How do you find inner direction while doing science?

Hello! I am back after sometime now to write this blog on direction in doing science.

Direction means depth, direction means that we have proven XXX using the known techniques, now what next? What next that we need to look into is also a matter of understanding and direction. Most of the times, it becomes very boring and monotonous that people fail finding the right direction in proceeding further in science. Rather, it becomes a copying business just to get some experiments done in the same direction that somebody else has done. The quest for knowledge is missing in such cases.

The question is: 

1. Should you continue in science if such phases arise in your research?
2. Why do such phases arise in research?
3. Is it common to all to have such phases in research?

Well, the answer is 'YES' to all of the above if you are not spending enough time with yourself pondering about your science and reading enough literature and synthesizing information together to come to a conclusion. So, what one should do to stay motivated in science with proper direction? The answer is

1. Think about the science that you are doing. It has nothing to do with proving your science to your peers.
2. Once you think enough you will have sufficient questions to answer that can actually guide you in the right direction.
3. Once you have sufficient questions, you start looking for the solutions and believe me, one automatically gets subconsciously attracted to the scientific answers.
4. And the answers are: Relevant literature that helps one to synthesize information for obtaining the answers or just logical answers.
5. Hence, spending time with your science and voracious reading are the most important criteria to stay focussed and motivated in science.

Best wishes to all for doing focussed science!

How to know if your scientific superior is exploiting/cheating?

 Bright young minds jump into the water called scientific research to find the pearls called more profound scientific knowledge. Such young people-boys and girls have an inclination to details, to understand how the life's process or universal processes work. Indeed, they want to make a career in research. Such young minds are indeed different from the rest of their peers who want to settle down with not so difficult or challenging tasks.

Most of the time, or preferably all of the time, the young aspiring scientists have to work under the supervision of some acclaimed senior scientists. If the young aspirants are lucky, they get considerate scientific supervisors/mentors who are interested in their mentee's progress. However, such near-perfect cases are rare in some of the developing countries which have high records of scientific corruption.  Although India has been spoken ill about regarding scientific misconduct especially plagiarism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_plagiarism_in_India), scientific exploitation is also not an exception here. Myself being an Indian and having worked in International and Indian laboratories, as well, and even with Indian origin senior Principal Investigators outside India (http://dishonest.biz/forum/index.php?topic=111.0), I have gained ample experience in identifying whether the scientific supervisor the young scientist is working with is fair/honest or is cheating. Here are the indicators that your supervisor is exploiting/ cheating:

1. Asks the young researcher/scientists to carry on the experiments and report to him/her and behaves extra busy and unapproachable.
2. Even if the young scientist/researcher carries out the experiments as directed/advised by the senior supervisor, the supervisor comes with an excuse to blame the young researcher of not having done the work well.
3. When the supervisor tries to overburden the student/young researcher with tons of work without proper direction and tries wasting his/her time and does not engage in scientific discussions.
4. Tries to create political rifts with other labmates and disharmony.
5. Tries to waste the time of the young scientist/researcher by giving all his/her personal work most of the time.
6. Tries to micromanage the young researcher about the time spent.

Isn't it atrocious? Most of the times, the young scientist/researcher keeps mum to such behaviors of the supervisor and treats him/her with much of reverence and respect. However, it's time for the young researchers to identify such conduct within the first three months of working so that his/her scientific career is not jeopardized.

Thank you for reading!

Watch out for my next blog "Reasons why the scientific superiors exploit/cheat the young researchers/scientists?"