Laboratory Discussion
"Laboratory discussion" or "Journal club" is a very healthy and informative practice to be undertaken by each research group. This should include all the members of the group and the group head (Guide). These type of discussion forums not only help us to get updated on our specific research concern, laboratory updates (issues like work, chemicals required, shared responsibilities and other lab related things), better communication skill and a broader understanding of the lab as a whole. Furthermore, one should present his/her work done every 3-6 months, as this provides an opportunity to get the work scrutinised/criticised (as required) for designing the future experiments and at the same time the presenter gets confident about his/her work. Presenting other groups work published in reputed/best journals in concerned field helps one to decide his/her course of action too. This also improves the level of understanding/caliber at a higher competitive level. Cautionary, a small 2 or 3 member group may not be very happy with each member having his/her turn every other week. So, one can club with a similar group - or can opt for a biweekly meeting. Although it is firmly believed that we all study of our own, while a cumulative effort can lead to better and faster results padded with a 'pleasant work atmosphere'. And a 'pleasant work atmosphere' could be easily achieved with better transparency and communication within the group. In short, one should take "Laboratory discussion" or "journal club" at weekly basis and see the 'changes' in a matter of 6-8 such discussion forums.
2 comments:
i agree that the lab disscussions are helpfull in the sense they update the members of the group with recent advances int heir field (by presenting recent papers) as well as by disscussing their own work one can get comments and suggestions on their work.
BUT at the same time you can't impose such things to other persons it is moreover a question of interest of other people of the group and i belive if people of the group are interested in disscussions there is no need to have something called 'Group disscussions' or 'Journal Club' thaey can disscuss these things at tea/coffee if they have any thing new or good to disscuss. but if they are not intersetd there is no point of having meeting weekly or biweekly moreover slowly and gradually this will become a boring meeting where other people doen't take interest except the presenter.
So i feel that the disscussions are good to have but one should not restrict it to the group instead it shuold be among persons who are intersted in the disscussions and desn't feel wasting their time.
RH
@ RH,
I agree with your views... and they are absolutely correct... but if that is the case, there is no need for the presnt 'blog'.... I witnessed many friends, seniors and other Ph.D. scholars from different fields having a similar problem, wherein inter/intra laboratory competition is high and sometimes gets dirty.. (I apolozige beforehand for using these terms!!).. internal politics is sometimes key regulatory factor in determining one students fate - no matter he is correct or not,,, so, under those conditions an self-imposed discussion might help at places.... and if someone has no results to discuss - he/she can openly state that. The ultimate point to have such open-discussion is to bring more transperency within the group and minimize internal politics...
And you can definetly disagree to this concept... (I assume that you are in a pretty GOOD lab, where things get easily discussed over a cup of tea)..
thankyou again for your critisism..
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