Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Ole Isacson: Development of New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease
Published on: April 29, 2007
How to survive in research: advice for the novice investigator
Dan Siskind1, Stephen Parker2, Samantha Loi3
1Committee for Research, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), Melbourne, VICUniversity of Queensland, School of Medicine and Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia d.siskind@uq.edu.au.
Objectives:
This paper, written by the RANZCP Committee for Research, provides an outline for how to survive in research, considering the ingredients likely to contribute to success, the role of supportive structures and the expected challenges. Learning how to survive in research is relevant for both trainees and for Fellows undertaking research at any stage of their career.
Conclusions:
Intellectual curiosity, perseverance, frustration tolerance, patience and humility are key for success as a researcher. Selection of the right supervisor is important, as is development and maintenance of a good working supervisor/supervisee relationship. The personal benefits of undertaking research include flexibility in work hours, and improved skills in writing, oral presentations, objectivity, critical thinking, problem solving and project management.
Related Concept Videos
Naturalistic Observations
Ethics in Research
The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method
Generally, predictions are tested using carefully-designed experiments. Based on the outcome of these...
Psychology as a Science
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...

