Working in a Research Group

How can we work in a research group and what are the advantages of working in it?

This is one of the common questions that I get from my students.

If you really love to be a researcher, my first advice is to find an academically recognized principal investigator in a local/foreign university or college or a research institute of your preferred field of study. S/he can be a professor or a senior lecturer or a senior researcher with a good research track record in his/her field.

Normally, there are different types of persons in a research group at a scientific laboratory. They are undergraduate, post graduate, doctorate, post-doctorate students along with junior/senior research assistants/scientists and technical officers who are associated with the principal investigator.

So, once you decide your principal investigator, find which category of person that you can fit into his/her research group according to your qualification level. Then you can finalize the registration or recruitment according to the rules and regulations of the particular place.

Conducting research as a group has many advantages too. According to my knowledge, it fosters analytical skills, critical thinking skills of an individual by defining specific career and personal interests as you are working in a research group with different knowledge levels and diverse skills. It is often recommended to have a research group to tackle a complex research problem with defined goals.

A research group can expand your knowledge in a chosen field by developing local/foreign connections with distinguished scientists in the relevant field. Most of all, it is fun to work with a group as we (as researchers) are social creatures with regular and open discussions with brain storming strategies. In short, it builds a community with peers, faculty and academic/industrial organizations with strong collaborations.

Tip:

This link describes more about the advantages of having a research team.

https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2016/04/06/advantages-doing-research-teams-essay