West Turkey tour

This a plan of a journey to western Turkey in the upcoming summer. The aimed cities are Erzincan, Erzurum, Ağrı, Kars, and Ardahan. This post contains the agglomerating information about these cities and the possible routes.

A few hours in I.R.I. General Consulate

Today, I went to the consulate for some paperwork. There, I experienced some problems. To number them, (1) the responsible person was not there. What a good chance! Therefore, I decided to call her beforehand, in the future, and make sure that she will be in her position: Ms. Jahanbackshi, the extension number is 132. I remember that we can only call them after 14:00.

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis is a useful technique for analyzing the mechanical behavior of laminae. I was trained yesterday to use it: Netzsch DMA 242 C. In this post, I'll share the experiences that I gain during this adventure.

The best rout to get I.R.I. Consulate General in İstanbul from Sabancı University

The map shows the most appropriate route to get the I.R.I. Consulate General, İstanbul, from Sabancı University:

1. Shuttle from Sabancı University to Kozyatağı
2. Metro from Kozyatağı to Ayrılık Çeşmesi
3. Marmaray from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sirkeci
4. Walk from Sirkeci station to the consulate

Study monitor

The below image shows my study behavior in fall 2017-18. I have increased the study time during the semester. The increase, however, may be due to the fluctuations I experienced if the lab hours and assisting hours are included in the study time. To avoid this problem, I will itemize clearly which activities should and which should not be included in the study time.

Turkish Dictionary

I want to buy three dictionaries: 1. Azeri-English, 2. English-Turkish, and 3. Turkish-Turkish. The dictionaries should not be so comprehensive. I want them to be a learner's dictionary. Here are some reliable candidates which I am going to choose out of them.

Looking for a monitor

While writing my dissertation, I will be extensively looking on the computer screen. The monitor of 15.6" Fujitsu A544, which I currently work with, does not seem to be enough wide. Some possible options are being listed in this post along with their size, response delay, resolution, and comments in this post. These monitors are majorly those which I am occasionally working on at the university.

15.6" Fujitsu A544

Systems Engineering and Project Management

In my opinion, a research group is a system. It means that it has its goals and runs projects to achieve them. Therefore, in order for this system works, there should be the systems engineering (SE) approach have been implemented, and the project management (PM) methods should be adapted to eventually accomplish the tasks and achieve the goals.
Because the size of the system of a research group is not usually large, we do not hire system engineers and project managers to do these jobs for us. In these cases, it is up to the principal investigator to learn or at least make him/herself familiar with the concepts of these disciplines. Otherwise, the system will not work efficiently; it will just roam arbitrarily.
Some helpful textbooks are listed below which I may start to study when I become a principal researcher and build my system as a research lab or a research institute.

Journals in Composites

Below is the running list of journals that may be targeted for publishing my papers in composites: Composite Structures (IF: 3.9), Composite Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Engineering (IF: 4.1), Composite Science and Technology (IF: 4.9), Polymer Composites (IF: 2.3), Journal of Applied Polymer Science (IF: 1.6), Fibers and Polymers (IF: 1.1).

Project Management in Scientific Research

I have been thinking for the past some months if the project management approach would be helpful in the management of the scientific projects too. The reason for this thought to come to my mind was the troubles that I have, so far, witnessed during my Ph.D. studies amongst various research groups. Today, while reading a text related to the tools which we, researchers and scientists, need for our projects, I came across a book which was referenced in the text. This book has been written right on the topic that I was looking for. I am thinking of studying it soon.

Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty by Maryrose Franko and Martin Ionescu-Pioggia, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Burroughs Wellcome Fund, 2006 [Open PDF]

Engineering Fundamentals and Problem Solving.
by Eide, A., Jenison, R., Mashaw, L. J., Northup, L.
SU IC: TA417 .E54 2002