Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 As I seek out the path in which I will potentially choose for the future, I find it so difficult to focus on any one particular area of research. I would love to hear about some of your individual passions of study or even just areas of interest that you might feel to be an interest track to seek out more knowledge on. Suggestions and ideas on some topics you may find interesting would be extremely helpful in my quest for a research topic. Thanks, Zimmerman NY, NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2004 Report Share Posted April 18, 2004 How about stabilization systems in athletes? there doesn't seem to be much work done in this area. Cheers Silverman Wellington New Zealand Zim wrote: > > As I seek out the path in which I will potentially choose for the > future, I find it so difficult to focus on any one particular area of > research. I would love to hear about some of your individual passions of > study or even just areas of interest that you might feel to be an > interest track to seek out more knowledge on. Suggestions and ideas on > some topics you may find interesting would be extremely helpful in my > quest for a research topic. Thanks, > > Zimmerman > NY, NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 , As a Ph.D. Candidate who has (fairly) recently passed his dissertation proposal defense, I can appreciate your current position. Narrowing down the choices can be quite a perplexing, yet exciting, task. However, it is also important to consider what your current academic background is and what you are best prepared to pursue (or what you are willing to do to get that preparation). For example, two suggestions already posted were body composition, and stability. Pursuing either of these routes will require VERY different educational training. At least in stability (the topic of my research), your level of mathematical knowledge will have to be at least at the 3rd year of an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering program. As for body composition, I'm sure there are a host of advanced exercise physiology courses that you would require as prerequisites. Achieving the necessary background to get into either of these areas may take several years of commitment, as well as high marks to get accepted into a graduate program. I'm not suggesting that you limit your options in choosing a research direction, only that it would be a good idea to go with your strengths as well as your interests. For example, you would not want to enrol in a graduate program in Biomechanics unless you are good in (and liked) math and computer programming. As an aside, there will always be " hot topics " out there, and although they appear to generate a lot of interest in the short term, they can also make for dissertations that have a very short " shelf life " . This is one of the reasons it is difficult to find research papers on the " latest " and " greatest " gadgets or exercises. Most often if you wait five years or so, that interest will have faded away and a new fad has taken its place. This type of research is high risk since it can be suicide for funding opportunities and career advancement. I would suggest you first choose an area of study, and then narrow it down to a subject. From there you will be in a good position to choose the topic(s) that interest you, and you are best able to excel in as a researcher. Good luck with narrowing down your options. Sincerely, Gray, M.Sc., C.S.C.S., C.K. Ph.D. Candidate in Biomechanics Spine Biomechanics Laboratories Department of Kinesiology University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario Zim wrote: > As I seek out the path in which I will potentially choose for the > future, I find it so difficult to focus on any one particular area > of research. I would love to hear about some of your individual > passions of study or even just areas of interest that you might > feel to be an interest track to seek out more knowledge on. > Suggestions and ideas on some topics you may find interesting > would be extremely helpful in my quest for a research topic. > Thanks, > > Zimmerman > NY, NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 Gray wrote: > As a Ph.D. Candidate who has (fairly) recently passed his > dissertation proposal defense, I can appreciate your current > position. Narrowing down the choices can be quite a perplexing, yet > exciting, task. > > However, it is also important to consider what your current academic > background is and what you are best prepared to pursue (or what you are > willing to do to get that preparation). Excellent points here. As someone who has survived the entire process and who now works with graduate students, allow me to add some other tips. 1. Find a project that is manageable and do-able. Think very concretely about this. What research is required? What literature/data is available? Ideally your contribution should be original in some way, but it needn't be genius. A key mistake I see grad students making is not biting off a digestible chunk of research. A well designed, precisely focused, incisive piece that identifies a small slice of the field is better than a sprawling epic that attempts to engage with every study ever written. You might consider something like replicating an existing study (with your wonderful methodological refinements, of course) or adding a small new dimension to one. 2. Find someone willing to work with you, and with whom you are willing to work. In my opinion the right advisor is a bigger deal than the topic itself. Even if you love your subject, if you hate your advisor, if they don't take you in the right direction, and/or if they are difficult to work with, you're setting yourself up for a world of hurtin'. I've heard all kinds of horror stories from obstreperous obstruction to actually stealing a dissertation. Find someone who will provide you with the positive mentorship and constructive criticism that you require. 3. Regard this as a job, not your life's work. It is something that you must do in order to complete the requirements for your degree, not your magnum opus. It does not need to be brilliant, groundbreaking, and 500 pages long. You needn't wait for a flash of inspiration to do it. Rather, treat it as a job like any other, that you do for 40 hours a week whether you are feeling clever or not. Of course, if it does turn out to be the best thesis ever written, good for you, but it doesn't have to be. As the saying goes, when you are running from a bear, you don't have to be the fastest runner; you just have to be faster than the slowest person in your group. 4. Think long term. Can your dissertation be subsequently recycled, ahem, rewritten into articles, or can you compose it from a series of articles? Publication is important in every field but more so in others. What will you learn along the way? Is it the direction you want to go? 5 years from now, what do you want to be doing? Good luck! Krista -Dixon, Ph.D. Toronto,ON kristasd@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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