Advice for the aspiring phylogeneticist: Part III

Learn new programs. If you’re going to do modern phylogenetic analyses you are going to be learning new programs. All the time. During my ten years in this field I’ve learned to use well over 50 programs. Some of these programs are not be easy to use. Some take weeks, months, or even years to master. You cannot allow this to lead you on a detour of convenience to use of inappropriate analyses. It is your responsibility as a scientist to do the best analyses possible. Don’t be lazy: when you stop learning new programs you stop doing modern phylogenetics.