book

Success and Creativity in Scientific Research

by David S. Sholl

March 2021

Beginner

130 pages

4h 7m

English

CRC Press

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Then and Now – Marco Polo, Alfred Russel Wallace and Grumpy CatFiona Wood and Spray-on SkinLineages of Successful Scientific PapersThe $10 Billion Blood DropKuen Charles Cao and the Invention of Optical FibersAre You Ready to “Do a Bradbury”?Chapter SummaryFurther Resources for Chapter 1
Why Is Deep Work Worthwhile?Making Deep Work Work for YouEstablish Schedules and Rhythms for Your WorkEmbrace Boredom – Training Yourself to Enter a Distraction-Free StateMake Conscious Choices about TechnologyChapter SummaryFurther Resources for Chapter 2
Bad Habit # 1: Believe Your Own HypeBad Habit # 2: Don’t Learn from the PastBad Habit # 3: Work AloneBad Habit # 4: Confuse Activity with ProductivityBad Habit # 5: Exclude All Inputs That Aren’t Immediately RelevantBad Habit # 6: Criticize Others but Never YourselfBad Habit # 7: Let Your Personal Background Hold You BackChapter SummaryAdditional Resources for Chapter 3

What Would Croesus Do?Can You Tell Me Where It Hurts?Where Else Would That Work?Would Flipping It Help?What Would Gandhi Do?Chapter SummaryFurther Resources for Chapter 4
Specious Barriers to Writing and the Secret of Successful WritingSpecious Barrier #1: I Can’t Find Time to Write (a.k.a. I Could Write Much More If I Just Had Large Chunks of Time)Specious Barrier #2: I Need to Read a Few More ArticlesSpecious Barrier #3: I Need a Nicer Chair/New Computer/Stronger CoffeeSpecious Barrier #4: I Am Waiting Until I Feel Like It (a.k.a. I Write Best When I’m Feeling Inspired)Moving Beyond Specious BarriersWhat to Do When You WritePlaying and Practicing are Two Different ThingsDon’t Worry about the Hard PartBe HonestBe OptimisticBe Persistent and Be ConsistentChapter SummaryAdditional Resources for Chapter 5
A Sample PresentationChapter SummaryFurther Resources for Chapter 6
Try to Solve Major Problems and Make Big DiscoveriesAcquire the Basic Skills and Work with the Right PeopleTalk about the ProblemLearn to Write Clearly and ConciselyFocus, Don’t Be a DilettanteBe Generous and Culturally AwareTell the TruthBe Persistent, But Be Prepared To FailTake Care of Yourself and Live a Long LifeYour Time Is PreciousChapter SummaryFurther Resources for Chapter 7

Content preview from Success and Creativity in Scientific Research

Preface

This book aims to be useful for anyone who is pursuing a career involving creativity and research in a technical discipline. This broad description includes not only readers who are (or aspire to be) researchers at universities, but also a wide range of career paths in industrial R&D, startup companies, and non-profit and government organizations. When aiming to develop a career of this type, it is natural to wonder what characteristics separate the performance of people who are average from the exceptional. Technical skill and knowledge are a prerequisite for success in a research career, but they are far from being the only skills that are important. This book is about all those other skills.

The book’s title and many of the chapter ...