Research at Google

Alfred Spector, Peter Norvig and Slav Petrov have published a paper on the different approaches to research followed at Google. I just want to highlight a few things that I have found interesting:

• "...the computer systems we construct have become so large that analytic techniques cannot properly describe their properties, because the systems now dynamically adjust to the difficult-to-predict needs of a diverse user community, and because the systems can learn from vast datasets and large numbers of interactive sessions that provide continuous feedback."
• "The way research results are disseminated is also evolving and the  peer-reviewed paper is under threat as the dominant dissemination method. Open source releases, standards specifications, data releases, and novel commercial systems that set new standards upon which others then build are increasingly important."
• "...has led Google to a 'Hybrid Research Model.' In this model, we blur the line between research and engineering activities and encourage teams to pursue the right balance of each, knowing that this balance varies greatly."
• "Example Research Patterns: 1. An advanced project in a product-focused team that, by virtue of its creativity and newness, changes the state of the art and thereby produces new research results. The first and most prevalent pattern exemplifies how blurry the line between research and development work can be."

I would recommend, to anyone interested in computer science research aimed at solving *real* problems, to read the whole paper at least a couple of times.