2) Finding and researching a thesis/dissertation topic
“When you first start reading up on a new field, ask your advisor or a fellow student what the most useful journals and conference proceedings are in your field, and ask for a list of seminal or ``classic'' papers that you should definitely read”
excerpted from How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors (Part 1 and Part II) by Marie desJardins and, if you cannot access Marie desJardins' article published in Crossroads (because licensed journals require valid UC/UCLA IP addresses) Bruin Online offers dial-up, proxy, wireless, and VPN access. You will need to obtain a UCLA Logon ID.
Besides explorations with your advisor, and the obvious (follow your passion/interests; discover and use the important article databases in your discipline; learn to use the Library Catalog well), other tips are:
- Read a review article; use the “article type” field in an article database. Look at the “future research” section at the end of an article to find possible topics of interest.
- Many article databases also have “auto alert” features where you can set up a search to be run periodically with the results emailed to you.
- Explore article databases in other disciplines than your own via Article Databases page. Sometimes research on the topic you have in mind is being done in another field. In other cases, the related research from another discipline can greatly enhance your work. Before searching a new or unfamiliar database, read Dissecting a Database.
“Keeping a journal of your research activities and ideas is very useful.”
“Keep the papers you read filed away so you can find them again later, and set up an online bibliography…”
excerpted from How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors (Part 1 and Part II) by Marie desJardins and, if you cannot access Marie desJardins' article published in Crossroads (because licensed journals require valid UC/UCLA IP addresses) Bruin Online offers dial-up, proxy, wireless, and VPN access. You will need to obtain a UCLA Logon ID.
- Use bibliographic software, e.g. EndNote & Reference Manager), to create and maintain a working bibliography of references. Many article databases can format citations; attend and upcoming Library Workshop.
- Cite sources ethically and accurately – Bruin Success With Less Stress; Avoiding Plagiarism
- Consultations with “real” librarians; find subject specialists and make an appointment.
- Alternatively, use email reference service from the
link.
- You can specify to which library the question will go, to ensure the subject expertise you need; approximately 48-hours turnaround.
The following sites provide links to E-resources, including E-journals
