Nowadays most research is performed in research institutes, universities or hospitals but a few hundred years back it was performed by scientists in their own interest and mostly in their own self laboratory. What is the difference between both performances? Is there any acceptability for self research in science today?
I think team work will give us better result. So in that case Being in Science profession Research at home is impossible unlike IT.
I agree that the team work, tends to be more effective. But today, in many cases, you can create virtual teams. In addition, there are many scientific fields, where research is carried out individually - mathematics, theoretical physics, art history, philosophy, and many others.
A Pure Researcher may be of your kind, it need extra-ordinary knowledge. Guidance from mentor and seniors may sometime gives you valuable ideas. almost 80 % of the Institutional research end up with a degree. Nothing more.................
Wow! Its a very good question.. Once i too had this question in my mind. I didnt get any proper answer for that.. but i believe self reserach you can do it in your laboratory but thing is that you should come up with some ethical data and finally you need to show the laboratory name, at that time you can get registeration or some affiliation.Registration or identity is neccesaary because suppose if your laboratory is not registered who will be the responsible person if something goes wrong. People may take advantage of this oppurtuinity and prepare or use some illegal science there..But if your laboratory is registered it could be easily monitered and manage. In olden days it was not like that, scientists were not hunger of papers they were hunger of results to make their dream alive.
I guess that we all have this picture of scientists devoted entierely to their passion and creating a lab from scratch by investing all their moeny.. Scientists who marked history were brilliant minds, much smarter than average who were following their original ideas, their intuitions. There was as time when you could do science with your brain only. I assume that it could probably still be the case in fields of science like mathematics, but most of the time modern science is inseparable from money. Science has become so technological that huge means are now necessary even for the smallest experiment. Mats is right, there are probably scientists still working at home, but their work will remain obscure, because they can't afford to get the means that would allow them to reach the standard of quality determined by journals with high IF. Thus, I meet Ahed on this point. Who can afford to have his own lab at home? The main limitation is the equippment.
Anyhow, working at home is not realy the panacea, as one will lack one of the most importatn thing, which is the exchange and communication with other scientists. The best ideas often arise from trivial discussions with colleagues. In this way, I agree with Ranjani. Unless you are a genius who can imagine everything by yourself, you need a scientific environment to develop the best studies.
And it's only my opinion, but I believe that's it's a good thing to dissociate home from work inorder to maintain a "well-balanced family". I feel that I would go crazy if I couldn't cut with my scientific activities from time to time.
Early scientists were sometimes wealthy "gentleman scientists" (e.g., Brahe) or sponsored by the nobility, although many were also employed as academics (e.g., Newton, Priestley, Gauss).
Note that today that there are many opportunities to participate in "citizen science" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science). Astronomy has a particularly strong (and productive) history of contributions by amateur observers, for example.
Few hundred years there is no awareness in research, but nowadays technology and funding is improved in each country's. So facilities is improved to do good research in research institutes and laboratory's under experts, so group research is better than individual research
Nowadys it is nearly impossible to do the research in your own home. Most of the scientific project need the team work in order to get better result or moving deeply.
Modern communication technology enables teamwork of spatially seperated people. This was so yet many years ago when I worked for a German subsidiary of a US-Company and had a a rich schedule of phone and video 'conferences'.
I support everyone but there is a question about the quality of the research. I think the main disadvantage of modern research is quality of research, scientists are running up for number of publications i.e. quantity but not in quality although they have all kind of scientific facilities. Furthermore, some people think that IF of journal is the vital for research quality, I think this is always not a good idea, basically it is depends on various factors and a business policy. Please remember the person who got noble, published his idea in traditionally in not to much IF journal.
Nothing wrong in doing Research at Home. In Mycology (fungal Biology) studying about the morphology and diversity of litter fungi is more interesting and we dont have people to carry over such research. For this all you need is just a stereo microscope, binocular microscope, a good camera and the identification manuals with rich experience of your own. If you dont possess the laboratory but above all no one can stop you doing research at home and your research is always a contribution to science. Kudos for you to raise such topic. I am one among this, who is self sufficient with what I have and continuing research.
regards
Dr. N.K. Udaya Prakash
Associate Professor
Research and Development
42, Veltech Dr. RR Dr. SR Technical University,
Avadi, Chennai 600 062
@Udaya Praksh, Its very impressive!! Carry on this type of research sir. Success Is waiting for you.
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