Professional development presentation to graduate students attending the virtual ECML PKDD Conference Sep. 14, 2020. https://ecmlpkdd2020.net/

1. The Most Important Ten
Simple Rules
Philip E. Bourne PhD, FACMI
Stephenson Dean of Data Science
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
peb6a@virginia.edu
https://www.slideshare.net/pebourne
1
@pebourne
ECML PKDD 2020 Sept. 14, 2020

2. This is not a lecture …
as much as it can be, it is a discussion
….
Acknowledgement:
The context for this discussion draws
from over 1000 Simple Rules..
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006670 2

3. Background – How it all Started
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•https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010057

4. Background - What the Rules
Convey
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Career Development
and Choices
20%
Collaboration
9%
Education and
Mentoring
12%
Event Planning
10%
Disciplined and
Organized Science
12%
Programming and
Software
Management
6%
Scientific
Communication
22%
Study and Learning
Habits
9%

5. Survey Question 1
What are the most important issues
for you?
www.slido.com #G419
5

6. Background - What the Rules
Convey
6
Career Development
and Choices
20%
Collaboration
9%
Education and
Mentoring
12%
Event Planning
10%
Disciplined and
Organized Science
12%
Programming and
Software
Management
6%
Scientific
Communication
22%
Study and Learning
Habits
9%

7. Career Choices–
Academic, Private, Public?
• Survey Question 2 – Where will you work when you
graduate/work next?
• In industry
• In academia
• In the public sector (government, NGO etc.)
• Undecided
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Academic or Industry - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000388
Academic or Government - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005729
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8. Advantages and Disadvantages
• Industry/Private
• Money
• Stability
• Structure
• Risk
• Mentoring
• Innovation
• Flexibility
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• Academic
• Money
• Stability
• Structure
• Risk
• Mentoring
• Innovation
• Flexibility
• Public
• Money
• Stability
• Structure
• Risk
• Mentoring
• Innovation
• Flexibility
Most Intermediate Least

9. Career Choices
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10. Survey 3 –
Do you think you are working on an
important problem?
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11. Career Choices
(from Hamming)
Work on the most important
problems in your field
{as you believe they will be in years to
come}
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Ten Simple Rules for Doing Your Best Research According to Hamming.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030213
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hamming

12. .. And Remember
• Don’t be modest in your choices
• “Luck favors the prepared mind” Louis Pasteur
• Age is a factor – your most inspired work will come
early; experience comes later
• Take risks
• Only blame yourself
• Knowledge and productivity are like compound interest
• Tolerate and explore ambiguity
• Leave your door open
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13. Survey 4 –
In making career choices should you
follow your heart or your brain?
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14. With that said –
Follow your heart not your brain
14http://brainwarriorswaypodcast.com/the-brain-in-love-lust-can-you-choose-your-love/

15. Collaboration
Science is a team sport …
Your long term success will depend as
much on the ability to work in a team
and later build and maintain a team
as it will on your individual
accomplishments
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16. Collaboration
Treat others as you treat yourself
Trust me, If you don’t it will come
back to haunt you
16Jason Papin

17. Survey 5 –
Enter words that you think define a
good collaboration
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18. ... Rules for Collaboration
• Pick collaborations carefully – learn NO
• Define roles at the beginning
• Stick to your tasks
• Be open and honest
• Give respect = get respect
• Document
• Acknowledge
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
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19. Communication …
You wont succeed unless you can
communicate what you are
doing/done…
Written, verbal, video, social media
What you communicate is your
legacy
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20. … Rules for Communication
• Talk/write to the audience not at it
• If the attendee/reader can remember 3 things from
your communication in a week you have done very
well
• Less is more
• We have evolved to love stories
• Enthusiasm is contagious
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21. Success comes from a balanced life
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ISMB 2006
ISMB 2009

22. Survey 6 - Discussion
•What is important to you in developing
your career that we have not touched
upon?
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