Top 5 R&D skills @CArtLab Solns
There are so many ways to do research these days that it seems like almost anyone can call themselves a researcher. Research skills can be developed at a young age, living in a world with free access to google’s database of information. In high school and college students learn the basics of references, how to evaluate sources, and what databases to use for what areas of interest.
This week we are narrowing it down to our top 5 most valuable research and development skills at CArtLab Solutions:
1. Continuous quest for knowledge
We use as many keyword combinations (Boolean operators!) within a google scholar search as possible to find relevant sources. We do not give up reading about a topic after reading through 2 pages of google scholar queries. We continue to keep learning and unlearning through uncertainty and failures until we reach the knowledge we need to solve a problem.
2. Experimental Design
In early phases of defining research questions, it takes guts to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks; however, it is inefficient for meeting deadlines and staying within budget. Our favorite tool for diving deep into research questions with uncomfortable amount of variables is MiniTab. Statistical calculations paired with well informed hypothesis and models helps us to set up experiments that lead seamlessly to conclusions.
3. Sampling Techniques
Results are only as powerful as the samples used to collect and process data. Sampling can be random, stratified, or clustered, and when deciding what samples to test, it is important to consider not just what sample to test, but how to handle that sample before and during testing. Experimental design will be irrelevant if the sample is giving information about a coating/ surface rather than the bulk material.
4. Technical Ability
There is software and hardware that is imperative to succeed at solving research questions, and it is not usually to the same software or hardware that we use in our day to day lives. Besides developing skillsets in specific automation softwares like MatLab or Python, or hardware understanding of a PC/Mac used to operate that software, there are other research relevant technical abilities. Specifically hand skills are incredibly valuable when it comes to chemical research- pouring liquids without spilling/wasting chemicals, operating pipetters to measure small liquids, and handling small solids to measure microsamples without contamination.
5. Formulaic Thinking
Imperative to research is understanding how to manipulate formulae and solving equations relevant to a specific question, like for example calculating the right amount of material to add to get a product based on the balanced chemical equation needed. However, we believe critical thinking applied to problem solving, communication within collaborators, and organization is important to the success of research.
What examples of R&D skills do you value?