In this second of our series, “Doing Research as a Trainee in Geriatric Medicine”, we cover the tools one needs to get off to a good start on one’s project.

As a doctor, you bring considerable skills to a research project: working autonomously and with other people, gathering information and taking important decisions, and having uniquely broad knowledge of human biology and disease. However, life in research is very different from clinical work. This article looks at the kinds of challenges you will face and offers advice on how to get off to a good start, and to keep going!

Practical matters
You may be lucky and have a desk, computer, filing cabinet, email account etc., all set up when you arrive. Then again, maybe not! Supervisors, supervisors' secretaries and other researchers will know that as a “newby” you will want answers to many important questions, like, “where do I get a cup of coffee?”; “how do I set up an email account?”, but don’t expect them to impart their wisdom unsolicited. The key here, as with research life in general, is that you need to be proactive in getting what you need.

Understanding your project
At the beginning it's tempting to plough straight into the data-gathering part of your project without standing back and really thinking about what it is you are doing. However, it is important to start by taking the time to really get an intellectual grasp of your work. To help achieve this, re-read your grant application documents and references, looking for other papers to see what other approaches are around. This doesn't mean doing nothing but sitting in a library for weeks, because a bit of practical involvement early on is also advisable. But aim, at an early stage, to understand the theory behind your work, as well as the method. A good test is being able to give a clear outline of your work to clinical and research colleagues. Having a firm understanding of the science will give you a platform of confidence on which to build your project.

Literature review
To help in the process, some supervisors ask their new researchers to write a literature review. This can have several positive consequences: you write some of your introduction, you inevitably develop a broad knowledge of the main papers in the field, and you are highly likely to get a morale-boosting publication.

Your toolbox of skills
When you start doing research you are going to need to develop several new skills. These can be divided into skills particular to your project, such as specialised patient assessments and laboratory procedures, and generic skills, such as giving talks and writing papers (see the 'toolbox of skills'). Make a list of the skills you need in your toolbox and then decide on how you are going to learn these skills. Many will be learned on the job. Some of the more specific skills will be taught to you by local researchers or technical staff. For the generic skills, your university will run lots of free courses on topics like presentation skills, literature searching, reference management, IT skills (especially database management), statistics, and time management. Your supervisor may not actively tell you about these kinds of courses - it's up to you to decide what you need to do and to organise it.

Working with your supervisor
It takes two to tango. On the wards you have regular contact with your senior colleagues. However, life in research is very different. After the first few meetings you most likely won't see your supervisor as often as you saw your consultants. Research doesn't usually have the same kind of timetables that ward work has. Supervisors' schedules mostly do not incorporate formal slots to see all of their researchers frequently, and on the whole, they will not monitor the week to week activities of all of the members of their group. So, remember that if you need help from your supervisor you usually need to arrange a meeting. Some people find that a regular monthly meeting is worth doing but different units have different policies. But outside any formal contact, remember that sometimes a quick call or email can save days of wasted time.

Planning and time management
Working outside of the structured environment of the ward brings with it many freedoms. But this lack of structure also brings a high risk of wasting time, especially for the less organised amongst us! This is where time management comes in. Taking an active interest in becoming good at this will pay you back many times over in saved time and effort.

Time management is simply about setting goals, prioritising, and planning when you are going to do the tasks to achieve these goals. For example, some writers advocate making yearly, monthly, weekly and daily lists. To help with this some people find a hand held computer useful, especially when linked up with a program like Microsoft Outlook. Whatever scheme and supporting technology (spiral bound notebook or super computer!) you use, invest some time here.

Backing up your work
Your project will generate a large amount of information, including new research data, laboratory notes, references, papers in electronic format, emails, your presentations, posters, and your informal and formal writing. Frequently one hears of disasters in which a researcher has lost their data because of failure to back up. Don't be the subject of one of these spine-chilling stories! There are many simple ways to back up your work. Solutions include the Archos portable 20GB drive (smaller than a cassette tape), a USB memory key, and www.xdrive.com, which provides cheap online storage. Don't rely on a couple of unlabelled floppies lying beside your computer. Have written or electronic prompts to back up all your writing, emails and numerical data, and be ultra-scrupulous about doing this. It's your work, after all.

Looking after yourself
You will inevitably encounter obstacles in your project, especially when setting up. This is normal, so don't worry too much if things stutter along or even stop for a bit. Sometimes you will be able to work out solutions on your own, but if you can't, then seek appropriate help promptly, from your peers or from your supervisor. Never be embarrassed about this, because sometimes a quick email or phone-call can provide a quick solution.

If everything seems overwhelming and you feel like giving up (not uncommon!), break big jobs down into manageable chunks. A to-do list updated at the beginning of every day can really help to keep you moving forward, even slowly, when you are not feeling great about your work. Managing to get a few simple things done, even one thing a day, can help rebuild your morale. However, if things get more serious and you really feel that you are struggling, then think about taking some time off or switching to a different activity for a while. Most of all, don't suffer alone. There are lots of sources of support, including your mentor (who should not be your supervisor), colleagues from your clinical work, confidential counselling services from your university and the NHS, and many others.

More generally, beyond the usual advice about having a good social life, using the flexibility in your day, and so on, make an effort to network with researchers in your field, locally or further afield. Peer support is a tremendous buffer against stress. It's also worth going to conferences, not just to hear about the latest developments and to put names to faces, but also to enjoy the social side of being a scientist.

More Information
For more information please visit the research section on the trainees website at www.bgs.org.uk/training/research.htm

Alasdair MacLullich, Lecturer
Susan Shenkin, MRC Research Fellow
Brian McGurn, Alzheimer's Research Trust Fellow
Geriatric Medicine Unit
University of Edinburgh