innovative, and useful. But, and this is just as important, your method should be too. If it isn’t, you probably don’t have a very valid or reliable study. And you surely won’t have good data. There’s not much you can do with bad data. So… Start with a good question. Collect good data. Do good research. 5. Is your research vertically integrated? Don’t get stuck in a box. Just because you are a self-proclaimed biology student or in a biology department doesn’t mean your research can’t pull from other fields. In fact, ‘good’ research is often interdisciplinary. Something that has a biological explanation should have a good sociological and psychological explanation too (and visa versa). Good research goes up and down the line. It can be tested in different contexts and from different perspectives. If your research can’t be studied or explained across disciplines it might not be so ‘good.’ Conclusion If you are doing research you are likely working in a department, within a discipline, at a university, in a community, in a society that all shape the way you think. Take a step back and scrutinize your thinking and behavior. Make sure you actually believe in what you are doing. If not, be disruptive. Try something new. Make something ‘good.’