The Devil's Guide to Doing your PhD - 10 tips for despair, dismay, and disappointment
andreas.zeller
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32 slides
Sep 17, 2024
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About This Presentation
In this talk, I offer ten tips for doing your PhD from an "evil" perspective—i.e., in ways that may sound reasonable in the short run but will hurt in the long run. I complement each tip with a good (but more boring) perspective that promises to be better for you. Enjoy!
Andreas Zeller ...
Slide Content
Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
The 's Guide to Doing your PhD
10 tips for despair, dismay, and disappointment
!
The 's Guide to Doing your PhD
10 tips for despair, dismay, and disappointment
!
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Andreas Zeller • CISPA
"To boldly test where no man has tested before"
! vs "
Andreas Zeller • CISPA
"To boldly test where no man has tested before"
! vs "
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
1.Go where the light is
2.Wait for the kiss of the muse
3.Complexity is your friend
4.You can sleep when you're dead
5.Everyone just wants to steal your idea
6.Just beat the benchmark
7.Those who don't get it do not deserve it
8.It's always personal
9.Your advisor is always right
10.Metrics is all we care about
All ten tips in a nutshell
Because nothing beats bullets and outlines
! vs "
Can lead to
a PhD
1.Go where the light is
2.Wait for the kiss of the muse
3.Complexity is your friend
4.You can sleep when you're dead
5.Everyone just wants to steal your idea
6.Just beat the benchmark
7.Those who don't get it do not deserve it
8.It's always personal
9.Your advisor is always right
10.Metrics is all we care about
All ten tips in a nutshell
Because nothing beats bullets and outlines
! vs "
Can lead to
a PhD
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
•To do a successful PhD, you need to avoid risks
•Stick to the topics you already studied
•Stick to the advisor you already know
•Stick to the mainstream of research
•Do not leave your bubble under any circumstances
•"Here be dragons" in unexplored territory
Go where the light is
Because convenience rules
•To do a successful PhD, you need to avoid risks
•Stick to the topics you already studied
•Stick to the advisor you already know
•Stick to the mainstream of research
•Do not leave your bubble under any circumstances
•"Here be dragons" in unexplored territory
Go where the light is
Because convenience rules
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Go where the light is?
Actually, no
•The aim of science is to take risks that no one else does
•Ask yourself: What are the most important problems in your field?
(Note that these might not the most researched ones.)
•And then: Why aren't you working on them?
•Try to find problems that are high-risk, high-gain
•But don't pick problems that would never fit in a PhD
Go where the light is?
Actually, no
•The aim of science is to take risks that no one else does
•Ask yourself: What are the most important problems in your field?
(Note that these might not the most researched ones.)
•And then: Why aren't you working on them?
•Try to find problems that are high-risk, high-gain
•But don't pick problems that would never fit in a PhD
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Wait for the kiss of the muse
Anything can be an inspiration
•A great idea cannot be forced
•Procrastinate until the muse strikes
•Refuse outside ideas – they're not yours
(and not good enough anyway)
•Do not commit to anything,
so you cannot be held accountable
•You can spend years still searching
Wait for the kiss of the muse
Anything can be an inspiration
•A great idea cannot be forced
•Procrastinate until the muse strikes
•Refuse outside ideas – they're not yours
(and not good enough anyway)
•Do not commit to anything,
so you cannot be held accountable
•You can spend years still searching
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Wait for the kiss of the muse?
Lack of ideas does not mean procrastination
To find ideas for a good PhD topic, go talk to practitioners
1.How can you abstract their problems into a general problem?
2.How can you find a general solution for the general problem?
3.For evaluation, instantiate the general solution back to concrete problems
Generalization and concretization are keys here!
Wait for the kiss of the muse?
Lack of ideas does not mean procrastination
To find ideas for a good PhD topic, go talk to practitioners
1.How can you abstract their problems into a general problem?
2.How can you find a general solution for the general problem?
3.For evaluation, instantiate the general solution back to concrete problems
Generalization and concretization are keys here!
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Complexity is your friend
Impress your peers with layers of complexity
•You want to impress as being smart
•This only works if nobody understands
what you're doing
•Continuously hunt for the most complex
alternative to do things
•Aim for a big bang – and do not stop
until you reach perfection
Complexity is your friend
Impress your peers with layers of complexity
•You want to impress as being smart
•This only works if nobody understands
what you're doing
•Continuously hunt for the most complex
alternative to do things
•Aim for a big bang – and do not stop
until you reach perfection
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Complexity is your enemy
Test early, test often, keep things simple
•Try to find a solution that is as simple as possible, but not simpler
•As long as no-one else has done it, keep it simple
•Test and evaluate as often as you can, starting with toy examples
•Choose an environment where you can prototype quickly
(I recommend Python and Jupyter Notebooks)
•Always have a running demo ready
•Document and/or automate your results and your progress
Complexity is your enemy
Test early, test often, keep things simple
•Try to find a solution that is as simple as possible, but not simpler
•As long as no-one else has done it, keep it simple
•Test and evaluate as often as you can, starting with toy examples
•Choose an environment where you can prototype quickly
(I recommend Python and Jupyter Notebooks)
•Always have a running demo ready
•Document and/or automate your results and your progress
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
You can sleep when you're dead
Work harder, not smarter
•Start with the Chinese "Work 996" style
and continuously increase your work time
•Make your work your life,
so you get work-life balance by construction
•Avoid people who infuse doubts
•Avoid activities that keep you from work
•Your PhD will help you finding new friendshttps://emojis.sh/emoji/coder-with-laptop-mRgvM384F3
You can sleep when you're dead
Work harder, not smarter
•Start with the Chinese "Work 996" style
and continuously increase your work time
•Make your work your life,
so you get work-life balance by construction
•Avoid people who infuse doubts
•Avoid activities that keep you from work
•Your PhD will help you finding new friendshttps://emojis.sh/emoji/coder-with-laptop-mRgvM384F3
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
A healthy mind needs a healthy body
Keep a social, creative, satisfying lifestyle
•A PhD requires lots of creativity for big and small problems
•You do not get creative solutions if you're overworked or sleep-deprived
•When facing a big problem, sleep over it, come back the next day
•Talk to your friends (and/or a rubber duck!) to make problems explicit
•Be there for your friends when they need you and vice versa
A healthy mind needs a healthy body
Keep a social, creative, satisfying lifestyle
•A PhD requires lots of creativity for big and small problems
•You do not get creative solutions if you're overworked or sleep-deprived
•When facing a big problem, sleep over it, come back the next day
•Talk to your friends (and/or a rubber duck!) to make problems explicit
•Be there for your friends when they need you and vice versa
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Everyone just wants to steal your idea
Consider who you will be talking to
•Do not communicate with your peers –
no talking, no watching, no listening
•Telling them your idea makes them steal it
•Seeing their idea may make you steal it
•Work until everything is really ready,
then publish it all
Everyone just wants to steal your idea
Consider who you will be talking to
•Do not communicate with your peers –
no talking, no watching, no listening
•Telling them your idea makes them steal it
•Seeing their idea may make you steal it
•Work until everything is really ready,
then publish it all
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Everyone just wants to steal your idea
Actually, no
•Keeping your idea for yourself entails lots of risks
•Someone else may publish a similar idea first
•You won't know if someone has tried that already and failed
•Present your idea as often as possible to get feedback
•Publish your idea (say, in a doctoral symposium) to document it's yours
•Should ideas get stolen by your colleagues or your boss, do not stay
Everyone just wants to steal your idea
Actually, no
•Keeping your idea for yourself entails lots of risks
•Someone else may publish a similar idea first
•You won't know if someone has tried that already and failed
•Present your idea as often as possible to get feedback
•Publish your idea (say, in a doctoral symposium) to document it's yours
•Should ideas get stolen by your colleagues or your boss, do not stay
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Just beat the benchmark
Better metrics = better research
•Always go for incremental work –
reviewers will know the field and can compare
•Show your approach is better on all accounts
•Anything goes as long as you improve
•If your numbers are good,
no-one will ever care about how you did it
•You want this paper published, right?
Results
Our
Approach
Inferior
Approach A
Inferior
Approach B
Subject A 97,5 % 95,0 % 96,0 %
Subject B 98,0 % 97,8 % 98,0 %
Total 97,7 % 96,4 % 97,0 %
Just beat the benchmark
Better metrics = better research
•Always go for incremental work –
reviewers will know the field and can compare
•Show your approach is better on all accounts
•Anything goes as long as you improve
•If your numbers are good,
no-one will ever care about how you did it
•You want this paper published, right?
Results
Our
Approach
Inferior
Approach A
Inferior
Approach B
Subject A 97,5 % 95,0 % 96,0 %
Subject B 98,0 % 97,8 % 98,0 %
Total 97,7 % 96,4 % 97,0 %
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Just beat the benchmark
if you want to publish several inconsequential papers, that is
•Being "better" in results is one thing, but how did you get there?
•Is your approach something that could end up in a textbook one day…
•…or is it just you twisting things until the benchmark results got best?
•It is a groundbreaking idea that will get you famous, not some increment
Just beat the benchmark
if you want to publish several inconsequential papers, that is
•Being "better" in results is one thing, but how did you get there?
•Is your approach something that could end up in a textbook one day…
•…or is it just you twisting things until the benchmark results got best?
•It is a groundbreaking idea that will get you famous, not some increment
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Those who don't get it do not deserve it
Write and present for yourself
•Keep your audience at a safe distance –
the closer they get, the more they will see
•Write and present for yourself
as if it were a diary
•Be as verbose, vague, and pompous as can be
•Why ever revise?#
Those who don't get it do not deserve it
Write and present for yourself
•Keep your audience at a safe distance –
the closer they get, the more they will see
•Write and present for yourself
as if it were a diary
•Be as verbose, vague, and pompous as can be
•Why ever revise?#
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Those who don't get it do not deserve it
but you should do your best to get them interested
•For an academic career, you want to be known as "the person who did X"
•For this, you will have to communicate X well
•Have your papers revised by as many people as possible
•Have your presentations revised by as many people as possible
(And start with a presentation before the paper to get the message right)
•Attend presentation and writing courses at your institution and beyond
Those who don't get it do not deserve it
but you should do your best to get them interested
•For an academic career, you want to be known as "the person who did X"
•For this, you will have to communicate X well
•Have your papers revised by as many people as possible
•Have your presentations revised by as many people as possible
(And start with a presentation before the paper to get the message right)
•Attend presentation and writing courses at your institution and beyond
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
It's always personal
Criticism is there to make you unhappy
•Stay on your chosen path no matter what.
•Stay away from false friends (competitors)
who offer "honest feedback".
•Reviewers are not just stupid,
they're actually after you.
•Aim for self-efficacy.
If you win, it's you. If you fail, it's their fault.
It's always personal
Criticism is there to make you unhappy
•Stay on your chosen path no matter what.
•Stay away from false friends (competitors)
who offer "honest feedback".
•Reviewers are not just stupid,
they're actually after you.
•Aim for self-efficacy.
If you win, it's you. If you fail, it's their fault.
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
It's always personal?
No. It's about your work and how you can improve it
•Indeed, use self-efficacy to keep up your sanity, but in a different way:
•It's never about you, it's about your work.
•Make use of every offer that allows you to improve your work.
•If reviewers are stupid, it's up to you to explain things better.
•If you get convinced it is worth it, adjust your path.
•Do your very best in your work and you'll be proud of yourself.
It's always personal?
No. It's about your work and how you can improve it
•Indeed, use self-efficacy to keep up your sanity, but in a different way:
•It's never about you, it's about your work.
•Make use of every offer that allows you to improve your work.
•If reviewers are stupid, it's up to you to explain things better.
•If you get convinced it is worth it, adjust your path.
•Do your very best in your work and you'll be proud of yourself.
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Your advisor is always right
And if not: see above
•Your advisor is always right.
•Your advisor only serves your interests.
•If your advisor does something questionable,
it's for your benefit.
•If not, it's for the benefit of science.
•If not, it's for your mutual benefit. You'll see.
Your advisor is always right
And if not: see above
•Your advisor is always right.
•Your advisor only serves your interests.
•If your advisor does something questionable,
it's for your benefit.
•If not, it's for the benefit of science.
•If not, it's for your mutual benefit. You'll see.
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
No, your advisor is not always right
In doubt, follow your own path
•Your PhD advisor often is in a position of power over you
•This can make it hard to express disagreements
•Use science to resolve disagreements, finding results that settle a debate.
•Good advisors are always open for honest feedback to become better
•Bad advisors just impose their will and their egos
•If you're stuck with a bad advisor, consult with your institution or move
No, your advisor is not always right
In doubt, follow your own path
•Your PhD advisor often is in a position of power over you
•This can make it hard to express disagreements
•Use science to resolve disagreements, finding results that settle a debate.
•Good advisors are always open for honest feedback to become better
•Bad advisors just impose their will and their egos
•If you're stuck with a bad advisor, consult with your institution or move
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Metrics is all we care about
Better metrics = better researcher
•Scientists and scientific institutions want impact
•Quantity is so much easier to measure than quality
•More papers = higher chances to get cited
•Any venue is a chance to get read and cited
•Slice your contribution into as many papers as possible
•Team up with co-workers to gain co-authorships
Here lies
Herr Professor Doktor Ingenieur
Andreas Zeller
Cited by
25,553
25,554
Metrics is all we care about
Better metrics = better researcher
•Scientists and scientific institutions want impact
•Quantity is so much easier to measure than quality
•More papers = higher chances to get cited
•Any venue is a chance to get read and cited
•Slice your contribution into as many papers as possible
•Team up with co-workers to gain co-authorships
Here lies
Herr Professor Doktor Ingenieur
Andreas Zeller
Cited by
25,553
25,554
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
It is ideas that stand the test of time
Metrics are a symptom at best (and mostly too short-term)
•Why do you do a PhD? To satisfy some metric or true scientific impact?
What do you want to be known for?
•Is it worth spending 3–5 years of your life chasing some imposed metric?
•If you make a great contribution, metrics will follow
(But if you come up with something truly revolutionary, this will take years)
•For a safe career, combine daily low-risk work (to keep the numbers up) with
occasional high-risk work (to keep the dream alive)
It is ideas that stand the test of time
Metrics are a symptom at best (and mostly too short-term)
•Why do you do a PhD? To satisfy some metric or true scientific impact?
What do you want to be known for?
•Is it worth spending 3–5 years of your life chasing some imposed metric?
•If you make a great contribution, metrics will follow
(But if you come up with something truly revolutionary, this will take years)
•For a safe career, combine daily low-risk work (to keep the numbers up) with
occasional high-risk work (to keep the dream alive)
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Make a dent in the universe
Make a dent in the universe
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Make a dent in the universe
Make a dent in the universe
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Make a dent in the universe
Make a dent in the universe
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Make a dent in the universe
Make a dent in the universe
"Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Make a dent in the universe
Yours
Make a dent in the universe
Yours
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Make a dent in the universe
Yours
Make a dent in the universe
Yours
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17 Make a dent in the universe
Yours
Yours
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
Don't worry
You will get your PhD
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17 Make a dent in the universe
Yours
Don't worry
You will get your PhD
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17 Make a dent in the universe
Yours
!Andreas Zeller • ISSTA 2024 Doctoral Symposium, Vienna, Austria • 2024-09-17
The Devil's Guide to Doing your PhD
10 tips for despair, dismay, and disappointment
1.Go where the light is
2.Wait for the kiss of the muse
3.Complexity is your friend
4.You can sleep when you're dead
5.Everyone just wants to steal your idea
6.Just beat the benchmark
7.Those who don't get it do not deserve it
8.It's always personal
9.Your advisor is always right
10.Metrics is all we care about
! vs "
Can lead to
a PhD
The Devil's Guide to Doing your PhD
10 tips for despair, dismay, and disappointment
1.Go where the light is
2.Wait for the kiss of the muse
3.Complexity is your friend
4.You can sleep when you're dead
5.Everyone just wants to steal your idea
6.Just beat the benchmark
7.Those who don't get it do not deserve it
8.It's always personal
9.Your advisor is always right
10.Metrics is all we care about
! vs "
Can lead to
a PhD
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