The Ultimate Research MasterClass

Ethics are the norms of conduct for researchers that ensure honesty, accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity in the scientific research process.

Plagiarism is the most common example of scientific misconduct. In this lecture, we will talk more about it, give several examples, and discuss how to avoid it.

Learn how to observe copyright policies and how to acquire permissions to reuse images in your papers.

Fabrication & falsification of results is one of the most lethal examples of scientific misconduct! Be careful with this, especially for people working in health and life sciences. This lecture presents several examples of known cases of fabrication & falsification of results and the consequences.

Here we discuss the general procedures and guidelines for research involving animals and the typical ethical approvals required.

All research involving human subjects needs to observe strict policies and procedures. We will explore these in this lecture and also explain the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

When working on a scientific papers, especially within a research group, you need to be aware about certain etiquettes and ethics regarding authorship and acknowledgements.

Literature review is the process of reading and synthesizing the literature to make useful conclusions on your research project. Lets dive deeper into why this stage is very important for your research project.

Here we will explore the general classification of literature sources and where to find them.

This lecture explains the most common search engines, databases, and tools you need to search for papers in any field.

Not all scientific journals are created equal! This lecture helps you understand the three most important metrics for assessing the quality of journals.

There are many journals out there that exploit the open-access model and publish poor-quality research. It's essential for you to be able to spot them and avoid them in your literature review.

Open access means making research freely available to everyone. This concept has been gaining a lot popularity in recent years. However, it has its own challenges, especially for authors.

Here, we begin with the essential steps to get started with your literature review

Writing a review paper is a relatively advanced skill, however it is not impossible! I will walk you through the process and also share my experience in publishing two review papers when I was completing my second year in the PhD program.

All researchers need to learn to use a references management software! These amazing tools help you organize your literature in one database and insert them in your papers with ease (and according to the journal's requirements).

The research method is basically how the research is done! I will also explain the main types of methods and what actually matters for you.

A big category of research requires conducting experimental work. This lectures explains the general concept of experimental work and also essential lab safety guidelines.

Here, we briefly explore the main methods employed in health and life sciences research.

There are numerous research projects that employ computer tools and software, hence its important to understand the general principles on how to use these tools and their limitations.

Research involving data collection through surveys, interviews, and focus groups is very common, and hence we will explore these methods further.

Any research that generates a lot of data will usually require you to conduct some sort of statistical analysis. This lecture discusses the concept of statistical analysis and the typical types of analysis and tools you may need to use.

Quantitative research methods will generate (and require) immense data. As a researcher, you need to manage this data carefully.

This lecture presents important guidelines on how to present your results and derive useful conclusions and insights.

This is a quick summary of the section and concluding remarks about the selection of your research method.

Researchers need to publish for several reasons such as sharing their findings, getting more visibility and collaboration opportunities, and being promoted.

There are numerous types of scientific papers such as original research articles, reviews, and commentaries. We will learn more about them here.

There are a few guidelines to consider before you start writing any paper. This lectures explain them in detail.

This lecture outlines the 11-step framework for preparing your papers. We will explore each step in detail and go over several examples.

This lecture explains the main considerations for selecting an appropriate journal for publishing your research work. We also go over examples of metrics provided in journals' websites.

This lecture covers Step 2 which is working with a template and also Step 3 which is how to write a good title and a good introduction section.

This lecture explains how to write the literature review for your research, while also linking it with the problem statement and the objectives.

This lecture explains how the write the research methodology section, the results and discussion sections, and the conclusion of your paper.

Here, we go over how to write the abstract.

This lecture explains how to write the last sections of your paper - the acknowledgements, appendices, and references.

Before submitting your manuscript to the journal, you need to conduct a good internal peer-review. Learn more in this lecture.

The last step in the framework is the submission process itself and here we will go the submission checklist.

This lecture explains how to insert in-text citations, format them to the appropriate style, and how to create a references list using Mendeley.

This lecture is a hands-on exercise on a number of important MS Word skills when preparing your manuscript. We will cover: inserting captions, in-text cross-references, headings and tables of content, line numbering, and track-changes features.

This lecture provides several guidelines and tips on how to structure your sentences in an compelling manner.

Here, we will go over the internal processes of journals once you submit your paper. We will also discuss what you should do if your paper is rejected and what to do if you are asked to submit a revised version. Moreover, we will go over the steps you should take after your paper is accepted.

Conference papers are similar to journal papers, but have a few distinct features of their own.

This lecture presents the best practices for preparing theses and dissertations for university programs.

Effective presentations should employ four main principles to enhance the way you communicate your ideas. Let's discover them!

Let's talk about some bad habits that ruin your presentation and how to avoid them.

When making university graduation presentations (such as for masters or doctorate degrees), you need to be aware of a number of key skills and guidelines. This lecture will explore them and will also show you how to prepare an outstanding presentation that captures your audience's attention.

Here, we will go over a number of tools and features in PowerPoint that will help you enhance your presentations. I will be using my Ph.D. dissertation defense presentation as an example. The .pptx file is available for download under resources.

I will be demonstrating two powerful platforms to enhance your graphics work: Canva.com and Pixabay.com

Conferences are a great platform to communicate your research to a global audience and make connections. This lecture shows you how to deliver conference presentations with confidence.

Since the pandemic started, our lives have shifted to the virtual world! Many universities have even shifted to 100% online teaching. Hence, it's essential to develop your online presentation skills.

This lecture shows you how to develop outstanding posters with ease using PowerPoint.

Career planning is essential in preparing you for the job market and ensuring you have numerous opportunities after graduation. This lecture helps you expand your understanding further about this concept.

In this lecture, we will go over the process of applying for university admission and scholarships.

This lecture shows you the best practices in preparing your personal statement.

Writing a research proposal is sometimes required by universities as part of admission requirements. In this lecture, we will go over the 6 steps to prepare your research proposal.

Here, we will look at the main considerations before selecting your adviser.

Conferences offer a great platform for networking and expanding the impact of your research. This lectures offers further insights on how to make the most of conferences.

In this section, we will look at why work-life balance matters and simple habits you can start building.

This lectures shows you how to develop your online brand image as a researcher and which platforms you should focus on.

Having a research website is an excellent way to magnify the impact of your work. This lecture shows you simple and FREE ways to develop your website!

This lecture shows you how to progress into becoming a peer-reviewer for journals in your field.

Applying for research grants is an advanced skill, but is essential for most researchers. This lecture provides you with an overview of the process.

This lecture shows you how to prepare yourself for job applications, including preparing your CV in the correct way, writing an outstanding cover letter, and how to apply for faculty positions. We will also go over several helpful tools and real examples to help you get started!

This lecture will go over essential skills and tools to help you with managing data.

Concluding remarks for the masterclass.