Take 10 with... Paul Murrell

1.     Describe your research topic to us in 10 words or less.

Statistical Computing and Graphics; I make software for data visualisation.

2.     Now describe it in everyday terms!

My dream is to stop people using Excel and/or Adobe Illustrator to make their data visualisations.

3.     What are some of the day-to-day research activities you carry out?

Design code, write code, test code, redesign code, rewrite code, retest code.  All in the R language.

4.     What do you enjoy most about your research?

The fact that it is open source, which means that there are no barriers to prevent other people getting it, using it, changing it, and building on it.

5.     Tell us something that has surprised or amused you in the course of your research?

The first ever peer review feedback that I received was the comment "An obvious reject." The surprising bit was that the article was accepted.

6.     How have you approached any challenges you’ve faced in your research?

Having solved some problems in the past, when I hit an obstacle, I enjoy being able to be patient and trust that my brain will come through for me again ... eventually ... hopefully.

7.     What questions have emerged as a result?

Often, my research begins with a very small problem that I encounter myself.  I then try to create a ridiculously generalized solution to the problem and that turns out to be useful for something completely unexpected. In one instance, a simple urge to draw an autumnal leaf turned into a tool for making statistical graphics more accessible for blind users.

8.     What kind of impact do you hope your research will have?

One aim is to provide software tools that encourage people to experiment with data visualisations and take the time to tweak and refine and produce good data visualisations, rather than just accept the limits of what the software provides by default.

9.     If you collaborate across the faculty or University, or even outside the University, who do you work with and how does it benefit your research?

I am part of a group of researchers spread around the world who support the R language;  I work on the graphics part of R.  My work benefits from (depends on) the fact that all of those other people make the important part of R work!

10.  What one piece of advice would you give your younger, less experienced research self?

Be lucky.