Research: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask

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Research  Everything You Ever Wanted To Know But
Were Afraid To Ask

• Randy Dillon (COM)Paul Durham (BIO) Richard
  Garrad (BMS)Jane Hoogestraat (ENG)Julie
  Masterson (CSD) Victor Matthews (CHPA)Elizabeth
  Rozell (MGT)

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Dr. Randy DillonCommunication

• Attend conferences in your discipline. 
  Especially seek those conferences that encourage
  paper submissions by graduate students.
• Remember that with a thesis you want to get
  DONE! 
• --Do something that is manageable. 
• --Look first at what you have to get
  accomplished in your classes and then think about
  turning this into at thesis (e.g. Methods
  classes Theory classes, etc.).
• Piggyback off the interests of a professor you
  can work with to help you learn more about
  conducting research. 
• Be familiar with the venues that you want to send
  your published work.  Read previously published
  articles in a journal to give you an idea of what
  the editors are looking for.
• Research is not divorced from real life.  The
  techniques, knowledge, skills learned in
  conducting research appropriately will help you
  outside the academic world too.

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Dr. Paul DurhamBiology

• Learn as much as you can about the other projects
  in your lab and department. 
• Attend seminars in other departments.
• Spend several hrs per week reading primary
  literature.
• Write as much as you can and have it edited by a
  senior researcher.
• Spend a few hrs per week reading Science and
  Nature
• Persevere

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Dr. Richard GarradBiomedical Sciences

• Make graduate school your 1 priority
• Always have an experiment cooking
• Begin writing early
• Start the process of literature review early
• Go to as many seminars as you can and ask
  questions

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Dr. Jane Hoogestraat English

• Learn the style manual for your field (MLA, APA,
  Chicago-Turabian, or CSE). 
• Learn how to use the Pathfinder feature through
  the MSU Libraries Home Page.
• Consider writing as a process of discovery that
  is integral to the research process rather than a
  mere by-product of it.
• http//library.missouristate.edu

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Dr. Julie MastersonCommunication Sciences and
Disorders

• Research is a treat! Remember that.
• Get involved in your professors current line of
  research (you can still add a personal twist). 
• Once project is identified, take ownership. Dont
  wait to be told future steps. Suggest, get
  approval, and go..
• Establish a written timeline/contract for
  completion of your project/thesis, sign it, have
  your advisor sign it.
• Have weekly (at least) meetings with your advisor
  to discuss progress, future steps, etc. Come to
  those meetings prepared!
• Request (Insist on??!) dissemination of your work
  (conference presentation, publication).
• Consider a written agreement regarding authorship
  for work youve done in your advisors lab and
  your own project/thesis.
• Become familiar with the Graduate Schools
  sources of support they are great!

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Dr. Victor MatthewsCollege of Humanities and
Public Affairs

• Please see the handout

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Dr. Elizabeth RozellManagement

• Find a topic that really interests you
• Try to find a professor that has a similar
  research interest
• Look at research opportunities as a chance to
  learn about something new
• Use your professors as unique resources that are
  here to help you

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Questions?
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Questions

• Why is research important for graduate students?
• How do you personally approach a literature
  review?
• What does it take to publish in your field?
• What is recognized scholarly/creative work in
  your discipline?
• How can students become involved?
• When and how should a student select a
  thesis/project topic?
• What is the one hint you wished your graduate
  advisor had told you when you were a graduate
  student?

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After the Research

• Writing a Thesis
• For more information about the thesis guide,
• please visit this link
• http//graduate.missouristate.edu