Poster presentations are a valuable, and often the only available, way of presenting work at a congress. This results in many congresses having numerous posters, too many for an individual to read. Therefore, a poster must compete with other posters if it is to be read by the delegates.

Platform presentations are nowadays usually dependent on PowerPoint. Despite this technology, many presentations fail to effectively convey the statement the presenter is trying to make.

In biological research, animals are often necessary as a factor in an experiment, or the subject of the research itself. The way in which animals are treated (animal ethics) is an important consideration, from both ethical and legislative standpoints.

Technological advances have borne Remote Sensing, where system parameters can be measured or estimated remotely by recording the electromagnetic signatures that they emit. However, such technology is sometimes prohibitively expensive, and the skills required to deal effectively with the data are a pursuit in themselves.

Statistics form the foundation of research, yet pose an insurmountable obstacle to many beginner scientists, even to the point where they do not know how to attempt to address the problem they face. A key issue is the need to integrate good experimental design with appropriate statistics to ensure robust results that can be analysed effectively.

Undergraduate students are exposed to research through reviewing published papers, and doing practicals. However, neither covers the practicalities of either the research process, or the environment in which research is conducted. Field trips that include a research component give students useful experience, and allow expose them to associated issues such as interpersonal skills, logistics, and time management.

People are an integral component of almost all natural systems on earth, yet are often viewed as being ‘unnatural’. Research in natural systems often ignores the human aspect; alternatively, the human component of a system is accommodated as a function and within the context of a particular society.

Experiment or monitoring data are often captured and stored in ways that reduce their potential, make them inaccessible, and allow them to be lost.

A career in science faces challenges and opportunities both at individual and institutional levels. An additional dilemma of whether to continue with research or move towards management often confronts young scientists, and decisions here can drastically alter careers in science.

Attempts at involving communities in research are often met with difficulties, although community involvement is fundamentally necessary.

To get funding for a project, a project proposal has to convince the funder that the project is worthy of investment. Therefore, the proposal must be a balance of scientific integrity and marketing, structured within a framework prescribed by the funder.

Peer-reviewed articles (‘papers’) are the accepted means of recording and communicating ideas and findings in science. However, the process of scientific writing, especially for beginner scientists, is an arduous one, and scathing reviews of submissions often permanently discourage promising students.

Within academic environments, project proposals rest most fundamentally on their scientific credibility. However, project proposals, especially at undergraduate or beginner-scientist level, often suffer from irrelevant information, a lack of logical progression, and unclear objectives.

The research question is central to research, providing a point from which literature is reviewed and experiments are developed. This pivotal aspect of research is often not given the attention is deserves, and many research questions are later found to be essentially unanswerable, uninteresting to the scientific community, or even already answered in other research.

Beth Forrestel