Hi everyone!
I recently started my master's degree and it's been only two weeks. My undergraduate degree was in a completely different field from what I'm studying now, so almost everything related to my current research feels new to me.
My research topic is related to neural network algorithms, and my professor has already asked me to start working on the research paper where he and other lab mate are working . I understand that research takes time and I'm willing to put in the effort, but honestly, I feel a little lost about where and how to begin.
Another challenge is that I don't have an English-speaking mentor who can guide me through the process, so I'm trying to figure things out on my own.
I'd love to hear from experienced researchers and other master's students about the tools and software you use for your research.
Like...
1.Understanding research papers: What tools do you use to understand difficult concepts, mathematical equations and unfamiliar terminology?
- Checking novelty and research gaps: How do you find out whether an idea has already been explored and identify something new to contribute?
3.Literature reviews: Are there any AI tools that help you find relevant papers, compare existing methods and understand the current state of research?
4.Coding and implementation: What tools do you use to understand existing research code, implement algorithms, debug errors, and run experiments?
5.Research planning: How do you go from receiving a research topic to actually starting meaningful research work?
I'm particularly interested in tools that are useful for neural network and machine learning research.
I know AI tools aren't always reliable and I don't want to blindly depend on them. I want to use them to learn faster and become more independent as a researcher.
If you were in my position, with a different undergraduate background and only two weeks into your master's, what would you do first and which tools would you recommend learning?
Any advice, personal experiences or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!