Laboratory philosophy
ラボのスタンス
Laboratory philosophy
ラボのスタンス
The undergraduate thesis is essentially an elective, and thesis supervision is provided as a service
When I established this laboratory and went through various twists and turns, the stance we have adopted now is that “students can choose whether or not to engage in research.” Our lab has more staff than students, and the staff provide guidance on experiments. We do not insist that students generate all the data themselves; sometimes data are obtained with the help of staff or through private services.
What we expect from students is to plan their research, coordinate with others as needed, carry out the research, organize the data into a form suitable for academic publication, and present their results. The focus is on developing practical skills so that students can contribute immediately in society after graduation. For students who do not wish to pursue research to this extent, participation may be limited to commenting in seminars.
◆【卒論は実質選択科目であり卒論指導はサービス】
本研究室を立ち上げ、紆余曲折を経て、今現在のスタンスは「研究するもしないも学生が選べばいい」というものです。 うちの研究室には学生の数以上にスタッフがおり、実験の手ほどきはスタッフが行います。学生がすべてのデータをだすことにはこだわっておらず、時にはスタッフ、時には民間サービスを活用してデータを取得します。 学生には、研究を計画し周囲との調整を依頼し、研究を進め、データを学術論文としてふさわしい状態にまとめ上げ、発表することを求めており、社会に出ても困らない、即戦力を養うことに重きを置いています。 そこまで望まないという学生には、セミナーでコメントするにとどめます。
Presentation of an internationally submitted paper
In our laboratory, we place great emphasis on publishing in international journals. Submitting to peer-reviewed academic journals and having our work evaluated by experts is essential for maintaining the quality of our research. While Japan’s population is expected to decline to around 60 million in the future, the global population is projected to increase to 10 billion. Even if the research results are the same, the greater the number of readers, the more opportunities there are for those results to contribute to someone else’s research. We believe that this is important, even if our contribution is just a single drop in a vast river.
◆【国際投稿論文発表】
本研究室では、国際投稿論文の発表にこだわっています。学術雑誌に投稿し、専門家から審査されることが、研究の質を維持するのに重要です。日本の人口は、将来6千万まで減る一方、世界人口は100億人まで増えると予測されます。同じ研究成果でも、読み手が多い分だけ、その成果が誰かの研究につながる機会が増えることは(たとえ大河の一滴であっても)重要と考えます。
The bachelor’s thesis should be concise yet withstand peer review.
Since the 2021 academic year, we have set a guideline that the main body of the undergraduate thesis should be within 20 pages, while still ensuring that the content is of a quality capable of withstanding peer review. The first draft is written by the student in Japanese, after which it is reviewed and commented on collaboratively by graduate students, faculty, and staff, and then revised and finalized. Once the thesis is completed, it is translated into English in preparation for submission to an international journal.
◆【卒論は短く、しかし査読に耐えうるものに】
2021年度より卒論本編を20p以内とし、しかし査読に耐えうる内容に仕上げる方針にしています。素稿は、本人が日本語で書きますが、院生・教員・スタッフで輪読しコメントを入れ、修正し仕上げていきます。仕上がり次第、英語に翻訳し、国際論文投稿に備えます。
Written text rather than presentation
We do not place much emphasis on speaking fluently in public, because this skill naturally improves with experience in giving presentations. What we do consider important is the ability to organize a talk, write logically structured text, collect the necessary information appropriately, and analyze results objectively. Dedicating oneself fully to the undergraduate thesis is very helpful for developing these foundational skills.
◆【プレゼンより文章】
人前で流暢に話すことは、発表をこなせば勝手できるようになるので、重要視してません。話の構成がつくれるか、論理的な文章がかけるか、そのために必要な情報を適切に収集でき, 結果を客観的に考察できることを重要視しています。卒論にしっかりと取り組むことは, この基礎能力を身に付けるのにとても役立ちます。
What is Expected of Master’s Students
Undergraduate thesis students receive close guidance, but at the master’s level, we leave initiative to the students and involve them in laboratory management as well. In addition to deepening their research and preparing content capable of withstanding peer review, students develop skills to handle multiple tasks and contribute to a team through mentoring junior students and participating in lab operations—skills that are essential for adapting to society after graduation.
The master’s thesis is expected to be an extension or complement of an international paper prepared or submitted before graduation, and we encourage writing it in English (though this is not mandatory). At the master’s level, faculty do not give strict instructions, so students may find it easier in some ways. As in society, the challenge is whether one can maintain motivation and initiative even in an environment where it is possible to take it easy.
◆【修士に求めること】
卒論生は手厚く指導されますが、修士では主体性にまかせ、研究室運営にも参加してもらいます。研究を深め、査読に耐えうる内容に仕上げるとともに、社会に出ても適応できるよう、マルチタスクをこなす力、チームに貢献する力を、後輩指導や研究室運営を通じて養います。修士論文は、修了までに準備または投稿した国際投稿論文に捕捉をくわえたものとし、英語で書くことを薦めています(必須ではありません)。修士では、教員がうるさく指示しないので楽することもできます。社会でも同様と思いますが、楽できる環境でも自主的にモチベーションを維持できるかどうかが試されます。