How can you identify your strengths and weaknesses as a laboratory researcher?
As a laboratory researcher, you need to constantly evaluate your performance and identify your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you improve your skills, advance your career, and contribute to your field. But how can you assess yourself objectively and honestly? Here are some tips and tools to help you reflect on your research abilities and areas of improvement.
As a laboratory researcher, one way to identify your strengths and weaknesses is to ask yourself self-evaluation questions. These questions can cover various aspects of your research, such as knowledge, skills, methods, results, communication, and collaboration. For instance, you can contemplate how well you understand the background and significance of your research topic, what the most pertinent sources of information are for your research question, and how you design, conduct, and analyze experiments. You can also consider how you handle unexpected issues or failures in your research and how you communicate your findings and implications to different audiences. Additionally, you can reflect on how you collaborate with other researchers, mentors, or supervisors. By asking yourself these questions, you can gain insight into your achievements, challenges, and feedback. Furthermore, you can use them to set specific and realistic goals for future research.
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Chibueze Daniel Nwudele
Senior Medical Laboratory Scientist @ Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology | Laboratory Services
I believe in this point and I also want stress collaboration. If you finds it difficult to collaborate, it's a big weakness in research. Evaluate your time management too.
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Debra Blum
Seeking remote/home office opportunity OR accommodation due to rollator walker use.
I have always HAD to be with the GROUP I work with/for, I have never been taken seriously and allowed to do my own research that I started out to do. Talk about frustration!
Gaining feedback from others is a great way to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a laboratory researcher. This feedback can come from various sources, such as peers, mentors, supervisors, reviewers, or readers. You can ask them to provide constructive and honest comments on your research performance and output, like reviewing your research proposal or paper and suggesting improvements. Furthermore, you can request their opinions and insights on your research topic or question, or get advice or guidance on your research skills or career development. By using this feedback to identify your strengths and areas of improvement, you can learn from different perspectives and experiences.
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Paola Salanueva Osés
Human Resources Manager at Histocell Regenerative Medicine ▪ HR Generalist ▪ Hiring Manager ▪ Talent Acquisition Manager ▪ People Development Manager ▪ Labour Compliance Officer ▪ Employment Consultant ▪ Career Mentor
Considero que una herramienta extraordinaria para ahondar en el propio potencial y detectar áreas de mejora es el mentoring científico. A través del mentoring, una persona senior con dilatada experiencia profesional en un área, tutoriza o acompaña a un profesional junior en el descubrimiento de sus propósitos. Por ejemplo, el instituto de investigación IMDEA Energía de Madrid desarrolla un programa de estas características, llamado "Impulso al Talento Investigador", con la colaboración de la Escuela de Mentoring, y del que tengo el gusto de formar parte como mentora de carrera.
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Chibueze Daniel Nwudele
Senior Medical Laboratory Scientist @ Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology | Laboratory Services
It is also good to get feedback from neutral people, other researchers that you did not have a relationship with. Criticism is also good in research because it will push you to find the truth.
As a laboratory researcher, you can use self-assessment tools to identify your strengths and weaknesses, measure and compare your research competencies and performance, and identify your learning needs and preferences. For instance, the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) by Vitae is a tool that describes the knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors researchers need to succeed. It also provides a self-assessment tool to rate your current level and plan your development. Meredith Belbin's Belbin Team Roles tool identifies nine team roles that researchers can play in a collaborative project. It also provides a self-assessment tool to discover your preferred and secondary roles and how they affect team performance. Additionally, David Kolb's Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) identifies four learning styles that researchers can adopt based on how they perceive and process information. It also provides a self-assessment tool to determine your dominant and secondary learning styles and how they influence your research approach. By using these tools, you can not only identify your strengths and weaknesses as a laboratory researcher but also develop them.