Introduction.- Advice to graduate students.- Understand research.- Engage literature.- Writing.- Publish papers.- Present research results.- Interact with advisors.- Collaborate with other researchers.- Work in a laboratory.- File patents.- Handle difficult time in research.- Research ethics and responsibilities.- What can we learn from the history of science.- Concluding remarks.
Dr. Xiaolong Hu is a Professor at the School of Precision Instrument and Optoelectronic Engineering at Tianjin University, China. He received his B.S. and M.S. from Tsinghua University in 2003 and 2006, respectively, and completed his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011. His Ph.D. thesis concerned superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and their applications in quantum optics, and proposed waveguide-integrated SNSPDs. His current research focuses on nanophotonic devices, quantum photonic devices, and nanofabrication. He is also interested in studying the critical transition periods in education. Dr. Hu has authored or coauthored more than 40 papers in international journals and conferences and holds 11 patents. In 2013, he received the OSA Outstanding Reviewer Award, and since 2019, has served as an associate editor of OSA Continuum.
This textbook equips students interested in becoming researchers with the essential nontechnical skills. After an introduction to graduate schools, it discusses preparing for research, reading and organizing literature, writing research articles and other documents, publishing papers, presenting research findings at conferences, collaboration with advisors and other researchers, patent applications, research ethics, and how to improve research by learning about the history of science. These nontechnical skills are just as important as technical ones in terms of becoming a successful graduate student, yet they have seldom been taught systematically in courses. Further, they can bridge the gap from the classroom to the lab, making one of the most critical transition periods—from student to researcher—smoother and more enjoyable. The book features a wealth of real-life examples and exercises, which readers can easily apply in their own research. Intended mainly for graduate and upper-undergraduate students just embarking on lab research, it can also be used as a textbook or reference guide for courses on research methodology and related topics.