Six agile methods for academia (and beyond)

Hey there,

As the academic world becomes increasingly competitive, it can be difficult to keep up with the rigorous research demands and maintain a balanced work-life schedule. Fortunately, there are project management tools that can help streamline your workflow, increase productivity, and help you achieve your research goals with greater ease.

During the past year, I have been using a handful of agile methods, and I wanted to share them with you. These agile methods are practical and straightforward and can be applied to basically all academic disciplines. They can be applied in virtually any field where you have an abundance of work to do, and managing your work is a task by itself.

1. The first method is breaking down a project into smaller tasks. Rather than tackling a large project as a whole, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable tasks makes it easier to focus on what needs to be done. This not only helps with productivity but also alleviates the anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed that often comes with large projects.

2. Each task should have a definition of done, which means identifying what needs to be done to complete that task. For instance, if I am working on a plot for a research paper, my definition of done will include a colorblind-friendly palette, a clear legend, proper labels, a descriptive caption, and subfigures that match with alignment and font size.
   A generic heuristic for a definition of done might sound like this: “If the paper deadline was tomorrow, I could submit this plot/paragraph/abstract as-is.” A strict scrum master would rightfully object that this definition of done is too vague, but I guess you get the point.

3. Retrospectives are crucial. They provide an opportunity to reflect on your workflow, identify areas for improvement, and make changes for future projects. By reflecting on your successes and failures, you can work more efficiently and improve your research processes. As a junior researcher, I am usually not in a position to issue a retrospective with all members of a project. However, I can still have a solo retrospective on my tasks: What worked well and should be repeated next time? What didn’t work out well and should be changed right away? What are the next steps, and when are they due?

4. Work-in-progress limits are vital. By setting a limit on the number of tasks you're working on, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and stay focused on the task at hand. For me, this limit is usually around two to three tasks for maximum efficiency.

5. Estimating the required amount of work for each task helps plan your time more effectively and avoid over-committing. This also facilitates communication with collaborators by setting realistic expectations for when they can expect results.

6. Finally, prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency, using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix. This will help you stay in control of your research projects, work more efficiently, and make progress toward your goals without feeling overwhelmed. Learning to say no is also an essential skill in prioritizing tasks.

In conclusion, implementing agile methods in academia can help you work more efficiently and achieve your research goals with greater ease. Don't be afraid to give it a try.

I would love to hear from you: Are you currently using any agile methods? Or are you planning on trying one out? If you want to share your experience or plans, just reply to this newsletter message. I promise that I will answer every email!

I hope you found these insights helpful. Until next time, happy researching! 🧪

Cheers,
Marvin 🚀