Assigned Reading: Pautasso M. (2013). Ten simple rules for writing a literature review. PLoS computational biology, 9(7), e1003149. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003149

Optional Reading: Williams, J. K. (2018). A Comprehensive Review of Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review. The Qualitative Report, 23(2), 345-349. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3374

When doing literature reviews, try to keep these questions in mind:

• What is the main point/finding/significance of this article?

• Does it offer any method I can refer from?

• How is this article relevant to my questions?

• What is some surprising information I found?

• What are some new and original ideas/questions prompted by this article?

In terms of organization of literature review, UNC-Chapel Hill has a great summary on different ways you can categorize your reviews into sections and themes: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/literature-reviews/​

Assigned Reading: Selections from "Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials" 10th Edition (Patten & Newhart, 2018)
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During this week of the quarter, one of the main learning goals was for RAs to understand different types of research methods. To facilitate this, I've selected chapters from a book entitled Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials 10th Edition by Mildred L. Patten and Michelle Newhart.

• Ch 3: The Role of Theory in Research

  • This chapter talks about what exactly is theory and why is it important. RAs might hear me say this a lot when giving feedback to their proposals - what is your theoretical framework and how is XYZ relate to your questions and theories - this is because the theory is what will differentiate our writing from scientific essays vs. opinions.

• Ch 4: Experimental and Nonexperimental Studies

  • This chapter talks about different types of experiments RAs can set up to test their hypothesis. Most of what they propose are experimental studies. But I don't underestimate nonexperimental studies. A lot of non-STEM fields of studies utilize nonexperimental studies for their research goal. It also discusses "non-true experiments" where there might be too many confound variables or the lack of control groups - sometimes we can't have the perfect experiment where everything is controlled due to ethical and practical concerns.

• Ch 7 Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Key Differences

  • Even though we are a quant-heavy lab, I don't want RAs to underestimate how important qualitative research is. While the quantitative side can uncover important statistics (such as significant achievement gaps or high depression rate), the qualitative side can provide you with the context and narratives as to why this phenomenon exists (such as family struggles or lack of access to resources).

I also included a helpful blog post that covers different types of research methods and how suit different purposes: https://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-choose-the-research-methodology-best-suited-for-your-study

For this week, the learning goal was for RAs to understand some common statistical analyses so that as they are carrying out their proposal idea, they are also considering how to analyze data after data collection.

All RAs are strongly encouraged to take stats classes in their undergrad: not only you will have time to go over the foundation of stats in these classes, you will also have the chance to do practice problems in these classes! Just like math, statistics is a practical skill that needs to be practiced. This means that if you don’t do a lot of stats, you will forget what’s going on and what does each thing mean. BUT at the same time, this also means that if you ever forget about a component of stats, you can always pick it up super quickly because it’s meant to be simple and applicable. Not to mention, it is always helpful to have these classes reflected on your transcript when applying to grad school or jobs as you can provide some evidence that you know the basics about statistics and research.

​Assigned Reading: Ali, Z., & Bhaskar, S. B. (2016). Basic statistical tools in research and data analysis. Indian journal of anaesthesia, 60(9), 662–669. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190623

I chose this reading because it's short and very informative (only 7 pages in content!). A lot of the other readings I've found are just too long or abstract in ways that they are describing statistics. Although it's written for a medical journal, the foundation of statistics is pretty much the same across disciplines with different emphasis or common practices.

Additionally, here are some helpful resources that I've been using or showing others on learning stats. You do not have to review them. These are here as resources:

• Demystifying Statistical Analysis 1: A Handy Cheat Sheet

  • This blogpost is a cheat sheet on what type of tests to use based on your variables.

• UCLA Institute for Digital Research & Education

  • This site provides information on how to conduct analysis and read output on different software.

    • Data analysis examples

    • Annotated output

    • Which test to use

• YouTube videos - One of the personal criticisms I have about a lot of the tutorials or lectures on statistics is that that sometimes diving into the math formula is so confusing, not to mention having the big picture can also help you understand where you are going with learning all these math...and this is why I think a lot of the popular science YouTube video does a great job doing this.

  • Global Health with Greg Martin

  • Organic Chem tutor

  • Top Tip Bio

​This week’s reading is centered around professional development, and the purpose of this week’s assignments is to reflect and refine your professional goals. I know that not all RAs are interested in doing research as a career or are still exploring what they want to do. Below is a list of blog posts that I’ve found helpful for them to learn more about what’s out there and what transferrable skills can research bring.

• What Types of Jobs Are There for Research-Oriented Personalities: https://careertrend.com/list-6868459-types-there-research-oriented-personalities-.html

  • This blog post features a collection of different types of research careers based on your interest.

• The Pros and Cons of a Career in Research: https://inomics.com/advice/the-pros-and-cons-of-a-career-in-research-283390

  • This blog post compares the pros and cons when considering a career in research.

• Skills you gain during a Ph.D. that is transferable to industry roles: https://www.scientifica.uk.com/neurowire/skills-you-gain-during-a-phd-that-are-transferable-to-industry

  • This blog post talks about “transferrable skills” - skills you’ve learned from one domain that’s easily applicable (and often time highlight sought after) in other fields. Although written for Ph.D.-level audiences who are considering a career change, this post also articulates skills that you’ve been or will be learning when working in research, which could inspire you to consider other career options based on skill sets.

For this week, I prepared the following resources and instructions so RAs can start writing CV or modify the ones they already have.

What is a CV?
CV stands for "curriculum vitae", which is Latin for "course of life". In another word, you are providing a summary of your academic and professional career, along with relevant information that illustrates your skills and qualifications. In the context of U.S. higher education, CV is most commonly seen for academic or research-orientated jobs or applications.
There isn't a "standardized" format for a CV, but given its purpose - to communicate your experiences and qualifications, most CVs include name, contact information, education, work experience, publications, awards, and relevant skills. Unlike resumes, CV can be as long as 20+ pages! When you look at some of the faculty CVs, they often have A LOT of stuff on their CV because they've done more. For students, it's totally okay to just a 2-3 pages since you are still growing and learning. Here is a comprehensive list of stuff you could include on your CV from Pomona College: https://www.pomona.edu/administration/career-development/how-to/write-curriculum-vitae

Tips on Writing CV
Just by Googling "writing CV", there are a gazillion entries!!! My personal advice on improving your CV is to:

1. use CVs from your trusting mentors as a reference

2. have people review, comment, and edit your CV

3. prioritize grant and publication information

To save you some time surfing online, here is a list of resources I think could be really helpful for you:

• Build a better CV - Simple steps to help graduate students improve their CVs by APA: https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/01/curriculum-vitae?continueFlag=a567c2143a4ecb15476d6931bd09ec0b

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) Samples, Templates, and Writing Tips by the Balance: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/cv-samples-and-writing-tips-2060349

• Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae: What's the Difference?:

• https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/resume/resumecv

• A Guide to Academia: Getting into and Surviving Grad School, Postdocs, and a Research Job - Appendices: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118317211

I've also included a list of CV examples I've accumulated and used throughout the year. Please note this list is only for personal and educational use.