 3 lines, 1 paragraph, 1
  page?
• Scope for your contribution
• Ask What needs to be done, not what can I do
• Will people care?
• Do your best, and people usually start to notice.
  

6
Outline

• Problem addressed
• The Right Research Topic
• Identifying your Preferences
• Interacting with people
• Recap

7
Identifying your Preferences

• Are you interested in Theory or Implementation,
  perhaps visionary work?
• Expand your horizons
• Take courses to get an idea of different areas
• Take up projects
• Read Tech. Journals and articles

8
Identifying your Preferences

• Out of all the choices
• Which one gets you most interested
• Which one seems to be cool to you
• Read more on that area
• You will finally identify your area of choice.

9
Doing research is a Continuous Process

• Cycles of expanding and focus
• Try to narrow things down in each cycle
• From a boring/done topic -gt new dimensions
• A balance between in trying an idea/direction
• Giving up too easily
• Persisting on a dead-end
• Tip often you can apply your current skills to a
  new problem formulation

10
Optimistic view

• Good things happen to people that try
• However, keep your ears open
• Take advantage of opportunities
• Establish collaborations with people
• See what industry wants (internships)

11
Outline

• Problem addressed
• The Right Research Topic
• Identifying your Preferences
• Interacting with people
• Recap

12
Interacting with people

• There is no substitute to interacting with
  people.
• Talk to your advisor.
• Talk to fellow students
• Talk with people who are actively working in your
  area of interest
• Talk to few professors in other research areas
• Sometimes a completely different viewpoint is
  helpful

13
Caution

• Listen to and consider what people say
• Dont change topics every time you talk to someone

14
Outline

• Problem addressed
• The Right Research Topic
• Identifying your Preferences
• Interacting with people
• Conclusion

15
Outline

• Problem addressed
• The Right Research Topic
• Identifying your Preferences
• Interacting with people
• Conclusion

16
Conclusion

• Be positive and proactive.
• Repeat cycle to select your topic your interest.
• Talk to advisor, students and people working in
  your area of interest.
• You must be persistent and finally commit at some
  point.
• Just keep in mind There is no magic recipe.

17
Good Luck!