Ask HN: How do I get into research?

2 points by random42 15y ago ↗ HN

I am a software developer, working at a NLP/textmining startup, and am very interested in research topics on NLP. Researchers dont get paid as well as Industry professionals, in my country, and Unfortunately, My financial conditions do not allow me to go in academic research.

Is it possible to get into computer research,(publish paper et al.) without going to academia? Has anyone tried it?

2 comments

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gaius 15y ago ↗

To be published, a paper must be peer-reviewed. If you are not in academia, you have no "peers". So your first step ought to be to find some.

RiderOfGiraffes 15y ago ↗

It's pretty straight-forward. Write a paper, submit it to a journal.

To have a better chance to you need adhere rigorously to the submission guidelines. Experience helps in complying with the various requirements, so visiting a local university and having an informal chat with a late stage PhD candidate or a professor will help. Buy them coffee, or a beer.

I've published from outside academia and it's fairly simple. The real test is whether the paper is worth publishing, and whether it's a good fit for the journal to which it's submitted.