February 2017 - Modus Operandi

February 17, 2017

How to ensure the value of literature reviews for students

The real value of lit reviews for students

Have you…

taken part in a research project lately?
or read a peer-reviewed article?

You certainly came across a literature review, from basic background searches for writing an article to a systematic review or even a meta-analysis. Literature reviews are an essential exercise in research. They allow us to keep building on facts and evidence that preceded us. We get to know the current state of knowledge and what has been done or tried in pursuit of science.

Though, as important as they are, literature reviews are cumbersome to execute. And in my experience, the burden mostly falls on students and research assistants. Continue reading “How to ensure the value of literature reviews for students”

February 12, 2017

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Research Assistant

When I was a student, I was always enthusiastic about assisting professors with their research as a Research Assistant – not just for the learning experience and the money, but also for the extra perks like potentially authoring journal articles and networking with others in my field.

As someone doing the hiring nowadays, I’m excited by the prospect of bringing a student into a new project because I know they will dedicate themselves to the work and help us get things done.

But the balance of this mutually beneficial relationship – between prof and student – is delicate Continue reading “5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Research Assistant”

February 10, 2017

An Academic’s Guide to Defining Roles with RASCI

In project management, it’s key that every team member working on the project has clearly defined roles. RASCI (or RACI) is a responsibility assignment matrix, i.e. a table that combines the roles for a task and the people involved in the project.

RASCI defines who does what, when, where and with whom.

Beyond keeping people accountable, RASCI / RACI also puts the project in perspective and allows team members to engage and consult the right people at the right time.

It helps everyone be a master of their time and feel in control of their share of the project.

Together, let’s see the different RASCI roles and how they apply in academia.

Continue reading “An Academic’s Guide to Defining Roles with RASCI”

February 8, 2017

How to Collaborate with Your Team Using an Excel-based Project Management Tool

When you’re working within a research team, you want everyone involved to have access to the project management tool. Whether they will be simply viewing the progress as recorded within the tool or making edits themselves, it’s important that everyone is on the same page.

Here are the best practices for naming, protecting, and sharing your Excel-based project management tool:

Create file versions

Before you open Modus Operandi or any other large tool (e.g., a screening workbook, a database) in Excel, make a copy and modify the name to include today’s date and the initials of the person editing. Keep the original file as a backup.

Here’s a good convention for file names (be sure to use hyphen or underscores, not spaces): FILENAME_YEARMONTHDAY_INITIALS.xlsx

E.g., AdminVaccineProject_20170306_GB.xlsx

If you edit someone else’s version on the same day, simply add your initial after theirs.

E.g., AdminVaccineProject_20170306_GB_MV.xlsx

Keep backups

You should keep previous file versions in a separate folder: I call mine “Archives” or “Backup”.

Discard the oldest versions if you lack space in your storage.

Sharing the tool

Before you save and close Modus Operandi, you should “Protect the spreadsheets” in Excel (under the “REVIEW” tab). That way, when one of your teammates updates their progress on the tool, they will only have access to the appropriate cells (task progress, actual start/end dates…)

For a few years now, best practices to share your project management tool recommend using a cloud service. It’s the easiest way to let your teammates see and update the tool routinely.

That you use Dropbox (aff link), OneDrive (Microsoft), iCloud (Apple) or Box, the functions remain the same. Make sure your Cloud system keeps synchronizing, so you can receive an alert if someone else opens the same file at the same time (and eventually makes modifications).

If you use emails or chats to share the tool instead, you should download the updated tool every time. Save it in different versions (as described above).

 Check out what Modus Operandi can do to help you manage your projects.