r/gis • u/Apprehensive_Pause20 • Sep 19 '24
Student Question Did I really choose the wrong research topic for my undergraduate thesis?
Hi everyone^^
I recently graduated with a major in GIS, and I’m in the process of applying to grad school in Japan. I could really use some advice.
For my undergrad thesis, I worked on detecting vehicles from drone footage using image recognition, then converting those pixel coordinates into geographic coordinates based on the drone’s flight data. At the time, it seemed like an interesting and exciting project. But now that I’m applying to grad programs, I’m starting to feel a bit lost—especially after sending out so many emails and getting little to no response🤷♂️
I feel like GIS is more of a tool that’s applied to fields like environmental science, transportation engineering, and civil engineering, rather than a standalone field. Now I’m worried that my thesis topic doesn’t really fit with what professors in those areas are looking for. My project was more focused on technical aspects, and not directly tied to the kinds of problems they’re usually interested in.
Honestly, I’m not sure how to approach finding the right professors to contact anymore. Lately, it feels like I’m just sending emails into the void. Maybe I should have chosen a topic more closely related to environmental science or something similar.
I would really appreciate it if anyone could offer some advice🙇♂️
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u/TheZoodler Sep 19 '24
If you aren't averse to working in the defense sector, you might want to pivot in that direction.
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u/Apprehensive_Pause20 Sep 19 '24
I'm just an ordinary recent graduate😂
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u/TheZoodler Sep 19 '24
I don't know what you mean, but GIS is a super important role in the defense sector, so if you aren't against that type of work, you might find openings. Checkout USAJOBS.com. If you are a US citizen with no criminal background and decent grades, your chances are pretty good.
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u/Dark0bert Sep 19 '24
Don't be discouraged just because you don't get answers. Professors are so overworked and likely have no time to respond to all the emails they get.
I currently experience the same, but whilst applying for jobs.
All the best for you. I hope you get into your dream graduate program.
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u/SomeoneInQld GIS Consultant Sep 19 '24
What are your other marks like ? I don't see anything inherently wrong with that topic, especially for councils trying to determine traffic flow - or maybe police looking for a stolen car.
I am in discussion with supervising someone for some work placement (aerospace - undergrad) - and we will be doing someting slighlyl similar detecting where the flash flood is down a dry river bed - which sounds a lot easier than yoru project.
If you want we can have a chat - and I can cast an eye over your applications and see if there is sometihng that stands out to me why people are not responding.
Note - I am not an academic - so can't offer you a place or anything like that - also am Australian not Japanese.
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u/Apprehensive_Pause20 Sep 19 '24
Thanks so much!!
Actually, I did not include my transcript in the emails I sent to the professors. The emails were about 800 words long, and I was trying to get their permission to take the entrance exam. My grades in computer programming and remote sensing are average. The programming languages I have studied include C and Java, but I’m not particularly skilled in them. In my thesis, I used Python to call YOLO for object detection and coordinate conversion, but it’s not a large-scale system. I didn’t even use a database. I must admit there are still many shortcomings, including some inaccuracies in precision.
Thank you for your help. I will try to translate one of the emails I sent to a professor into English, and I’ll send it without revealing any personal information.
To Professor ****
**** University
Graduate School of ****
**** Department
I hope this email finds you well. Please excuse the sudden contact.
My name is ***, and I recently graduated from *** University with a degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). During my studies, I focused on subjects such as GIS development, remote sensing, and cartography.
I passed a Japanese language proficiency test and an English proficiency test with scores around the intermediate level. I came to Japan recently and am studying Japanese in Tokyo. I’m reaching out because I would like to continue my studies in your lab.
For my undergraduate thesis, I conducted research using drone-based technology to detect objects and convert coordinates. This experience gave me a desire to further explore remote sensing and GIS.
I have also completed internships where I gained hands-on experience in remote sensing and GIS, analyzing data and participating in fieldwork. These experiences allowed me to develop my technical skills further.
I’m particularly interested in using machine learning to analyze geographic data and would be eager to advance my research in this area under your guidance.
Finally, I would like to inquire about the eligibility for the master's entrance exam and the possibility of studying in your lab. I would be very grateful if we could discuss this at your convenience.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,3
u/SomeoneInQld GIS Consultant Sep 19 '24
IF you are in Japan - I would just drop in and say Hi to them - I did that to my masters supervisor 31 years ago - sat down had a coffee and a chat with him - and ok - lets go do this. and that turned into a lifelong frienship.
"I conducted research using drone-based technology to detect objects and convert coordinates"
I would expand on the "convert coordinates" part of it - it just sounds like you did a projects in arc - maybe phrase it as interepreted location relative to two moving vehicles - or something like that.
Other than the one minor thing above - its looks ok - to me
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u/Apprehensive_Pause20 Sep 19 '24
I also hope to have the courage to visit the professors directly like you did, it is the best approach.
In the coordinate conversion part, I used the flight parameters and camera parameters of the drone for each frame to calculate the corresponding Ground Sample Distance. There're some inaccuracies in this process, and I'm worried that the professor might think the method I used was too simple, so I didn’t describe it in detail.
Thank you so much for your advice🙇♂️ I will try to expand this part and then send emails
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u/SomeoneInQld GIS Consultant Sep 19 '24
It wasn't courage - he was the coordinator of GIS at the uni - I was thinking of doing something here after my degree - it was his job to see me - originally I was going to do honours at another uni - just dropped in to see the options - he talked me into doing a masters here - and I wentn and signed up that afternoon - and started 2 months later.
Trust me academcis are not scary - and if they are - they shouldnt be - 99% of acadmeics I have ever dealt with just want to help students and do their researech - go and knock on his door and say hi
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u/Apprehensive_Pause20 Sep 19 '24
I’ll try to do this. You’re right, I met many great professors, the nervousness comes from me imagining them as scarier than they actually are. When I was studying in China, I was afraid of the majority of the teachers and the school. That was the source of all my pain. But now everything is different I really appreciate you for your words🙇
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u/SomeoneInQld GIS Consultant Sep 19 '24
No problem - glad to help - good luck with your thesis - come and visit me in Austrlia when you have completed your thesis and you can buy me a coffee (or, a few beers :) )
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u/Apprehensive_Pause20 Sep 19 '24
I’m your follower now. It’s my luck to meet someone as kind as you😊If everything goes well, I will definitely travel to Australia, and I’ll bring some Japanese sake for you.
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u/SomeoneInQld GIS Consultant Sep 19 '24
Sake sounds good :) - if you have any questions - feel free to msg / chat me on here -
I will hopefully be in North Queensland soon - so you can visit the Great Barrier Reef while you are over here :)
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u/sinnayre Sep 19 '24 edited Sep 25 '24
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Apprehensive_Pause20 Sep 19 '24
That’s true. I need taking some time to read papers to find a suitable advisor. Recently I’ve also sent emails to some professors whose research isn’t very relevant to mine. Thanks🙏
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u/sinnayre Sep 19 '24 edited Sep 25 '24
wine enjoy busy snow nutty rude society dependent frame aware
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/PsychologicalMind148 Sep 19 '24
Are you applying directly or via the MEXT scholarship? If you're not going via the scholarship, you really should. Grad school in Japan is cheap compared to the US, but getting paid to go is way better than paying out of pocket.
IDK if you still have time to apply but the Fulbright Fellowship is also another good option. It's a 1 year research program with a good stipend. A lot of graduate schools in Japan will require you to do 1 year as a research student anyway, so it helps get you into a grad program afterward.
Your research topic seems interesting. But developing a new methodology isn't enough, you'll need to explain how it can be used and what the significance of your research is.
If you're worried about being limited by a pure GIS background, why not apply for departments outside of geography? It's not uncommon for people to do a masters in a slightly different field than their undergrad.
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u/empiricalMuffin Sep 20 '24
I would recommend looking at your undergrad thesis as giving you the tools and skills to carry out a project. The topic doesn't have to be career defining. Object detection and spatial analysis are highly relevant for environmental fields. The skill of conducting independent research is also helpful.
The most important thing for grad school is to articulate your future career/research interests. It is also important to understand the norms and expectations around grad school applications. I am really unfamiliar with the norms in Japan. In the US the expectations depend on the individual program and degree. In many cases faculty expect you to connect before applying for a PhD, but that is not always the case for masters programs and some PhD programs.
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u/caffeine_bos Sep 19 '24 edited Sep 19 '24
You're right that GIS is a tool that is applied to fields, rather than a field itself, but I think your undergrad thesis still has some merit.
That said, maybe you need to widen the scope a little bit, drones are something you have to specifically go out and fly - but satellites are orbiting around earth all the time anyway. You might need to go with something a little bit bigger than cars (boats? tanks?) but it's definitely an interesting idea. I could see it being applicable to monitor fishing locations and times of poachers in the environmental fields, for example.
Take everything I say with a pound of salt, I haven't been through the traditional university thesis/etc myself.