7 Things I Have Learned As a Grad Student: Day 4
Reading Research Papers
One thing I have done more in this year alone than ever before is reading research papers. I have read dozens of research papers on topics such as data mining, human-computer interaction, and even some on psychology. I have learned how to analyze, understand, and even criticize papers.
I have learned that there are actually many bad papers out there. Lots of poorly done research exists. The hard task is finding the good papers. If you do find them, they can really be worth the read. This is where much of the really innovative stuff is at. Most new technologies that you see appearing in the market today probably appeared in research papers that are 10 years old.
In an effort to get some of you interested in research papers, I had a week devoted entirely to HCI research papers (together with comic strips about the topics). Hopefully, I can continue to understand the world of research papers. This is an area where I have learned a lot, but still have a long way to go. Someday, I will even have to write a few myself. So this is one learning experience that I will definitely value.