"The adviser is the primary gatekeeper for the professional self-esteem of the student, the rate of progress toward the degree, and access to future opportunities."
Choosing a research topic and finding
an adviser are clearly linked, although generally speaking the first
precedes the second. You want an adviser who is in a research area in
which you have, or seek to develop, a strong interest. This element is
essential, given all the inevitable difficulties you are going to
experience. At the same time, you want a professor who understands that
"finding the right problem" is half the battle, and that he or she
needs to give you the encouragement and time to do so.
Joanne Martin, professor of
organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford
University, and one who has studied the adviser-advisee relationship in
some detail, notes:
"Topics you approach with passion lead
to the best research. You want to get out with something significant,
something you care deeply about (rather than the purely pragmatic)
choice, so select a topic that is a window into your soul."
It is also important to keep in mind
that in addition to a primary adviser you will most likely want to find
one or two secondary advisers who have an interest in your research and
are prepared to offer counsel along the way. In this way what one
adviser is lacking in experience and temperament can often be found in
the others. For example, one adviser may be from industry, another from
a different department, and another with strengths in a particular
specialty.
If you are interested in a future
academic career, consider advisers who will give you opportunities to
do some teaching, write research proposals, supervise other students,
and in other ways let you begin doing some of the things you will do as
a postdoc or professor.
In his book Graduate
Research: A Guide for Students in the Sciences (ISI Press,
1984), Robert Smith says that the choice of an adviser should be based
on the person's:
Mr. Smith refers to three types of
advisers: the collaborator, the one with a hands-off style, and the
senior scientist. The collaborator is more likely to be young and
hungry for results. His or her success depends to a larger extent on
yours, so he or she has a vested interest in how well you do. Often
this can mean rapid progress toward your degree, but be careful. In
such cases topics are often chosen more by the adviser than by the
student. The topics may be less risky, and the adviser may want more
than the appropriate share of credit. The key with young faculty
members is to see that your interests overlap with theirs.
Young faculty members usually have
quite a bit of energy. While they lack experience in supervising
graduate students and postdocs, they remember more clearly what it was
like to be in such a position. Also, how well these professors
supervise graduate students, or at least how many they graduate, may be
a factor in tenure decisions -- possibly to your benefit. Of course the
existence of this factor can also be a problem in terms of pressure on
you to perform. As one graduate student with such an adviser noted, "no
laid-back six months to browse the literature in my situation."
The hands-off adviser is generally a
mid-level academic with other responsibilities, but may be "less greedy
for results," in Mr. Smith's words. Such a person can be a source of
wise counsel and might let you choose areas of greater risk and
significance.
The senior scientist type is a
well-established faculty member with varying amounts of time. Mr. Smith
thinks the quality of attention from senior scientists may be the best
of all because of their extensive experience. However, while older
faculty members may not compete with you, as might their younger
colleagues, they may also think they know it all, are less likely to
help you learn the ropes, and may not be as available. Also, their
energy level may be lower, and they may be out of date or living on
past glories.
Professor Martin also likes to classify
advisers into three types: in this case, authoritarian, coach, and
laissez faire.
The authoritarian adviser is likely to
set the goals and lay out tasks for the research, usually in some
detail. Such advisers welcome conflict, expect you to speak up, and are
active throughout the research process.
The coach, on the other hand, will seek
to set goals jointly with the student. There may be a lot of guidance
in the beginning or planning phase, but not much during the research
itself. "Active in the planning stage, passive during the process, and
active in the evaluation stage," is how Ms. Martin puts it.
Laissez-faire advisers are friendly and
constantly supportive but it's not certain you will learn much from
them. They will be relatively inactive on the research task unless you
take the initiative but supportive throughout and generally available.
Attractive as they may first appear, working with a laissez-faire
adviser is a high-risk strategy and is only likely to work if you have
strong research skills, are independent, and know what you want.
Although it is tempting to match Mr.
Smith's collaborator, hands-off, and senior scientist, with Ms.
Martin's coach, laissez faire, and authoritarian, the real point here
is not to force people into categories; after all, everyone has some of
all six characteristics. In fact, some advisers are able to combine
elements of all three styles as the student evolves. However, each
adviser probably fits one description more completely than any other,
and you need to be aware of these differences and make decisions and
adjustments accordingly.
Look at the styles of various professors, how they treat their graduate students, how many students they have, and their track record in graduating students. Consider how much direction and supervision you want and need. Be willing to push your boundaries, but not to an extreme. You need to be somewhere in your comfort zone, but not too comfortable. Above all, you want at least one adviser who will be demanding. In the words of a graduate student in biology, "you want your anxiety level to go up a little when you get an e-mail message from your adviser."
If possible, talk to the students and postdocs of potential advisers. Ask lots of questions. Do the students and postdocs see the big picture? Are any of them doing compelling work? Do they have high expectations for themselves and others in the group?
Plan to attend one or more of these
meetings and pay attention to the interactions. Consider what your
relationship will be with the other students and postdocs in the group.
Who will give you survival tips? Who will mentor you? Are there
postdocs involved, and what is their relationship with the professor
and graduate students? Where are recent graduates and former postdocs
now working?
By following the guidelines outlined above and the suggestions in last month's column on identifying a research topic, you should be on your way to a productive dissertation experience.
Richard M. Reis is director for academic partnerships at the Stanford University Learning Laboratory, and author of Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering, available from IEEE Press or the booksellers below.
Getting the most out of the relationship with your research advisor
by Wanda Pratt. Send comments or suggestions to: pratt@smi.stanford.eduShow your advisor the results of your work as soon as possible - this will help your advisor understand your research and identify potential points of conflict early in the process.
Communicate clearly - if you disagree with your advisor, state your objections or concerns clearly and calmly. If you feel something about your relationship is not working well, discuss it with him or her. Whenever possible, suggest steps they could take to address your concerns.
Take the initiative - you do not need to clear every activity with your advisor. He/she has a lot of work to do too. You must be responsible for your own research ideas and progress.
Making continual progress on your research
Keep a journal of your ideas - write down everything you are thinking about even if you think it is stupid. It will help you keep track of your progress and keep you from going in circles. Do not plan to share it with anyone, so you can write freely.
Discuss your research with anyone who will listen - use your fellow students, friends, family, etc. to practice discussing your research on various levels. They may have useful insights or you may find that verbalizing your ideas clarifies them for yourself.
Avoid distractions - it is easy to ignore your research in favor of more structured tasks such as taking classes, teaching classes, organizing student activities, creating web pages like this, etc. Minimize these kinds of activities or committments.
I personally feel one should read the following link carefully, So Long, and thanks for the Ph.D
YOU
JUST MIGHT BE A GOOD
GRADUATE STUDENT IF... (Strictly
for humor, or is it ?)