Alas, the title suggests that this will serve as another blog post about how organization is difficult! As a student, too often have I relied on external sources to provide a blueprint for “checking my process” in solving energy engineering problems. As a young professional, I continuously alter my approach to expand my network. In many respects, we are all trained to be followers at some stage in our development. This logic implies that we could recall our previous studies to deal with recurring issues in our lives after college. I refer to these hard skills as “adeptability”, a measure of how much stuff I know! The metric has helped in some extracurricular activities where I would like to evaluate my effectiveness. However, what happens when competency is not the sole determinant of a successful project?
The realm of research presents a challenge unlike any other experience I have ever had: adaptability is just as important as “adeptability”. An important component to a researcher’s job description encompasses experimental design.
If you are strategic in the planning stages of a project, you may reap the benefits of a more robust product with less bias results. For example, I am interested in developing control systems for renewable fuel production. If I decide to ignore a number of “real-world” variables in my preliminary tests for convenience, I will not be able to illustrate a complete picture when I conclude my project. Not only will I lose credibility as a reliable researcher, but I will be wasting my own time and effort.
STEM research requires the development of comprehensive and collaborative experimental designs to conclusively impact the energy industry. I realize that leadership in the science community is held by those who are eloquent in their presentation, steadfast in their passion for science, and thorough in their experimental design!
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