Project Management for Research: A Guide for Graduate Students(Systems Innovation Book Series)

Graduate research is a complicated process, which many undergraduate students aspire to undertake. The complexity of the process can lead to failures for even the most brilliant students. Success at the graduate research level requires not only a high level of intellectual ability but also a high level of project management skills. Unfortunately, many graduate students have trouble planning and implementing their research. Project Management for Research: A Guide for Graduate Students reflects the needs of today’s graduate students. All graduate students need mentoring and management guidance that has little to do with their actual classroom performance. Graduate students do a better job with their research programs if a self-paced guide is available to them. This book provides such a guide. It covers topics ranging from how to select an appropriate research problem to how to schedule and execute research tasks. The authors take a project management approach to planning and implementing graduate research in any discipline. They use a conversational tone to address the individual graduate student. This book helps graduate students and advisors answer most of the basic questions of conducting and presenting graduate research, thereby alleviating frustration on the part of both student and advisor. It presents specific guidelines and examples throughout the text along with more detailed examples in reader-friendly appendices at the end. By being more organized and prepared to handle basic research management functions, graduate students, along with their advisors, will have more time for actual intellectual mentoring and knowledge transfer, resulting in a more rewarding research experience.

Table of Contents:
AN INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR RESEARCH. Defining project management for research. Personal aspects of graduate education. PREPLANNING AND EXPLORATION: WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO? Choosing your research topic. Choosing your advisor and committee. Research question. PLANNING: MAKING A SCHEDULE AND GETTING ORGANIZED! Scheduling. Organization. PROJECT EXECUTION AND CONTROL. Time management. On the personal aspects of research. Managing your research advisor. PROJECT PHASE-OUT: WHEN IS RESEARCH COMPLETE? Communicating your work. Appendices.

About the Author :
Adedeji B. Badiru, PhD, is dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He previously was professor and head of Systems Engineering and Management at the AFIT, professor and department head of Industrial & Information Engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and professor of Industrial Engineering and dean of University College at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. He is a registered professional engineer (PE), a certified project management professional (PMP), a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. Major Christina F. Rusnock, PhD, is an assistant professor of Systems Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), a faculty research fellow for AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management, and program chair of the Systems Engineering Distance Learning Program. She is a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the Association of Military Industrial Engineers. She earned her BA in economics-government from Claremont McKenna College, an MS in research and development management from AFIT, and an MS and a PhD in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida. Major Vhance V. Valencia, PhD, is an assistant professor of Systems Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He currently is a faculty research fellow for AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management, director of the Graduate Engineering Management program, a registered professional engineer (PE), and a member of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He earned his BS in mechanical engineering from San Diego State University and then pursued his graduate studies at AFIT, earning his MS in engineering management and PhD in systems engineering.

Review :
"I have seen nothing like this book. The authors cover lessons that I wish I had known prior to embarking on my own doctoral studies many years ago. Their advice covers questions pertaining to research techniques but also so much more: How students can use project management principles to plan a research project, how they can select the right graduate program, or even how they can determine whether to pursue a graduate education at all." —Dr. Bud Baker, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio "This is easily the most engaging book on project management from a research student perspective and should be mandatory reading for anybody in graduate school. One of the biggest challenges for graduate students is reaching milestones and completing their research. This book is the map that tells students exactly how to reach their goals. Very practical with many tangible tips!" —John J. Elshaw, PhD, Air Force Institute of Technology, Ohio