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Graduate Student Research Institute

Joining the Conversation

Prior to graduate school I volunteered to do research with a large laboratory. During grad school, I have more experience with 1:1 research opportunities with mentors/faculty. I had the expectations that grad school might be more like my prior experience, but I actually enjoy the 1:1 research experiences more…Explore and understand the other research that people are doing (faculty and students). Do not try to be isolated and you’d be surprised how much your research might be connected to other fields/other types of research!

PhD StudentNursing

Identifying your own needs and asking for support is a big part of making your graduate experience one where you can thrive. “Imposter syndrome” is that feeling that you aren’t smart enough or that you might not have what it takes to succeed. It’s a familiar feeling to many in graduate school. Remember, you are not alone! You can always ask questions of your librarians, professors, peers, and advisors.

A professor and student imagine a drawing together

Below are some other tips and tools to become confidently grounded in scholarly conversation to build confidence and make your graduate research thrive.

Communicating with Faculty

Connecting with faculty can help you understand course material better and expand your learning in a variety of ways. Faculty can also point you towards research and other opportunities that create a gateway to your learning and career. Here’s what some graduate students had to say about working with faculty:

Approaching faculty can be intimidating, though, and many students are unsure of what to say and how to say it. Don’t let intimidation hold you back! Use the suggestions below to help ensure smooth and direct communication with your professors.

  • Reflect on your goals. Before you meet with them, reflect on what you would like to ask or talk about. Write down what you understand and do not understand about the topic or reading. Then you’ll be prepared to explain your question(s) clearly.
  • Practice your personal elevator speech. You may want to meet with your professor to learn more about their work or establish a mentor-mentee relationship. Before you meet with your professor, prepare by writing down what you would like your professor to know about you.
  • Do some basic research into the faculty member’s background. It’s usually good practice to come to meetings with faculty with at least a basic understanding of their work, research, and professional interests. Browse their CV online, and write down questions you have about the professor’s research, academic interests, professional development, teaching experience, or anything else you would like to know. Feel free to use this information to ask for advice; most faculty members are happy to offer it, especially to students who show interest in their fields.

I was fortunate to find faculty who provided me with the opportunity to work on a community based participatory research project that allowed my lived experiences and academic skills to be fostered and supported.

PhD StudentEnvironmental and Forest Sciences

Literature Reviews

Conducting a literature review involves systematically studying existing research or other published information on a particular topic.  A written literature review synthesizes and assesses what is known; it can also assess the quality of existing research, identify gaps in what is known, or critically examine support for alternative theories or arguments. A literature review that is a component of a larger publication typically establishes a theoretical framework for the topic and defines key concepts.

Note that different disciplines have different relationships to literature review, and that it may be more common as an exercise in some fields than others. In some disciplines, the terms “bibliographical essay”, “review essay”, or “historiography” may be used. Additionally, while some literature reviews are stand-alone publications, graduate students are far more likely to be asked to do literature reviews as a sub-component of an article, dissertation, or thesis. One of the most common forms of help subject librarians offer is with literature reviews.

Stand-alone Literature Reviews

Sub-Component: Literature Reviews

Conducting a formal or informal literature review can be a way to jump into the scholarly conversation that is happening in your area of study. Additionally, you can read literature reviews written by other scholars to better understand the research background and context of a particular study.

Below are some additional resources for creating a literature review. For personalized help, be sure to contact your subject librarian or use the AskUs chat service.

Try This!

To discover examples of published review articles, search a library database for the phrase “literature review” or the word “review” in the title. Some databases let you limit a search to the publication type “review.”

Annotated Bibliographies

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. In an annotated bibliography, each citation is followed by a descriptive and evaluative paragraph, which is called an annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to examine the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the source cited.

Visual example of an annotation beneath an academic citation

 

Reference Resources & Encyclopedias

Reference sources provide answers to specific questions, such as brief facts, statistics, and technical instructions; provide background information, or direct you to additional information sources.

Reference sources are designed to be consulted rather than read deeply, providing a brief overview of a topic. Their design is generally dependent on the type of information and treatment provided. Reference materials can be arranged alphabetically, topically, or chronologically. Many will contain cross-listed information and more than one index.

The UW Libraries provides access to many online reference materials, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and biographical databases. These collections can be found by consulting the Encyclopedia & Dictionary Research Guide.

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