How to be an effective reactor of a research presentation.

If you have been invited to be a member of the panel of reactors during a research symposium, and you don’t know what a reactor is supposed to do, then this article is for you. 

What is expected of a research reactor?

A research reactor is expected to provide insightful comments during a research presentation.  The research reactor is not a peer reviewer (or for scholarly journals, a referee) since the research reactor may be an expert of an equally different field.  The reactor is frequently called upon to provide feedback on the relevance of the research findings to the organizers and to the community. 

Here are some things to keep in mind to become an effective research reactor:

1.                  Before the presentation.

·                     As with everything, planning is the key to an effective reaction.  Ask the organizers for a copy of the actual research papers. If this is not possible, ask for copies of the research abstract so that you can read up on the topic ahead of time.. 

·                     Gather information on the subject of the research.  How does the research topic fit in with the currently published ones?  Is it a new research topic?  If it is not a new topic, what makes it distinct from the previous researches?

·                     What problem was the researcher trying to solve? Does the problem have an impact of the community?

2.                  During the presentation

·                     Is the presentation consistent with the content of the abstract?

·                     Are there sufficient data to support the premise?

For example, if the researcher points out that a machine is widely used, did the researcher present the number of people, or the percentage from the population,  who use the machine?

·                     Are there sufficient data to support the claims?

For example, if the claim was on the increased speed of the new  machine, did the researcher present an objective comparison between the old mchine and the new one?

·                     Was the identified problem solved as a result of the research?

·                     Did the researcher take steps to ensure the protection of intellectual property?

3.                  After the presentation, and during your oral reaction. 

·                     Commend the presenter for his effort in making the study and for sharing the results of his study. 

·                     If you have any questions regarding the presentation, state your inquiry in a polite and non-threatening manner. Remember that you are there to look at the research as it applies to a bigger picture. 

·                       Ask the researcher for recommendations

How will the community benefit from the research results? What further research can be done on the topic?

·                     Thank the presenter for being generous of his time and ideas.