Setting Research Goals
Goal Setting
Setting goals can keep you on track
A goal is an end or an outcome towards which effort is directed. Essentially a goal is an outcome you want to achieve.
Setting a goal can help give you a direction and something to work towards in your research. By setting goals you are giving yourself a plan and something to work towards. If you fail to set goals you may find it difficult to make research progress because you are unsure of what you want to do next. Furthermore, setting goals allows you to think about what specific actions you need to take, what materials you will need and whether or not you will need to ask for help in order to achieve your goals; By setting goals in advanced, you give yourself time to prepare for the future.
The goals you set will shape the way your research experience goes. Setting effective goals will allow you to make progress and see significant results, while failing to set goals or setting ineffective goals may stress you out and hold you back.
To check if a goal is achievable ask yourself if it is SMART (The anatomy of an effective goal: the SMART method from Paul J Meyer)
Specific: is your goal simple? Does it encompass what you want to achieve?
Example of a nonspecific goal: I want to do science
Example of a specific goal: I want to do research in a lab in the biochemistry department
Measurable: How will you know when you’ve accomplished your goal?
Example of a non-measurable goal: I will read some papers
Example of a measurable goal: each week I will read 2 research papers about DNA repair
Attainable: How realistic is my goal? How achievable is it?
Example of an unachievable goal: In one semester I will cure cancer
Example of an achievable goal: In one semester I will begin a research project and begin research on a specific carcinogen.
Additional tip try to make a goal you have power over. Sometimes your research project will depend on other people like your mentor. If you want a specific research project in a lab, make sure your goals include talking to your mentor and reading papers to gain the knowledge you need to do a specific project.
Relevant: Is this goal applicable to what I want to achieve? Am I the right person to achieve this goal?
Example of a nonrelevant goal when you’re new to a research lab: Mentor other students (if you are new to a lab you will not be the best person for this job however when you are a more senior student in the lab this goal could be more relevant for you.)
Example of a relevant goal when you’re new to a research lab: Reading 4 research articles published by the lab to familiarize yourself with their work.
Timebound: How long will it take to achieve this goal?
Example of a time bound goal: In one week I will have read 2 research paper published by my lab.
Common Issues
Unachievable goals
Did not budget time for extracurriculars and classes and ran out of time to achieve goals.
Lack the budget to do the experiment (you can avoid this problem by talking to your mentor before you do experiments or set goals)
Lack the skillset to achieve the goal.
Irresponsibility
Not meeting deadlines you have set.
Not prioritizing your goals and procrastinating on the goals that are important
Not doing what you said you would do- not being prepared
Making excuses - Just apologize and fix it
Thoughtlessness
If you need help to achieve a goal be respectful of other people’s time and make sure they can actually help you.
If other people depend on you for something, make sure you make it a priority
Not taking initiative - You are responsible for setting your goals do not wait around for someone to tell you what to do. You can double check with others in your lab to ensure your goals are reasonable.
Not responding well to feedback
Not listening to feedback if people say your goal is unachievable
Not asking for help if you are unsure about a goal
Not prioritizing goals that others say are important
Ignoring deadlines from other people - If you have an assignment like a research paper with a hard deadline, do not ignore it, make it a priority.
Types of Research Goals
There are different categories of research goals. Not all of your goals will center specifically around data collection or interpretation. The different types of research goals are listed below:
Knowledge attainment goals
As you do research you will become more and more aware that there are many things that you do not know. This is okay, but it will mean that some of your research goals will be about preparing yourself intellectually for your research. By making goals about learning more about your research area you will be able to gain the knowledge to design your own experiments, ensure that the research you are doing is novel and you will also be able to explain your research to other people.
Example of knowledge attainments goals:
• Taking a class related to your research.
• Reading research papers.
• Asking questions to clarify things you don’t understand.
• Talking to your mentor to get suggestions of things you can read.
• Read a book or sections of a book related to your research area.
Experimental goals
The research lab you end up in will likely have a few general overarching goals i.e. Understanding a specific pathway or solving a specific problem. Your research goals will all likely contribute to understanding the lab’s more general goals. It is okay to have a general goal as long as you have more specific (like specific experiments) sub goals that tell you how to achieve it.
Examples of experimental goals
• Preparing for an experiment i.e. prepping test subjects or ordering materials.
• Collecting Data
• Interpreting or processing data.
Knowledge proliferation goals
Once you have gathered some data you will want to be able to share what you have found with others. Knowledge proliferation goals are goals that you set to share your findings with other people. Sharing knowledge can be on different scales. You could share your knowledge via a power point during a lab meeting or as a poster at a conference. Either way it is important you are able to effectively communicate your research with others.
Examples of knowledge proliferation goals
• Make a poster for a research conference
• Prepare a research talk
• Write a research paper
Thought Exercise: New lab new goals
You have just joined a new research lab that does colon cancer research. This is your first time doing research and all of your background lab and cancer knowledge comes from the introductory biology class you took last semester. You want to start doing research right a way but your mentor is still unsure that you have the background knowledge to jump into a project right away. What goals can you set to increase your knowledge? What people can help you achieve these goals? Once you know more what goals do you set to demonstrate this knowledge?
References & Further Reading
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm
Meyer, Paul J. Attitude Is Everything!: If You Want to Succeed above and Beyond. Paul J. Meyer Resources, 2003.
