George I.

Information is freely available. It is everywhere, making it more difficult to know whether the facts are useful or where they lead.

For example, Yahoo has historical financial statements of every public company. Two decades ago, you had to ask companies to mail you hard copies. Twitter creates 200 billion tweets a year, but it barely existed a decade ago.

A first step when dealing with any kind of information is to separate them into different categories.

Looking at the bright side of life, and putting more weight on the likelihood of positive events happening around us is known as Optimism Bias.

The two beliefs that form this bias are:

1. A belief that we possess a greater amount of positive traits than others.
2. A belief to have some kind of control over the world around us.

Two basic rhetorical positions can help you frame the novelty-and-importance argument in academic research.

• Build on or extend a set of existing ideas. 'Person A has argued that X is true. This implies Y, which has not yet been tested. My project will test Y. If I find evidence to support it, it will change the way we view X.'
• Argue that there is a gap in existing knowledge, either because previous research reached conflicting conclusions or failed to consider something important.

The overall goal is to show that your research will be part of a larger conversation: How your project flows from what's already known, how it advances, extends, or challenges the existing knowledge.

The falling apple has caused physicist Isaac Newton to formulate his laws of gravity. Archimedes took a bath and figured out how to calculate volume and density.

Anna Marie Roos, a historian of science, advises us to take these eureka moments with a grain of salt. However, she thinks they give insight into the creative process.

1. Making impromptu decisions. Take the time to think about the pros and cons of your decision and weigh out the consequences.
2. Lacking peace.  Take deep breaths in a quiet environment to evaluate the facts before you decide.
3. Wallowing in the chaos of everyday life, or listening to too many other people. 
   
4. Not considering priorities. Make a list of your important priorities. It will help you to make better choices.
5. Deciding things without thought to our needs and wants.
   
6. Neglecting your values. 
7. Making decisions that are not right today, but we think they will be in the long run.
   
8. Saying things to please others, or avoid saying something that will hurt.
   
9. Forgetting how to say “no.” We think we need to be all things to all people.  Step back so that others can step forward.
10. Procrastinating. Once you’ve made a decision, own it. Doing so is key to living with it.

While we may not like to admit this, we all are making a lot of bad decisions, be it our personal lives, careers or in our jobs. Here is what research says about making good decisions:

• You need the right information, not more of it.
• Feelings can be utilized
• Know your strengths
• Make a 'good enough' decision

Self-learning (also known as autodidacticism) is useful for certification (and fine-tuning) of your existing skills, to be able to learn continuously, and for the cultivation of your curiosity.

It’s essential to move out of the comfort zone and dive into the learning zone.

It is the awareness and understanding of your own thought processes. Metacognition refers to the processes used in self-regulation, self-monitoring, and self-reflection. People who practice metacognition can think more critically, rationally, and productively.

Without this ability to distance ourselves from our experience, we would have little ability to moderate and direct our behaviors as they happen.

A Paradigm theory is a general theory that provides a broad theoretical framework or "conceptual scheme." It offers underlying assumptions, key concepts, and methodology to scientists working in a particular field. It gives their research its general direction and goals.

Examples of paradigm theories include Copernicus' heliocentric astronomy (with the sun at the center), Isaac Newton's theory of gravity, Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, germ theory in medicine, gene theory in biology.