This month, I would like to reflect on the difference between the ability to conduct research and the ability to complete it and present its outcomes within a given timeframe.
Conducting research requires the ability to formulate research questions, review previous studies, develop methods, and carry out experiments and analyses. As we explore a research topic more deeply, we often discover new questions and areas for improvement. This is part of what makes research interesting, and it is an important attitude to maintain.
However, the ability to advance research and the ability to bring it to completion within a deadline are not necessarily the same.
Undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses/dissertations, as well as conference submissions, all have specific deadlines. Journal submissions, on the other hand, generally do not have fixed deadlines. This makes it even more important to set your own targets and bring your research to completion. No matter how promising your ideas or experimental results may be, their value cannot be fully realized unless they are developed into logically structured research outcomes of sufficient quality, communicated to others, and subjected to evaluation.
To achieve this, you need to define the scope and objectives of your research, set priorities, complete the necessary validation, and organize your findings into written explanations, figures, and tables. It is also important to distinguish between “what could still be improved” and “what needs to be completed now.” Of course, meeting deadlines should never come at the expense of research quality or reliability. Rather than rushing to produce poor-quality work, researchers must learn to determine what can be demonstrated and what claims can reasonably be made within the available time.
Research is also not something we accomplish entirely on our own. Applications for research grants may involve internal university deadlines and approval procedures. Journal submissions and other applications often require reviews and cooperation from supervisors, co-authors, and administrative staff. Please plan your work and make requests well in advance, taking into account not only your own deadlines but also other people’s workloads and regular working days.
The ability to explore research questions in depth, the ability to bring research to completion and communicate its outcomes, and the ability to manage research activities effectively while collaborating with others are all essential skills.
I hope you will continue to develop these abilities through your daily research activities.
今回は、研究を進める能力と、研究を期限内に成果としてまとめる能力について考えてみたいと思います。
研究を進めるには、問いを立て、既往研究を調べ、手法を考え、実験や分析を繰り返す力が必要です。研究を深めるほど、新しい疑問や改善点が見つかることもあります。これは研究の面白さであり、大切な姿勢です。
一方で、研究を進める能力と、研究を期限内に成果としてまとめる能力は、必ずしも同じではありません。
卒業論文、修士論文、博士論文、学会発表などには、それぞれ期限があります。一方、ジャーナル投稿には通常、決められた締切がありません。だからこそ、自分で目標を設定し、研究を完成させる必要があります。どれほど優れたアイデアや実験結果があっても、一定の質を備えた成果として論理的にまとめ、他者に伝え、評価を受けなければ、その価値を十分に発揮することはできません。
そのためには、研究の到達目標と優先順位を定め、必要な検証を行い、文章や図表としてまとめる力が求められます。「さらに良くできること」と「今、完成させるべきこと」を区別する判断力も重要です。もちろん、期限を守るために研究の質や信頼性を犠牲にしてよいわけではありません。「早かろう悪かろう」ではなく、限られた時間の中で、何を明らかにし、どこまで主張できるのかを見極めることが大切です。
また、研究活動は一人で完結するものではありません。研究助成の申請には、学内の締切や承認手続きが必要な場合があります。論文投稿や各種申請でも、指導教員や共著者、事務担当者などの確認・協力が必要です。自分の締切だけでなく、他者の作業時間や平日の稼働日も考慮して、余裕を持って依頼・相談することを心がけてください。
研究を深める力と、成果として完成させる力。そして、関係者と協力しながら計画的に研究を進める力。これらを、日々の研究活動を通じて身につけてほしいと思います。