Within and beyond my control

Sometimes, my research grant proposal is accepted even though I did not put a lot of effort into writing it. In such a case, I say it is “70% effort and 30% luck.” Other times, my proposal is rejected even though I put a lot of effort into it. Then, I say it is “70% luck and 30% effort.” Framing it this way is good for my mental health.

Research is the process of verifying a hypothesis. The process includes the hypothesis, materials and methods, results, and conclusion. The hypothesis and conclusion are two different things. If a scientist is confused and writes the hypothesis as if it is the conclusion, the article turns into a novel (fiction). This is the moment when a scientist changes into a swindler.

When I was a graduate student, it took me a lot of time to improve my article writing skills. It even took me half a year to finish writing my first article, during which time I was scolded by my academic advisor. However, after that harsh time, I have been able to write as many articles as I need. In the long term, ability is more important than achievement.

Researchers at academic institutions and research centers can form a team to carry out an investigation based on a research grant and write an article. However, they cannot give authorship to each other only because of the research grant. Like in the comic strip, they need to ask for a fair exchange of work.

When I first drew comics, many people called me “pathetic.” Some people scolded me for drawing comics, saying, “Do you, as a professor, have nothing to do but write comics?” But I kept creating comics with the belief that someone would acknowledge me someday. Nowadays, I am making a bit of money and winning a little fame with comics; people are becoming envious of me.