Skills and strategies for selecting SCI topic

Skills and strategies for selecting SCI topic

         Innoscience Research Institute, Senior Researcher, Minyan Dang

      It is well-known that the most important thing is the research topic (idea) for clinical research and basic research. The selection of idea determines the level of personal research.

       First,A high-level researcher could judge your scientific research level as soon as listening to your idea. Therefore, getting a good idea is crucial. So where should we get the idea from?

      1. Excellent researchers should have a keen sense of scientific research which is obtained through long-term thinking and practice. After meditating in a few days or a half of month, one got an idea he thought it was well, which probably was the job that someone had done more than a decade ago. But it's normal to repeat some classic experiments to get experience when you are new (but repetitive work can only be technical practice, it could not be as your personal research direction). In addition, scientific research should focus on quality, and never for the sake of pure pursuit of quantity and make knowledgeable people laugh. So how to get the idea for the new person?

       2. Read the literature extensively and carefully, listen to academic reports, and discuss with peers. Obtain inspiration from them and do not be eager to seek success. This is a kind of accumulation of self, which can not be achieved by reading literature. Don't look at the literature with too much purpose;

       3. Summarize the highly controversial issues, compare the research methods and conclusions repeatedly, and find the breakthrough points. The controversial topics have always attracted high attention. Only when they can find new breakthrough points, such topics are explosive;

       4. grasp the unexplained problems encountered in the scientific research process, which will often become a shining point of thinking. Although it is an unexplained problem, it is based on the thinking by oneself. That is to say, perhaps a tutor or someone else, or even some content that is helpful for this problem in some literatures, and it can become your own new topic, so advance despite difficulties;

       5. Develop a detailed plan and demonstrate feasibility. Feasibility assessment is not voted by everyone raise their hands when a few people sitting together, but must be determined by one who is strong in professional thinking and have a certain scientific research status (for example: teacher evaluated in student stage generally, boss evaluated in the work). Here is an emphasis, you can know more well-known people at ordinary times, they will definitely help you at the key moment.

       Second, the two ways to get an idea:

       1. The traditional way is to read a large number of scientific research papers first, to clarify the current research status and problems to be solved;

       2, the non-traditional way is to think about it for a while, and then check the literature after having your own idea. This will not make previous research limit your thinking, which is a good way. Something else that others have not done, maybe not because others have not thought of it, but because there is no meaning or no possibility (this is very important, everyone must understand that there are too many smart people in the scientific research field, and often things that they could think out may have already secretly verified by others. and the reason why they can't find the relevant literature may be only that they have not made a available positive result.) Therefore, we must seriously judge whether it has value and meaning for the unknown topic, and the possibility of the argument.

Third, the basic premise of getting a good idea:

1. It is necessary to make up the basic knowledge before scientific research. This is the basis for understanding the literature: "Biochemistry", "Cell Biology" and "Gene VIII" is necessary (firstly Read the Chinese version of Zhai Zhonghe "Cell", Wang Jingyan "Biochemistry" Zhao ‘’Genetics’’, Zhu Yuxian "Molecular"; Then read the English Albez "cell", Reinger "Biochemistry" and the classic "Gene VIII").

2. Reading extensive literature is support. At least 600 are read , 300 are reviewed, 100 are read carefully, and 50 are studied for masters. At least twice for doctors. Doctors should always pay attention to international developments. Doctor should not miss"Nature", "science", "cell", "PNAS", "JBC", "MBC", "Genes & Development" , and familiar with SCI journals above 3 points!

3. Learn to read the literature and article. It is recommended to review the article first, first in Chinese then in English; only read "Science Bulletin" and "Chinese Science" in Chinese; Read research papers after reading 10-20 reviews. Get a research paper, Read the title first, stop immediately, ask yourself a few questions: (1) Think about how other people do in this article (could refer to the material and method)? What will be done to explain its title? (2) Do you understand why he wants to do this? (3) If the article was published in the past six months, what problem did the article solve? What questions have been arisen (combined with the review you have read)? Read the summary carefully, so you could know if your ideas match others? (4) After reading the experiment results, think about what is not perfect? Have the author gone deeper or expanded to the end? In general, the research in articles below SCI-3 points may only do a part of the mechanism, there must be something to do below, the key is to think and find it by yourself.