How to choose a good scientific problem

Submitted by Alexis on Wed, 2010-12-08 14:03

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General Discussion / Free-for-All

The following letter will probably be of interest to anyone interested in student-mentor relationships and the conduct of scientific research in general:

Mol Cell. 2009 Sep 24;35(6):726-8.
How to choose a good scientific problem.
Alon U.

Abstract
Choosing good problems is essential for being a good scientist. But what is a good problem, and how do you choose one? The subject is not usually discussed explicitly within our profession. Scientists are expected to be smart enough to figure it out on their own and through the observation of their teachers. This lack of explicit discussion leaves a vacuum that can lead to approaches such as choosing problems that can give results that merit publication in valued journals, resulting in a job and tenure.

deacona Wed, 2010-12-08 14:16

Hi:

Interesting. I totally agree with the writer that "a good project draws upon your skills to achieve self-expression", and that the "interest axis" is totally subjective. That is why I think choosing a good problem cannot be taught, and indeed the only way is to be smart enough to figure it out on your own and take risks. That's why I think babysitting PhD students or postdocs is long-term counterproductive. That's my banal statement for the day :)...