How Do Scientists Choose Their Research?

Students always ask me – how do I choose my research? When I was in graduate school, this question lingered over me for the first six months. How in the world, out of all of the things to study do I pick something?Most people will tell you to follow your passion – but what happens if you (like me) are passionate about many things? How do you choose? Or what if you aren’t sure what you are passionate about at all? Surprisingly, choosing your research based on what you are passionate about alone is bad advice. In this video, I explain why. If you are going into a research career, listening to this video is a must – especially if you expect to be the one leading the research (a principal investigator) because your research will likely set you up for your entire career trajectory.If you’re not a scientist or not going into research, this episode is still worth a listen. You’ll understand how scientists approach their area of interest and structure their research.  For full show notes click hereGet a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientistInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology