10 simple rules for training yourself in an emerging field

Whitney M. Woelmer and Abigail Lewis, Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Lynda Bradley, Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, Lisa Haber, Integrative Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, David H. Klinges, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Elizabeth Mohr, Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Christa Torrens, INSTAAR, ENVS, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, Kathryn I. Wheeler, Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, Alyssa Willson, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

The opportunity to participate in and contribute to emerging fields is increasingly prevalent for scientists at all career stages. However, just thinking about stepping outside of your academic silo can leave many students and scientists reeling from the uncertainty. Here, we describe 10 Simple Rules to successfully train yourself in an emerging field, based on our experience as students in the emerging field of ecological forecasting. Our advice ranges from the abstract (embrace the uncertainty) to the specific (find collaborators), but includes a diversity of steps to ensure your venture into an emerging field will be met with success.