P̶r̶a̶c̶t̶i̶c̶e̶ Research Makes Perfect!

By Annie Katz | August 04, 2023

Hi it's Annie, and this is my 4th blog! Today is all about research.

1) What is the hardest part about gathering information?

The hardest part about gathering information is actually finding the information! For my project, I needed to collect both healthy hamstring images and torn hamstring muscle images. While there’s a decent size of healthy images, finding enough torn hamstring ultrasound images has been very difficult. Specifically, grade 1 tears have been the hardest to find, which makes sense because half the time doctors even miss those strains! So even finding the data that you need to rectify a health issue is quite difficult!

2) Can you solve a problem without researching it?

You need to be fully equipped to tackle a problem and it doesn’t happen without research. Skipping research is like showing up to a Motocross race on a tricycle! Through research, you can learn what parts of the problem have already been tackled and which parts need your expertise, which will allow you to properly prepare to solve the problem.

3) How much information do you need to know before you get started?

Well, you can’t read the entire library, but once you have absorbed a decent amount of articles you should stop and reflect. Do you have a clear enough picture that you can explain the situation? If an expert in the field had a cup of coffee (decaf for me) with you, could you hold a reasonable conversation? Then - you are good to go!

4) Do you think it's important for scientists to be organized?

Yes, being organized can save you so much wasted time. It’s not just keeping your papers organized on your desk or desktop. It’s higher order thinking too - think about what you want to get out of your data that you collected. How you should organize it and label it so that you won’t have to do it twice? You’ll then have enough time to do everything on that list!

5) What role does research and gathering information play in coming up with a solution to your problem?

If you have a leaky faucet, you can try tinkering with it but you may end up with a flooded kitchen. Instead, by watching videos, reading some articles, and calling around and asking questions (primary research!) you can save a lot of time and your wood floors. It’s no different with a science problem - the more background you collect, the more you can move forward with finding a solution.

I’m still trying to crack the code but I’m getting closer with research! Keep following me to track me on my progress!