GLOBAL: Seven recipes to become a top researcher

Jüri Allik*
13 June 2010, University World News, Issue: 128

Extract:

...I have a couple of very good recipes à la 'Nigella Express' on how to achieve at least 600 citations in 10 years. Actually, I have even more recipes, but as a psychologist I am aware of the magical number 7, which represents the limit of human capacity to process information. This is why in the following passages I will confine myself to seven of them....

Recipe no. 1
You must publish five to 10 articles a year and continue to do so for 10 years in a row

Recipe no. 2
Always collaborate with people who are better than you.

Recipe no. 3
You need to publish in several different fields and especially on topics where research is intensive.

Recipe no. 4
Think about maximising the lifespan of your article.

Recipe no. 5
Don't try to do what others can do better!

Recipe no. 6
For your message to hit home, you need to repeat it at least six times (Tulving's Rule).

Recipe no. 7
What you don't do immediately, in all probability you never will (The Rule of Time).
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