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For Master's students, What are the most common research mistakes they must avoid?

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Question added by Lana Oudeh , PR Coordinator , Al Ghanem
Date Posted: 2018/05/12
Rajeev Kumar Vattakattu Ramakrishnan
by Rajeev Kumar Vattakattu Ramakrishnan , Professor of chemistry , Ministry of education,ethiopia

time for a master student in research is limited as they have to take theory classes also. they must design problems which can be acomplished within the timeframe of the masters programme. relearning should be avoided. in a lab, there will be research scholars who are experienced in some thing. rather than repeating the things done by the research students, the master students should learn from their research students.a publication from the masters research will be added advantage when they apply for phd programme. the students should bear this in mind

Boaz Maloba
by Boaz Maloba , Senior Graduate teacher , Teachers Service Commission

1. Plagiarism.

2. Doing research for research sake.

3. Poor literature review.

4. Not matching objectives to research questions or findings.

5. Procrastination.

6. Lack of focus.

dania asmar
by dania asmar , Science teacher , Al Sahafa international school

In my opinion..they should avoid using old references...for exemple they should seek the newest articles in order not to skip new information and new discoveries... If they found contradictory information, they shoud refer to the journal that has the highest ranking.

A researcher must ensure that his/her research questions are answered so as to meet up with the set objectives.

Vijayeswari Subba Naidu
by Vijayeswari Subba Naidu , Assistant Professor , Jazan University

The most common mistakes are related to the objectives. Students spell two or three specific objectives. They never try to divide the chapter according to the objectives. They end thier research without completing their goal.

Melvin Rogers
by Melvin Rogers , Adjunct English Instructor , Fairmont State University

First, make sure all sources are current (withing the last 10 years) and peer reviewed (by other professionals in the field).

Secondly, make sure to review the entire work, just to make sure the info you choose to use in your paper in not contradicted by the source itself

Finally, make sure to do enought research so that your conclussions are consistent with what is out there - one crackpot theory does not make something true.

Reuben Chatyoka
by Reuben Chatyoka , Technical and research advisory services , AgriProdMark

when faced with a challenge ,write down what you were doing and also the steps you took ,then take it up with your supervisor, do not be afraid to acknolwdge where you went wrong and also writing down every tsgae or tsep of your experiment will help in pinpointing where the mistake or error was made. The daily experimental log book is an essential part of your expereiments and lab work.

Muhammad Jamil  Akhtar
by Muhammad Jamil Akhtar , Principal , Education Deptt. Govt. of the Punjab. Pakistan

1. Students do not take ownership of their owhn future. (2) Most often they leave upon all the responsibility upon their teachers (3) They do not attend seminars, Educational conferences, workshops and libraries and take an easy job to their research work. (4) Not fully attentive. (5) Do not want to get out of difficult situatiojns whereas to handle difficult mentors is a necessary track in solvation of their problem.(6) Do not seek proper channel within their institutions.(7) Supervisors can show them a right route but not to write down thesis on student behalf. (8) Do not communicate their needs openly and oftenly not sincere with their subject/Project.

Modhin Khan
by Modhin Khan , NETWORK ENGINEER , G. TECH COMPUTER EST

A lot can go wrong in experimental science, but proper planning and attention to detail can prevent accidents, wasted resources, and damaged reputations.

As the saying goes, we learn by our mistakes.  And so it goes for virtually all research scientists, with most mistakes occurring during their formative years when they are still being mentored.  While missteps in the research process are not usually catastrophic, the risks of allowing them to occur unchecked are many: personal safety is at stake, as are the careers and reputations of individuals, departments, and entire institutions. All of these risks can be significantly mitigated through proper training at the early stages of a researchers’ career.

 

The list of related mistakes (the “never” imperatives) is long and includes:

1)     Never bringing any food or drink into the laboratory and do not eat, drink, or smoke there.

2)     Never smelling or tasting any chemicals or other lab samples for any reason.

3)     Never working alone or unsupervised.

4)     Never working when you are exhausted or emotionally upset.

5)     Never leave experiments running unattended in the laboratory.

6)     Never wearing loose or sloppy clothing that could get caught in any equipment or come in contact with any chemicals. Long hair should be pulled back out of the way of any reagents or machinery.

7)     Never forgetting to wear the appropriate gloves, safety glasses or goggles, and a clean lab coat when handling chemical and/or biohazardous materials.

8)     Never leaving the lab wearing protective personal equipment (PPE). How many times have you seen someone wearing protective laboratory gloves pressing an elevator button?  If you do, do all of us a favor and tell that person why it’s against laboratory safety rules.

9)     Never pipetting by mouth.

10)  Never assuming that an accident that happens in the lab can be swept under the rug. If an accident or spill happens, be sure to notify your supervisor so that the appropriate protocols can be observed.

11)  And finally, just like your mother always told you when you were growing up, never forgetting to wash your hands. Always do this before you exit the laboratory and especially after handling biohazards or chemical reagents.

 

The ever-present possibility of mistakes in experimental research should always be taken seriously, but should not be discouraging; all of these mistakes are preventable when researchers are properly trained and remain vigilant. By reducing mistakes we not only create a safer, more productive environment, but we do better science as a result.

Not easy to answer. Maybe, using someone else's ideas too much and relying on one source only. More diversity should be applied 

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