Hello!
The duration of doctoral studies is often a vivid discussion among graduate students. Overall, we expect this journey to last a few years, considering typical project grant durations, university regulations and requirements from the supervisors. Still, if it is too short, one may feel that there were several unexplored opportunities, while an unusually long duration may signal some mismatch in expectations, planning, or project goals. Regardless, one of the most fascinating aspects of this process for me has been the compounding effect of experience over the years. While we begin with a research project plan where we identify the key aims that we will tackle in our work, paired with the expected timeline for each one, it is only when we start and face inevitable challenges that we can effectively calibrate it realistically. At the same time, I strongly advocate working efficiently, and I am curious to identify techniques and tools to increase my productivity and throughput. Therefore, despite the best intentions to progress swiftly, there are moments and obstacles that may force us to reconsider if we need to restart from scratch and rebuild a previous seemingly complete study. As a result, in this post, I would like to reflect on some of the circumstances that lead to such moments and how we can embrace them openly towards more fulfilling and enriching research and personal growth.
New tools
Unsurprisingly, one of the most impactful events we can face is the release of a new tool, package or software that addresses a problem we have been trying to solve or dramatically simplifies or improves our existing workflows. In my experience, Twitter/X is one of the best platforms to uncover the latest releases of software or papers, and so far, I have repeatedly encountered several valuable tools for my work. In the worst case, it can make part of our project redundant, while more positive scenarios can lead to advancements we have yet to consider. In the former situation, we need to be comfortable understanding if our work still brings anything novel that makes it worthwhile continuing its development or if, instead, we should pivot to a different open problem or research question. In the latter case, if the benefits are worth it, such new tools may require us to adjust our codebase or rewrite many scripts accordingly. Such decisions are highly subjective and often dependent on the project timeline, requiring an individualised evaluation. For instance, while it could be exciting to upgrade the interface of a functional tool, the extra development time required may not be compatible with the deadline set for the publication of the article featuring this tool.
New knowledge
Another aspect that should naturally evolve with time is our field knowledge. Ideally, as we work on our research, we should remain attentive to recent literature and leverage new results to re-assess our project. On the one hand, it could be that we identify a previously overlooked flaw that can now be addressed and implemented. Depending on how invested we are in the topic, it can be bittersweet to identify a bottleneck that may jeopardise the work of previous months. Still, understanding the issue is a worthy advancement in our knowledge, even if it prevents further progress. Eventually, alone or with the support of mentors, it should be possible to identify alternative routes to explore and make a meaningful scientific contribution to the field. On the other hand, it could point us to improved ways to process our data, enabling higher throughput to generate novel results. This case is often more exciting as it can save tremendous time in repetitive tasks.
“Progress in science depends on new techniques, new discoveries and new ideas, probably in that order.” - Sydney Brenner
New intuition
At last, an underestimated skill that should grow with time is our scientific intuition. In our group, we actively promote scientific discussions in group meetings, presenting novel results or debating future projects, and by participating in conferences that enable us to interact with other researchers in our field. Eventually, this exposure calibrates our ability to organise and present information, whether focusing on figure panels or written abstracts and articles. Not only that, it also becomes more intuitive how to pitch our work to our target community and collect meaningful feedback that we can use to further advance research. I have also witnessed how practical this skill can be when discussing ideas with more junior colleagues. By nurturing scientific intuition over the years, it is easier to identify the most compelling aspects of our work and convey them in a way that captures interest. This perspective allows us to provide strategic guidance to junior team members as they establish themselves.
Conclusion
A doctoral degree is a long and rewarding process. I have been fortunate to work in a laboratory that promotes personal and scientific growth as we develop our projects. Crucially, reflecting on this journey is an essential step to recognise how far we have evolved, and I am excited to lead my project to completion as I continue to learn more about scientific research.
Please feel free to share your experiences from your doctoral studies!
Have a great day!