Success And Creativity In Scientific Research

Long-term success in scientific research requires skills that go well beyond technical prowess. Success and Creativity in Scientific Research: Amaze Your Friends and Surprise Yourself is based on a popular series of lectures the author has given to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Both entertaining and thought-provoking, this essential work supports advanced students and early career professionals across a variety of technical disciplines to thrive as successful and innovative researchers. Features: Discusses habits needed to find deep satisfaction in research, systematic and proven methods for generating good ideas, strategies for effective technical writing, and making compelling presentations Uses a conversational tone, making extensive use of anecdotes from scientific luminaries to engage readers Provides actionable methods to help readers achieve long-term career success Offers memorable examples to illustrate general principles Features topics relevant to researchers in all disciplines of science and engineering This book is aimed at students and early career professionals who want to achieve the satisfaction of performing creative and impactful research in any area of science or engineering.

Long-term success in scientific research requires skills that go well beyond technical prowess. Success and Creativity in Scientific Research: Amaze Your Friends and Surprise Yourself is based on a popular series of lectures the author has given to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Both entertaining and thought-provoking, this essential work supports advanced students and early career professionals across a variety of technical disciplines to thrive as successful and innovative researchers. Features: Discusses habits needed to find deep satisfaction in research, systematic and proven methods for generating good ideas, strategies for effective technical writing, and making compelling presentations Uses a conversational tone, making extensive use of anecdotes from scientific luminaries to engage readers Provides actionable methods to help readers achieve long-term career success Offers memorable examples to illustrate general principles Features topics relevant to researchers in all disciplines of science and engineering This book is aimed at students and early career professionals who want to achieve the satisfaction of performing creative and impactful research in any area of science or engineering.

Leadership is vital to creativity and successful innovation in groups and organizations; leadership is however seldom studied in the academic literature as a creativity driver. One reason for the lack of attention paid to leadership’s effect on creativity may be the common belief that creativity cannot and should not be managed. Creative individuals and groups are regarded as, and indeed often are, autonomous and self-driving. From this belief the erroneous conclusion is drawn that there is no need for leadership in creative environments and situations. The better conclusion, proposed by this book, is that leadership not only stimulates creativity, but that such a leadership in the science, technology, and innovation fields should specifically possess at least two features: a) expertise in the field(s), and b) an ability to create, support, and encourage individuals, groups, and creative knowledge environments. A number of specialist authors in this volume offer original theoretical, empirical, and applied chapters that elucidate how to better organize and lead creative efforts in science, technology, and innovation. A number of important research questions are raised and answered, including: What kinds of leaderships are needed at different levels of S&T organizations for a creative output? What social and cognitive abilities and skills are needed for leadership in creative environments? How does leadership vary with different phases of the creative process? This book offers concrete analysis of how leaders and managers can facilitate, promote, and organize for creative performance in science, technology, and in innovating organizations, making it required reading for academic and industrial research leaders, scientists, and engineers.

A practical guide to a successful scientific career, including creativity and problem-solving techniques to enhance research quality and output.

The growing role of science and technology in modern society has generated a need for unique management skills on the part of scientists and engineers. While this need is widely recognized, there is little agreement on the most appropriate way in which it should be satisfied. The general literature on management does not usually recognize the problems that are unique to those engaged in science and high technology. This lack is also reflected in the considerable variety of formal management training, which more often than not has missed its mark, at least when judged by the response of participating scientists and engineers. My recent experience, teaching graduate students and prac ticing scientists and engineers about those aspects of manage ment that are likely to be most relevant to their future endea vors, has been the principle motivation for this book. The book reflects some of what I have learned from that experience and has been further encouraged by the convic tions that (1) the distribution of management potential among engi neers and scientists is no different from that of other groups with comparable academic achievement; (2) successfully managed scientific and technical enterprise provides the most useful source of learning, and (3) the process of learning is facilitated by referring to the experience that has proven effective in creating an environ ment in which scientific and technical enterprise has flour ished.

A practical 2009 guide to a successful scientific career, including creativity and problem-solving techniques to enhance research quality and output.

This book deals with the role of the organization in scientific research. It examines organizational influences such as leadership, group dynamics, resources and technology, and their importance in relation to scientific performance. It also deals with issues of scientific research policy, the measurement of scientific productivity, and the wider social and personal influences affecting scientific performance.

Today's workers spend upwards of 80% of their time collaborating and teams have become the fundamental unit within organizations. Creative Success in Teams summarizes for practitioners and researchers what drives team creativity. Utilizing research from psychology, organizational behavior/management, business, and education, the book discusses how best to start, manage, and foster creativity in team environments, how to encourage participation and collaboration, what makes for the most creative team, and how best to lead and evaluate creative teams. Summarizes creativity research from psychology, education, and business Identifies how best to form a team for creative output Discusses how to foster team participation and collaboration Includes multicultural, interdisciplinary, and diverse teams