Doing Research - jonathancolmer/lab-guide GitHub Wiki

Doing Research

1. Overview

Research is messy, iterative, and human. The goal here is to give you practical guidance on how projects get built, where they can fall apart, and how you can do great work.

Your role is both technical and collaborative — from data wrangling to problem-solving to communicating progress.

2. The Lifecycle of a Research Project

We aim to produce research that is:

  • Rigorous — following strong empirical and theoretical standards.
  • Transparent — making it possible for others (including our future selves) to understand, verify, and build upon our work.
  • Efficient — minimizing wasted effort through good organization, version control, and communication.

Most projects follow this broad sequence:

  1. Idea generation
  2. Acquiring inputs (e.g., data collection)
  3. Processing and combining data
  4. Generating results (analysis)
  5. Writing
  6. Dissemination

You might enter at any stage — and loop back when things change.

3. Examples of RA Tasks

  • Collect data from websites, reports, APIs, and raw sources
  • Process, clean, merge, and manage datasets
  • Run and modify replication code
  • Create figures, tables, and maps
  • Draft literature reviews and summarize papers
  • Manage projects and coordinate with the PI
  • Communicate progress and flag issues clearly
  • Ask questions that improve project quality
  • Help translate messy ideas into structured analysis
  • Assist with writing and editing

4. Core Mindsets for Doing Research

Trust the Process

You often won’t see the whole path ahead — only the next steps. Keep moving.

Work on Yourself

Your productivity is a function of your energy, skills, and focus. Both hard and soft skills matter. Your "production possibility frontier" will develop over time.

Compound Knowledge

Small, consistent improvements build long-term capability. Work smart, not just hard.

Don’t Pretend

Don't cap your potential by worrying about looking smart. At this stage everyone is smart; it's what got you an interview. Differences in output come from differences in hours worked and what is done within those hours. Efficiency and hard work are observationally equivalent. Hard work and efficiency is an unbeatable combination.

Saying “I don’t know” is an opportunity to find out.

Curiosity is more important than smart.

Embrace Uncertainty

If we already knew the answer, it wouldn’t be research. You have to become comfortable working with incomplete information. You are looking for resolution. Until then, bewilderment and perplexity (tension) is the common state of being.

5. Time and Task Management

Structure Your Work

  • Plan what you’ll do and stick to it (with flexibility)
  • Focus on one task at a time
  • Use time blocks for different activities
  • Build in breaks
  • Review weekly: What worked? What didn’t?

Avoid Procrastination (good luck...)

  • Break large tasks into smaller steps
  • Start each day with a written plan and priorities
  • Use the Two-Minute Rule: do it now if it takes <2 min
  • Set internal deadlines
  • Reduce distractions
  • Ask for help or accountability

Personal Efficiency

  • When in flow, keep going
  • When stuck: switch tasks, take a break, or ask for help
  • Find a daily routine and stick to it
  • Communicate when you step away

6. The Three Zones of Thinking and Working

Zone 1 – Creative Zone Generating ideas, design, problem-solving, writing; needs space and low urgency.

Zone 2 – Engine Room Zone Focused, goal-oriented, and deliberate. We're completing tasks under moderate pressure with clear goals.

Zone 3 – Crunch Zone High stress, short-term fixes, reactive, scrambling, tight deadlines. Avoid living here.

You will mostly be in Zone 2. Zone 1 needs intentional space. Zone 3 is sometimes unavoidable — when it happens, we triage together and debrief after.

7. Working with Others

Managing Up

Proactively align your work with expectations. Good communication improves research quality and job satisfaction.

Effective Communication

  • Regular updates — share progress and challenges
  • Written agendas/key points before meetings
  • Schedule check-ins when ~50–75% done with a task
  • Before every meeting:
    • What have I done since last time?
    • What do I need input on?
  • Clear, concise updates — include delays/issues early
  • Document your work at all stages, not just final outputs
  • Be honest; bad news is better early than late
  • Push back or ask for clarification when needed

Working with Multiple Managers

  • Clarify roles and expectations
  • Coordinate communication to avoid conflicts
  • Act as a bridge when needed
  • Keep both managers informed and aligned

Managing Deadlines

  • Set realistic, conservative timelines
  • Confirm mutual understanding
  • Communicate early if delays are likely
  • Explain zero progress days — they happen

Delivering High-Quality Work

  • Review before submission
  • Ask: “Does this make sense?”
  • Strive for clarity, accuracy, and thoroughness
  • Explain and document everything

Building Trust and Reliability

  • Own your mistakes and suggest fixes
  • Learn from errors
  • Keep progress visible — good or bad

8. Final Notes

This guide is a reference, not a script. Your work will involve learning-by-doing, making mistakes, and improving over time. The most important things: stay curious, communicate clearly, and keep moving forward.