Tools Project management

Before a doctoral degree is awarded, several years of hard work lie behind it—work marked by creativity and ingenuity, setbacks and perseverance, severe time pressure, and the experience of becoming completely absorbed in one’s topic. The explicit aim is to ultimately become the worldwide expert on solving the self‑chosen problem.

On this journey, many different activities are required—research in laboratories, libraries and/or archives; writing conference papers, posters and publications; extracurricular engagement; and much more. Accordingly, it is essential to address early on the advantageous and goal‑oriented structuring of one’s dissertation project. Knowledge of the fundamentals of project management and the associated digital tools may not be the sole key, but it is an important key to success. This includes defining and setting goals, pursuing them rigorously, effective time‑management, proactively shaping the relationship with one’s supervisor, being willing to seek help, maintaining a positive attitude, and—while staying as focused as possible on one’s own research topic—remaining open to new ideas.