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Research Paper Guidelines | Graduate School | SIU

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Standards for the preparation of research papers are established by the graduate faculty at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and the administration of the Graduate School. All revisions are subject to the approval of the Graduate School. Guidelines for Preparation of Dissertations, Theses, and Research Papers A research paper may have chapters or may be a continuous document (without chapters). If you are unclear as to whether you are completing a thesis or a research paper, please consult with your advisor.

Each department has selected one or more preferred style manuals , and all students within the department are to use one of those styles. 

Submission Site:

Mr. John Russell [email protected] 618-453-4529 Student Services Building 325

General Instructions

Filing of Research Papers with the Graduate School

Submit electronically through  OpenSIUC . A Microsoft Word document is preferred, Adobe pdf documents are acceptable.

Approval Form.  All research papers submitted to the Graduate School must have an original approval form signed by the student's committee, and generally the department chair. This must be submitted to the Graduate School.

Human Subjects . All copies of research papers submitted to the Graduate School that need the human subjects approval as defined by the Human Subjects Committee must file a copy with the Graduate School.

Deadline Dates for Submission.  The dates are posted at the Graduate School for both deadlines to apply for graduation and the submission of papers. These deadlines are firm dates and no extensions will be given.

Organization Of Material

Download the Research Paper Template to use for your research paper. It contains all of the required formatting.

Organizational format should be as follows:

  • Approval page
  • Abstract (optional)
  • Acknowledgments / Dedication (not required)
  • Table of Contents
  • List of tables with page references
  • List of figures with page references
  •  Exhibits (tables, figures, photographs, etc. when not distributed in the text)
  •  Bibliography (or appropriate title prescribed by style manual chosen)
  • Appendices (not required)
  • Human subjects committee approval form when required (photocopy)
  • Vita sheet (should have a page number)

If a research paper is to be copyrighted, an extra page must be inserted after the title page.  The copyright statement is to be centered on the page as follows:

Copyright by (your name) 20__

All Rights Reserved

Charts, Tables, and Figures

  • Generally, students will use the computer to design figures and graphs.
  • Table heading and style of headings must follow the style manual chosen. Generally, table titles are above the table and figure titles are below the figure, but the placement selected must be followed consistently.
  • Spacing within the table may be single or double spaced based on the readability of the data.
  • Font style and size should be consistent throughout the document, unless a table requires a smaller size. Six (6) point font should be the smallest used. Titles should be consistent in size and style of font as used throughout the document.
  • There should be a judicious use of spacing to "set off" tables, charts, and figures; typically one or two double-spaces before and after the table. Again, once spacing is chosen, you must be consistent throughout.

MAPS.  Oversize maps may be included as a supplemental file.  

APPENDICES.  List of terms, definitions, questionnaires, and other supplemental information which is useful, but not essential, to the body of the research paper may be included in an appendix.

MARGINS. Margins are flexible within the appendix but keep in mind that the left binding edge will cover approximately 1 inch of data. Page numbers need to continue within the appendix with the same font and the same position on the page as in the text. The Graduate School consultants can advise you about this if needed. 

COLOR.  Color is permitted.

ADDITIONAL FILES.  You may upload multimedia files (video or audio files). Follow instructions at  OpenSIUC .

Formatting Guidelines

  • Ariel, Bookman, Courier, Times New Roman
  • The body of the document should use a 10 or 12 point font. Headings and subheadings may go up one size and up to 14 point but must be of the same font style as the body of the text. 
  • Bold  format may be used only as specified by the style manual chosen.
  • Italics  may be used only as specified by the style manual chosen. In general, it may be used for Genera, species, letters, words or phrases cited as an linguistic example, and foreign words.
  • The body of the document must be double spaced.
  • Extended direct quotations should be presented consistently with the style manual selected.  

MARGINS AND INDENTATIONS

  ** MARGINS ARE ONE INCH ON ALL SIDES.

  • Opening pages (Table of Contents, Chapters, Bibliography, etc.) that are required by the style manual to have a set top margin may have a larger than one inch top margin on those pages. Charts, tables, and figures may have greater margins than listed but may not go into the required margins.
  • Paragraph indentations should be uniform five spaces. There should be no extra spacing between paragraphs.

The following guidelines are for the pages preceding the text, i.e. Abstract, Acknowledgments, and Table of Contents.

  • The pages preceding the text should be numbered in small Roman numbers. The numerals should be centered between the one and one-half inch margin on the left, the one inch margin on the right, and one-half inch up from the bottom edge of the paper.  
  • Text pages, bibliography, and appendices should follow the style manual chosen. Numbers should consist of numerals only, without punctuation, embellishment, or running headers. Paging should be continuous including the bibliography, appendices, and vita. Except for preceding pages, the style must be adhered to throughout the document. The first page of text starts with Arabic numeral 1.

This recent guideline revision supersedes all previous editions. Take this into consideration as you review previous research papers from the library or your department.

Roles And Responsibilities

The Graduate Student's Responsibility

  • Subject matter and content
  • Organization and format
  • Editorial, linguistic, and bibliographic quality
  • Quality of text, figures, and photocopy
  • Quality of data, evidence, and logical reasoning presented
  • Presentation of the manuscript based on current style manual of the field and Graduate School guidelines

The Advisory Committee's Responsibility

  • Approval of the subject matter and methodology of the research
  • Approval of the organization, content, and format
  • Review of the quality of data and evidence, logical reasoning, and the editorial, linguistic, and bibliographic quality
  • Evaluation of the research paper as a basis for certification that the student has fulfilled the requirements of the degree for which the student is a candidate

The Research Paper Consultant's Responsibility

  • Providing counsel and advice upon request by students and members of the student's committee about the format aspects of research paper preparation
  • Checking the final draft of each research paper to insure that it has been prepared in conformity with the requirements of this guide

Departmental Style Manual

Each department has selected one or more preferred style manuals and all students within the department are to use one of those styles.

*APA:  American Psychological Association Publication Manual

*MLA:  Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

HOW TO SUBMIT RESEARCH PAPERS TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL (At a Glance)

Submission site -  OpenSIUC

ALL REVISIONS ARE DUE BY THE DEADLINE DATE! NO EXCEPTIONS!

KEYWORD: Be Consistent

  • Write your paper following the Graduate School Guidelines and the Departmental Style Manual.
  • Apply for graduation by the 4th week of the term you plan to graduate for Fall / Spring and by the 2nd week of the Summer term.
  • Defend your paper.
  • Margins: Left, right, top, and bottom margins = 1 inch.
  • Spacing: Double spacing throughout; no right justification.
  • Headings: Be consistent with top margin, font style, and size. Primary / Chapter headings should be in all caps.
  • Pagination: Front matter should have Roman numeral page numbers bottom centered.
  • Submit to OpenSIUC.
  • Make changes as indicated by the consultant.
  • Submit one approval form and one oral defense form.

white paper texture

Thesis Writing and Filing

The following guidelines are only for master’s students. If you are pursuing a doctoral degree, please see the Dissertation Filing Guide .

Filing your master’s thesis at the Graduate Division is one of the final steps leading to the award of your graduate degree. Your manuscript is a scholarly presentation of the results of the research you conducted. UC Berkeley upholds the tradition that you have an obligation to make your research available to other scholars. This is done when the Graduate Division submits your manuscript to the University Library.

Your faculty committee supervises the intellectual content of your manuscript and your committee chair will guide you on the arrangement within the text and reference sections of your manuscript. Consult with your committee chair early in the preparation of your manuscript.

The specifications in the following pages were developed in consultation with University Library. These standards assure uniformity in the degree candidates’ manuscripts to be archived in the University Library, and ensure as well the widest possible dissemination of student-authored knowledge.

Research Protocols

Eligibility, fall and spring semesters, summer filing, formatting your manuscript, special page formats, organizing your manuscript, procedure for filing your thesis, permission to include previously published or co-authored material, inclusion of publishable papers or article-length essays, withholding your thesis, changes to a thesis after filing, diploma, transcript, and certificate of completion, certificate of completion, common mistakes, mixed media guidelines, definitions and standards, electronic formats and risk categories, frequently asked questions.

If your research activities involve human or animal subjects, you must follow the guidelines and obtain an approved protocol  before you begin your research.   Learn more on our website   or contact the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects ( http://cphs.berkeley.edu/  or 642-7461) or the Animal Care and Use Committee ( http://www.acuc.berkeley.edu/  or 642-8855).

In addition to the considerations explained below, your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) must match the term for which you intend to file. EGT can be updated at any time using an eForm available in CalCentral.

To be eligible to file for your degree, you must be registered or on approved Filing Fee status for the semester in which you file. We encourage you to file your thesis as early in the semester as you can and to come in person to our office to submit your supporting documents. If you cannot come to our office, it is helpful if you have a friend bring your documents. The deadline to file your thesis in its final form is the last day of the semester for your degree to be awarded as of that semester.

Filing during the summer has a slightly different set of eligibility requirements. If you were fully registered during the immediately preceding Spring semester, and have not used Filing Fee already, you may file your thesis during the summer with no additional cost or application required. This option is available for both Plan I master’s degree students filing a thesis and Plan II students completing a capstone. Summer is defined as the period from the day after the Spring semester ends (mid-May) until the last day of the Summer Sessions (mid-August).

International students completing degree in the Summer must consult Berkeley International Office before finalizing plans, as in some cases lack of Summer enrollment could impact visa status or post-completion employment.

If you have already used Filing Fee previously, or were not registered the preceding Spring semester, you will need to register in 1.0 unit in Summer Sessions in order to file.

Theses filed during the summer will result in a summer degree conferral.

You must be advanced to candidacy, and in good standing (not lapsed), in order to file.

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically in a traditional PDF format.

  • Page Size : The standard for a document’s page size is 8.5 x 11 inches. If compelling reasons exist to use a larger page size, you must contact the Graduate Division for prior approval.
  • Basic manuscript text must  be a non-italic type font and at a size of 12-point or larger. Whatever typeface and size you choose for the basic text, use it consistently throughout your entire manuscript. For footnotes, figures, captions, tables, charts, and graphs, a font size of 8-point or larger is to be used.
  • You may include color in your thesis, but your basic manuscript text must be black.
  • For quotations, words in a foreign language, occasional emphasis, book titles, captions, and footnotes, you may use italics. A font different from that used for your basic manuscript may be used for appendices, charts, drawings, graphs, and tables.
  • Pagination:   Your manuscript is composed of preliminary pages and the main body of text and references. Page numbers must be positioned either in the upper right corner, lower right corner, or the bottom center and must be at least ¾ of an inch from the edges. The placement of the page numbers in your document must be consistent throughout.

Be Careful!   If you have any pages that are rotated to a landscape orientation, the page numbers still need to be in a consistent position throughout the document (as if it were printed and bound).

  • Do not count or number the title page or the copyright page. All other pages must have numbers. DO NOT SKIP PAGE ” 1 “.
  • The remaining preliminary pages may include a table of contents, a dedication, a list of figures, tables, symbols, illustrations, or photographs, a preface, your introduction, acknowledgments, and curriculum vitae. You must number these preliminary pages using   lower case Roman numerals  beginning with the number “i” and continue in sequence to the end of the preliminary pages (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.).
  • An abstract is optional, but if you chose to include one, your abstract must have  Arabic numeral  page numbers. Start numbering your abstract with the number “1” and continue in sequence (1, 2, 3, etc.)
  • The main body of your text and your references also use Arabic numerals. Start the numbering of the main body with the number “1” and continue in sequence (1, 2, 3, etc.), numbering consecutively throughout the rest of the text, including illustrative materials, bibliography, and appendices.

Yes! The first page of your abstract and the first page of your main text both start with ‘1’

  • Margins:   For the manuscript material, including headers, footers, tables, illustrations, and photographs, all margins must be at least 1 inch from the edges of the paper. Page numbers must be ¾ of an inch from the edge.
  • Spacing:  Your manuscript must be single-spaced throughout, including the abstract, dedication, acknowledgments, and introduction.
  • Tables, charts, and graphs   may be presented horizontally or vertically and must fit within the required margins. Labels or symbols are preferred rather than colors for identifying lines on a graph.

You may choose to reduce the size of a page to fit within the required margins, but be sure that the resulting page is clear and legible.

  • Guidelines for Mixed Media:   please see Appendix B for details.

Certain pages need to be formatted in a very specific way. Links are included here for examples of these pages.

Do not deviate from the wording and spacing in the examples, except for details applicable to you (e.g. name, major, committee, etc.)

  • As noted in the above section on pagination, the abstract is optional but if included must be numbered  separately  with arabic numerals starting with ‘1’
  • IMPORTANT: A physical signature page should no longer be included with your thesis. Approvals by your committee members will be provided electronically using an eForm.
  • The title page does not contain page numbers.
  • Do not bold any text on your title page.
  • The yellow bubbles in the sample are included for explanatory purposes only. Do not include them in your submission.
  • If you are receiving a joint degree, it must be listed on your title page ( Click here for sample with joint degree )

The proper organization and page order for your manuscript is as follows:

  • Copyright page or a blank page
  • Dedication page
  • Table of contents
  • List of figures, list of tables, list of symbols
  • Preface or introduction
  • Acknowledgements
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • References or Bibliography

After you have written your thesis, formatted it correctly, assembled the pages into the correct organization, and obtained verbal approval from all members of your committee, you are ready to file it with UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division.

Step 1:  Convert your thesis to a standard PDF file.

Step 2: Log into your CalCentral account. Under Student Resources in your Dashboard find Submit a Form and choose Final Signature Submission .

Step 3:  Complete the eForm in its entirety and hit submit once all  required documents are submitted:

  • Attach the PDF of your thesis and
  • Attach a copy of the approval letter for your study protocol from the Committee for Protection of Human Subjects, or the Animal Care and Use Committee if your research involved human or animal subjects. 

(Step 4): Congratulations you’re done! The traditional lollipop will be mailed to you following the end of the semester. Please be sure to update your mailing addresses (especially the diploma mailing address).

Important Notes: 

  • DO NOT SUBMIT A DRAFT. Once your thesis has been submitted, you will not be allowed to make changes. Be sure that it is in its final form!
  • Check your email regularly. Should revisions be necessary the eForm will be “recycled” to you and you will be notified via email. To resubmit your thesis, go back to Student Resources in your CalCentral account find Manage Your Forms and select Update Pending Forms . Here you can search for your submitted Final Signature form and make necessary updates and/or attach your revised thesis.
  • After your thesis has been approved by Graduate Division, it will be routed to the listed committee members for electronic approval. Once all members have provided approval you will be notified.
  • The review of your thesis may take up to four business days.

Important note for students in a Concurrent Degree Program (e.g. Landscape Architecture & City Planning):

  • If you are filing a thesis to satisfy both master’s degrees, do not submit two eForms. Please select one plan only on the eForm and the Graduate Division will update your record accordingly.

If you plan use of your own previously published and/or co-authored material in your manuscript, your committee chair must attest that the resulting thesis represents an original contribution of ideas to the field, even if previously published co – authored articles are included, and that major contributors of those articles have been informed.

Previously published material must be incorporated into a larger argument that binds together the whole thesis. The common thread linking various parts of the research, represented by individual papers incorporated in the thesis, must be made explicit, and you must join the papers into a coherent unit. You are required to prepare introductory, transitional, and concluding sections. Previously published material must be acknowledged appropriately, as established for your discipline or as requested in the original publication agreement (e.g. through a note in acknowledgments, a footnote, or the like).

If co-authored material is to be incorporated (whether published or unpublished), all major contributors should be informed of the inclusion in addition to being appropriately credited in the thesis according to the norms of the field.

If you are incorporating co-authored material in your thesis, it is your responsibility to inform major contributors. This documentation need not be submitted to the Graduate Division. The eform used by your committee chair to sign off on your thesis will automatically include text indicating that by signing off they attest to the appropriateness and approval for inclusion of previously published and/or co-authored materials. No addition information or text needs to be added.

Publishable papers and article-length essays arising from your research project are acceptable only if you incorporate that text into a larger argument that binds together the whole dissertation or thesis. Include introductory, transitional, and concluding sections with the papers or essays.

Occasionally, there are unusual circumstances in which you prefer that your thesis not be published immediately.  Such circumstances may include the disclosure of patentable rights in the work before a patent can be granted, similar disclosures detrimental to the rights of the author, or disclosures of facts about persons or institutions before professional ethics would permit.

The Dean of the Graduate Division may permit the thesis to be held without shelving for a specified and limited period of time beyond the default, under substantiated circumstances of the kind indicated and with the endorsement of and an explanatory letter from the chair of the thesis committee.  If you need to request that your manuscript be withheld, please consult with the chair of your committee, and have him or her submit a letter requesting this well before you file for your degree. The memo should be addressed to the cognizant Associate Dean, in care of Graduate Services: Degrees, 318 Sproul Hall.

Changes are normally not allowed after a manuscript has been filed.  In exceptional circumstances, changes may be requested by having the chair of your thesis committee submit a memo to the cognizant Associate Dean, in care of Graduate Services: Degrees, 318 Sproul Hall.  The memo must describe in detail the specific changes requested and must justify the reason for the request.  If the request is approved, the changes must be made prior to the official awarding of the degree.  Once your degree has been awarded, you may not make changes to the manuscript.

After your thesis is accepted by Graduate Services: Degrees, it is held here until the official awarding of the degree by the Academic Senate has occurred.  This occurs approximately two months after the end of the term.  After the degree has officially been awarded, the manuscripts are shipped to the University Library.

Posting the Degree to Your Transcript

Your degree will be posted to your transcript approximately 3 months after the conferral date of your degree.  You can order a transcript from the Office of the Registrar (https://registrar.berkeley.edu/academic-records/transcripts-diplomas/).

Diploma Your diploma will be available from the Office of the Registrar approximately 4 months after the conferral date of your degree.  For more information on obtaining your diploma, visit the Registrar’s website .  You can obtain your diploma in person at the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall, or submit a form to have it mailed to you. Unclaimed diplomas are retained for a period of five (5) years only, after which they are destroyed.

If you require evidence that you have completed your degree requirements prior to the degree being posted to your transcript, request a “ Certificate of Degree Completion “.

Please note that we will not issue a Certificate of Completion after the degree has been posted to your transcript.

  • The most common mistake is following a fellow (or previous) student’s example. Read the current guidelines carefully!
  • An incorrect committee — the committee listed on your title page must match your currently approved committee. If you have made any changes to your committee since Advancement to Candidacy, you must request an official change from the Graduate Division. Consult your departmental adviser for details.
  • Do not use a different name than that which appears in the system (i.e. the name on your transcript and Cal Central Profile). Students are allowed to use a Lived Name, which can be updated by self-service in CalCentral.
  • Page numbers — Read the section on pagination carefully. Many students do not paginate their document correctly.
  • Page rotation — some pages may be rotated to a landscape orientation. However, page numbers must appear in the same place throughout the document (as if it were bound like a book).
  • Do not include the signature/approval page in your electronic thesis. Signatures will be provided electronically using the eForm.
  • Do not include previous degrees on your title page.

In May, 2005, the Graduate Council established new guidelines for the inclusion of mixed media content in theses.  It was considered crucial that the guidelines allow theses s to remain as accessible as possible and for the longest period possible while balancing the extraordinary academic potential of these new technologies.

The thesis has three components: a core thesis, essential supporting material, and non-essential supplementary material.

Core Thesis.   The core thesis must be a self-contained, narrative description of the argument, methods, and evidence used in the thesis project.  Despite the ability to present evidence more directly and with greater sophistication using mixed media, the core thesis must provide an accessible textual description of the whole project.

The core thesis must stand alone and be printable on paper, meeting the formatting requirements described in this document. The electronic version of the thesis must be provided in the most stable and universal format available—currently Portable Document Format (PDF) for textual materials. These files may also include embedded visual images in TIFF (.tif) or JPEG (.jpg) format.

Essential Supporting Material.   Essential supporting material is defined as mixed media content that cannot be integrated into the core thesis, i.e., material that cannot be adequately expressed as text.  Your faculty committee is responsible for deciding whether this material is essential to the thesis.  Essential supporting material does  not  include the actual project data.  Supporting material is essential if it is necessary for the actual argument of the thesis, and cannot be integrated into a traditional textual narrative.

Essential supporting material  must  be submitted in the most stable and least risky format consistent with its representation (see below), so as to allow the widest accessibility and greatest chance of preservation into the future.

Non-essential Supplementary Material.   Supplementary material includes any supporting content that is useful for understanding the thesis, but is not essential to the argument. This might include, for example, electronic files of the works analyzed in the thesis (films, musical works, etc.) or additional support for the argument (simulations, samples of experimental situations, etc.).

Supplementary material is to be submitted in the most stable and most accessible format, depending on the relative importance of the material (see below). Clearly label the CD, DVD, audiotape, or videotape with your name, major, thesis title, and information on the contents. Only one copy is required to be filed with your thesis.  A second copy should be left with your department.

Note . ProQuest and the Library will require any necessary 3rd party software licenses and reprint permission letters for any copyrighted materials included in these electronic files.

The following is a list of file formats in descending order of stability and accessibility. This list is provisional, and will be updated as technologies change. Faculty and students should refer to the Graduate Division website for current information on formats and risk categories.

Category A:

  • TIFF (.tif) image files
  • WAV (.wav) audio files

Category B:

  • JPEG, JPEG 2000 (.jpg) image files
  • GIF (.gif) image files

Category C:

  • device independent audio files (e.g., AIFF, MIDI, SND, MP3, WMA, QTA)
  • note-based digital music composition files (e.g., XMA, SMF, RMID)

Category D:

  • other device independent video formats (e.g., QuickTime, AVI, WMV)
  • encoded animations (e.g., FLA or SWF Macromedia Flash, SVG)

For detailed guidelines on the use of these media, please refer to the Library of Congress website for digital formats at  http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/index.shtml .

Q1: Can I file my thesis during the summer?

A1: Yes. There are 2 ways to file during the summer:

1)     If you have never used Filing Fee before AND you were registered during the immediately preceding spring semester, you can file your thesis during the summer with no further application or payment required. Simply submit your thesis as usual and the Graduate Division staff will confirm your eligibility. If you are an international student, you must consult the Berkeley International Office for guidance as this option may have visa implications for you.

2)     If you weren’t registered in spring, you can register for at least 1.0 unit through Berkeley Summer Sessions.

Q2: If I chose that option, does it matter which session I register in during the summer session?

A2: No. You can register for any of the sessions (at least 1.0 unit). The deadline will always be the last day of the last session.

Q3: If I file during the summer, will I receive a summer degree?

A3: Yes. If you file before the last day of summer session, you will receive an August degree. If you file during the summer, remember to write “Summer” on your title page!

Q1: I’ve seen other theses from former students that were / that had  __________, should I follow that format?

A1: No. The formatting guidelines can be changed from time to time, so you should always consult the most current guidelines available on our website.

Q2: I want to make sure that my thesis follows the formatting rules. What’s the best way to do this?

A2: If you’ve read and followed the current guidelines available on our website, there shouldn’t be any problems. You are also always welcome to bring sample pages into the Graduate Degrees Office at 318 Sproul Hall to have a staff member look over your manuscript.

Q3:  Does my signature page need to be printed on some special paper?

A3: Signatures are now an eForm process. A physical signature page is no longer required.

Q1: I’m away from Berkeley. Is there any way to file my thesis remotely?

A1: Yes! The whole process is done remotely.

Q2: Can I have a friend file my thesis for me?

A2: No. You will need to CalNet authenticate in order to file.

Q3: What’s a Receipt of Filing? Do I need one?

A3: The Receipt of Filing is an official document that we produce that certifies that you have successfully filed your thesis on the specified day and that, if all other requirements are met, the date of the degree conferral.

Some students may need the receipt in order to prove to an outside agency that they have officially filed their thesis. Many students simply keep the receipt as a memento. Picking up your receipt is not required.

Q4: What’s the difference between a Receipt of Filing and a Certificate of Completion?

A4: A Receipt of Filing is automatically produced for all students upon successful filing of their thesis. However, it only certifies that the thesis has been accepted. The Certificate of Degree Completion  must be requested. It will state that all requirements  have   been met and notes the date that the degree will be conferred. This is a useful document for students who file early in the semester and need some verification of their degree in advance of its conferral (note: degrees are only conferred twice each year).

Q5: How to I know if I’m eligible for a Certificate of Completion?

A5: In order to be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion, you must:

1) Successfully file your thesis

2) Have a completed (satisfied) Academic Progress Report. Your department can assist you with this if you have questions.

3) Pay all of your registration fees. If you have a balance on your account, we may be unable to provide a Certificate of Completion.

Q6: I’m supposed to submit my approval letter for research with human subjects or vertebrate animals, but it turns out my research didn’t use this after all. What should I do?

A6: If you’re research protocol has changed since you advanced to candidacy for your degree, you’ll need to ask you thesis chair to write a letter to the Graduate Division explaining the change. It would be best to submit this in advance of filing.

Q7: My thesis uses copyrighted or previously published material. How to I get approval?

A7: The policy on this has recently changed. There is no need to for specific approval to be requested.

Q9: I found a typo in my thesis that has already been accepted! What do I do?

A9: Once a thesis has been submitted and accepted, no further changes will be permitted. Proofread your document carefully. Do not submit a draft. In extreme circumstances, your thesis chair may write a letter to the Graduate Division requesting additional changes to be made.

Q10: Oh no! A serious emergency has caused me to miss the filing deadline! What do I do? Are extensions ever granted?

A10: In general, no. In exceptional circumstances, the Head Graduate Advisor for your program may write to the Graduate Division requesting an extension. Requests of this type are considered on a case by case basis and, if granted, may allow you to file after the deadline. However, even if such an exception is granted you will receive the degree for the subsequent term. Your first step is to consult with your department if an emergency arises.

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Research paper writing.

Graduate courses will challenge you to write at a professional academic level through seminar papers, major research papers, and reading responses. Learn how to improve and supplement your research and writing skills using the Graduate Writing Lab’s resources and services.

A successful research paper is more than just writing, and the Graduate Writing Lab can help you with any and all of the steps along the way:

  • Reading primary and secondary sources effectively
  • Note-taking strategies
  • Managing sources
  • Forming your argument
  • Creating an outline
  • Analysis and structure
  • Editing and revision strategies

Research Paper Writing in the Sciences

  • Writing an APA-Style Empirical Paper
  • Research Paper Writing in the Natural Sciences
  • Figure Making in the Natural Sciences
  • Research Paper Writing in the Humanities
  • From Note-Taking to Outlining: Beginning the Writing Process in Humanities Research Papers

For help with your research paper in progress, please take advantage of our Individual Writing Consultations and our Workshops . For additional support, you can join one of our research paper Peer-Review Groups .

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For graduate students looking for expert advice on planning, drafting, and revising their research paper, dissertation, presentation, or any other writing project.

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Research and writing tips, an introduction to tech transfer at cornell: what you as a grad student should know.

Over lunch on April 25, 2017, graduate students met with Cornell Technology Licensing (CTL) directors to discuss commercializing their research. 

Did you know that a good first step is to contact CTL before you present your research at a conference? (It impacts your ability to patent or license internationally…but not in the U.S.)

The CTL directors discussed the resources available to Cornell faculty and graduate students in the licensing and patent process. (You don’t have to go it alone!)

Students were particularly interested in jobs with a university licensing office. (No J.D. or Ph.D. required!) The directors described their paths from graduate students to working for Cornell as licensing specialists. An essential first step is to consider an internship at a university licensing office, including Cornell’s CTL. 

Need information about CTL’s internship program? Visit the  CTL website .

Writing a Teaching Statement, from the Academic Job Search Series

On July 12, 2017, Colleen McLinn, director of CIRTL at Cornell , presented on how to approach writing a successful teaching statement for the academic job market. Here are some tips on what to include—and what not to include—in your teaching statement:

  • Include details about  what  courses you have taught or TA’d that are relevant to the position you are applying for
  • Show  how  you propose to structure the courses they expect applicants to teach, with examples on what you might do
  • Mention your major objectives for different types of student audiences and ways you assess if students develop those skills or that knowledge
  • Mention your lack of teaching experience or gaps in your skillset
  • Make unsubstantiated claims (don’t just  tell  them you are innovative,  show  them)
  • Use unfamiliar jargon about teaching approaches
  • Get too philosophical about teaching – keep it tied to helping students learn in your discipline

For more tips and takeaways from this event, see postdoc Giovanni Sogari’s blog post , and please email [email protected] for slides or a recorded presentation. You may also wish to download the Chronicle of Higher Education  Vitae resource,  How to Write a Teaching Statement that Sings .

From the Graduate School's Fellowship Application Writing Workshops

  • Many fellowship competitions list either faculty, reviewers from previous years’ competitions, or current fellowship recipients who may be contacted to answer your questions. 
  • Seek out advanced graduate students in your field (or a related field) who have applied for the same fellowship competition. 
  • Ask peers and friends for feedback on your essay drafts. 
  • Use Cornell’s  Graduate Writing Service  for additional help. 
  • If you would find it useful, you can review sample fellowship applications, submitted by Cornell graduate fellowship recipients, in 350 Caldwell Hall. 

See more fellowship writing tips

What Academic and Other Writers Need to Know About Writing, Publishing, and Working with Editors (and Agents)

Betsy Lerner, New York City-based author, agent, and former editor at Doubleday, recently spoke at a workshop for graduate and professional students to discuss writing and publishing for non-academic audiences.

She offered advice (and encouraging stories) for writing, publishing, and securing and working with agents and editors. The Graduate School provided copies of her book,  The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers , which offers practical advice, insider observations, and trade secrets about writing and publishing.

At the workshop, Lerner encouraged students to “Find your voice and tell your story…including the story revealed by your research.” She told them she would love to read a book about research: “I’m a deeply curious person, but you’ll have to write in such a compelling way that you help me understand it.”

View Betsy Lerner’s blog and website

Overcoming Your Writing Challenges

At the Pathways to Success Symposium on January 23, 2018, Michelle Cox, director of the  English Language Support Office , discussed common writing obstacles and strategies to overcome them.

Strategies for tackling each stage of the writing process: 

1.  The  invention , or generating, phase

  • Write even when you’re not inspired 
  • Push forward with the first draft—it doesn’t need to be perfect 
  • Create a writing environment that will help you succeed 
  • At the end of your writing time, leave yourself notes for next steps when you return 
  • Take a short break to let your mind percolate 
  • Free-write to work out whatever it is you’re stuck on 
  • Talk to someone about what you’re working on 
  • Read a mentor text about a similar topic 

2.  The  revision , or re-seeing, phase

  • Share your draft with someone in your field for questions and comments on the general content and direction of the paper 
  • Share your draft with someone outside your field who can ask you questions about the content and point out areas that need clarification 
  • Take some time away from the draft before you dive back in 
  • Focus on organization, noting what each paragraph is about and how each paragraph functions in the paper as a whole 

3.  The  editing , or fine-tuning, phase

  • Share your draft with someone in your field again, with specific questions or concerns for them to keep in mind 
  • Share your draft with someone outside your field again, asking them to pay close attention to sentence structure, wording, grammar 
  • Locate places in your draft where you are unsure of the wording and use mentor/outside text examples for guidance 
  • Check to make sure you vary your writing style throughout, e.g. that you don’t start each paragraph with the same words or phrase

Further, Cox emphasized the importance of keeping these three activities (inventing, revising, and editing) separate rather than attempting to do all three at once. The most painful and slow writing process is when the writer tries to come up with the idea while putting it into prose and perfecting the word choice and sentence structure. She also talked about writers who are using English as an additional language may use additional strategies during the writing process, particularly analyzing sample texts to see how the writer made decisions related to language, organization, and structure.

Learn more about the  writing support programs  offered by the Graduate School.

From the 3MT Presentations

Finalists of the 2018  Three Minute Thesis  received this information before the big event. Will it help you with your job talk?

  • Think about your audience. By the time you are on the job market, you need at least three versions of your research talk. One presentation is for your audience of experts, such as your audience at a conference or job interview. A second is for an “elevator speech,” a brief description of your research for a non-specialist audience, the one you would give if you found yourself in an elevator with the university president, provost, Meryl Streep, or anyone else you want to impress. The third version is a talk for a “skeptical audience” – someone doubtful whether your project has relevance to solving a problem or promoting important knowledge. They would say, “Convince me of its value!”  
  • Your 3MT presentation should be a hybrid of the second and third versions, a talk to a bright but non-specialist audience, who might need some convincing. Especially in this case when, at the end of the 3MT event, you could be awarded $500, $1,000, or $1,500!
  • Consider your presentation title. Is it descriptive, understandable, AND intriguing (attention-getting)? (At the regional competition in April we are going to place adjacent on the program Cornell’s 2018 winner, My “Theces” about Feces with Concordia University’s 2018 winner, Why We Drink. Did I just get your attention?)
  • For the 3MT competition, you can’t use notes. It’s like a Ted Talk; no notes and engage with the audience. For a job talk where you might be using notes, be familiar enough with your presentation that you regularly look up while continuing to speak. You do that to emphasize a point, to engage the audience by asking a question, or to check that they are awake or still in the room.
  • Try not to be nervous! Consider the message your demeanor and body language sends, and identify some strategies to help you overcome your nerves. Breathe deeply. Relax your muscles. Practice, practice, practice so you have the confidence that you know the material. One of the things that works for me is to smile in the minutes before I start. Then smile at the audience before you start speaking (if you feel natural and comfortable doing this). A smile to the audience signals that “I’ve got this,” that you are confident…even if you are not!

From Proposal, Thesis, and Dissertation Writing Boot Camp

From the January 2019 session with Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Jan Allen.

  • Just write. It is easy to postpone writing to read more, conduct more research, analyze more data, etc., and to tell yourself that there is not enough information collected to write, but the best way to know what you do not know is to begin writing.
  • Find a way to hold yourself accountable. Whether it is by writing in the company of a friend or group of peers or sending a nightly email to someone of the next day’s writing plans, finding a method of accountability makes it more likely that you meet your goals.
  • Realize you do not have to write your entire thesis or dissertation at once. Start small with an outline, then gradually add more information until you are ready to write. Once you begin writing, set smaller goals, such as a paragraph or chapter. Each smaller step will come together to form a full draft.
  • Write daily. Even if for only 15 minutes, be sure to write every day. Block out an amount of time on your schedule to hold you accountable. Fifteen minutes alone might seem short, but over time it will add up.
  • Reflect on your writing process. Figure out what does and does not work for you, whether it involves motivational sticky notes, finding a new writing environment, or restricting internet access during designated writing time. If one method is not successful, take note of it, and find something that works best for you.

Why You Should be Communicating Your Research with All Audiences

The ability to communicate your research with all audiences is integral, said Professor Bruce Lewenstein during the June Pathways to Success Symposium.

Through anecdotes and examples, Lewenstein’s presentation, “Why You Should be Communicating Your Research with All Audiences,” offered attendees tips for better communication.

  • When communicating your research,  focus on the process, not the findings .
  • Don’t shy away from telling the audience why your work is cool , what inspired you to learn more about the field, or how you got hooked.
  • Share the human side of your work ; we are all hardwired for logic as well as emotion, so be sure not to ignore the latter.
  • Scholarly communication encompasses much more than publishing . Different audiences will read and experience your work differently. All people need practical, civic, and cultural knowledge.
  • There are personal, institutional, and societal benefits –and risks–to communicating your research.

Five Tips for Effective Revision

From Rachael Cayley’s June 2019 Pathways to Success talk, “The Craft of Revision”:

Everyone experiences obstacles to persistent and productive writing. However, learning to write and revise is as important a skill to develop as skills required for research or critical thinking. When sitting down to write, commit yourself to extensive revisions.

When writing, keep in mind that your final product should be reader- and audience-driven. As stated by Joseph M. Williams, “We write the first draft for ourselves; the drafts thereafter increasingly for the reader.”

Here are five ways to make your drafts more coherent, concise, correct, and cohesive:

  • Develop a reverse outline.
  • Use strong verbs.
  • Replace vague references.
  • Use parallelism.
  • Use correct punctuation for clarity.

'Speak and Be Heard': Communication Tips from Eliza VanCort

In less than one hundredth of a millisecond, people make a decision about you based on the way you communicate. Your communication skills can define you beyond your expertise; help you to be well-known, liked, and successful; and can extend your reputation beyond what you know and can do. It’s as much about the way you deliver your content as it is your actual content.

During Eliza VanCort’s presentation at the Winter 2019 Pathways to Success Symposium, she offered graduate students and postdocs the following tips on lifting ideas to become better communicators:

  • High status behavior uses open and expansive body language to command attention. Not moving your head, speaking in complete sentences, holding eye contact longer than normal, and strategically interrupting people are high status moves that, when used appropriately, can help you gain the upper hand.
  • Low status behavior involves using variable hand movements especially when your hands are near your face, looking away, and speaking in incomplete sentences. It also involves making your body as small as possible. Using low status behaviors can prevent you from taking charge of certain situations. However, low status behaviors such as smiling, which demonstrates appeasement, can be used strategically when trying to level out power dynamics or to make someone feel more comfortable.
  • Use silence and own it. Silence is an effective tool that can be both offensive and defensive. Use silence when you are stuck or need to gather your thoughts to appear contemplative. When using silence as a tool, be aware that when speakers adjust their body, people look away and may lose focus. Therefore, try to minimize body movements when using silence.
  • Adjust your cadence. For quick speakers, break your message into fragments and slow down to gain more authority. Speaking at a slower pace can be more effective.
  • Adjust your pitch, lower or higher, to highlight certain information and gain interest. Use caution though, because using a high pitch too frequently can signal insincerity.
  • Your pitch can make you sound confident or nervous. Therefore, be mindful of the pitch you are using, and when and where you are using it since your pitch is always telling a story.

Read more about VanCort’s presentation or watch her TEDx talk .

Four Tips from Fall 2020 Fellowship Workshops

Jan Allen, associate dean for academic and student affairs, compiled the following tips from her Fall 2020 fellowship application writing workshops:

  • Start early. It’s worth repeating: Start early! A National Science Foundation (NSF) program director shared that the biggest problem with applications to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is that students don’t start early enough. How did she know? The reviewers often made statements such as: I wanted to fund this one, but…it needed just a little more elaboration, a little more editing, a little more development of the methodology, a little more of something that could have been accomplished with just a little more time.  
  • Find the right fellowship.  Find fellowship opportunities that align with your own research. One of the best searchable fellowship databases is UCLA’s  GRAPES .  
  • Be competitive.  Make sure you will be competitive. How? Are your faculty advisors able to write very strong support letters? (Don’t ask for a letter. Ask for a very strong letter.) And are you applying for a fellowship that matches your progression through your doctoral program: early stage, research stage, dissertation writing and completion stage fellowships?  
  • Consider broader impacts.  Many fellowship competitions require applicants to write about broader impacts. How do you connect and communicate your science and scholarship to the larger community? Mentoring or tutoring in after-school programs? Advocacy and public outreach? Contacting legislators and other policymakers?

Takeaways from 2021 All-Virtual Writing Boot Camp

Earlier this year, the Graduate School hosted the second all-virtual Writing Boot Camp, open to any writer working on a manuscript, proposal, thesis, dissertation, or other writing project.

Participants discussed obstacles or challenges that slow or stop writing progress: self-sabotage, unproductive habits, binge writing, and ignoring the  three Ss  —  structure, schedule, strategies  —  tailored to individual writing style and needs. During one of these discussions, Dr. Wai-Kwong Wong of Cornell’s Counseling and Psychological Services changed our writing lives with a revelation about procrastination tendencies.

Procrastination leads us to miss deadlines, write furiously at the last minute under pressure and stress, and produce a manuscript that might not be our best effort. But procrastination can be even worse for our psychological and physical well-being.

Procrastinating makes us feel guilty, ashamed, and even defective. Procrastination is feeling like you are ruining your life for no apparent reason. Piers Steel described procrastinating this way: “to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse-off for the delay” (Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination .  Psychological Bulletin, 133 (1), 65-94).

When we write we see the words, pages, and chapters as proof of our productivity, intellect, and persistence. When we don’t write due to procrastination (or perfectionistic tendencies, anxiety, lack of clear expectations, fear of what our advisor or the critical, judgmental voice inside our head will say), the short-term relief from the stress of writing is greatly outweighed by feelings of guilt and inadequacy. 

Can you stop procrastinating? Are there strategies that work for you? If you want more writing tips and strategies delivered by email every other week, sign up for the  Productive Writer  mailing list.

Read more Tips and Takeaways : career tips , entrepreneurship tips , finance tips , tips from the GPWomeN-PCCW speaker series , health and wellness tips , job search tips , mentoring and leadership tips

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Writing Skills Development for Graduate Studies and Career Readiness in Science and Aging Fields: A Case Study Approach

Associated data.

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the qualitative data generated for this article are unable to be sufficiently de-identified. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to ude.cs.liame@15sa .

Increasing the number of racially and ethnically underrepresented students who pursue scientific graduate studies in programs focusing on science and aging offers an opportunity to increase the number of aging specialists while simultaneously promoting diversity in the research labor market and supporting new ideas. This case study aims to better understand how students participating in an academic preparatory program experience a writing class contextualized within (1) students' writing background and (2) students' future ambitions related to science and aging. The individually-tailored writing class was taught as a critical component of a comprehensive educational program that targets underrepresented racial and ethnic minority undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing scientific graduate studies in fields related to aging. The researchers conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with students ( n = 4) enrolled in the 24-month fellowship training program, which included participation in the writing course during the summer prior to their senior year of undergraduate education. All participants were young adult college students who identified as Black or African American and female. Using thematic coding, statements about professional writing skills were divided into four primary themes: (1) prior experiences, (2) class experiences, (3) future goals and ambitions, and (4) structural considerations. These themes suggest potential implications for effective interventions aimed to advance the writing skills and academic and career readiness of racially and ethnically diverse students entering fields of science and aging.

Introduction

According to United States (US) census projections, the US population is both “graying and browning;” that is, rapidly becoming older and more racially and ethnically diverse ( 1 , 2 ). From 2000 to 2030, the number of older adults in the US is expected to increase from 35 million to over 72 million ( 3 ). By 2050, the population of Black older adults is projected to triple, while the population of Latinx older adults is expected to increase 11-fold ( 4 ). With older adults projected to comprise ~20% of the US population in the future, and new advancements in health and technology, there is a growing need for researchers, advanced practitioners and advanced degree-holders specializing in aging. In addition to the need for aging specialists in general, there is a need for more racial and ethnic diversity in aging specialization.

Increasing the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students who pursue scientific graduate studies in programs focusing on science and aging offers an opportunity to increase the number of aging specialists while simultaneously promoting new ideas and new perspectives. However, these opportunities are challenged by a poor fit between undergraduate student writing skills and expectations for graduate school entry. This mismatch is exacerbated by longstanding disparities in the public education system that contribute to racially and ethnically diverse students' underexposure to advanced-level writing curricula and to the undervaluation of different writing styles. Thus, exposure to a curriculum that provides such students with individually-tailored writing skills development can impact their readiness for graduate programs in science and aging and better prepare them for entry into a rapidly developing job market.

This case study aimed to better understand how students within an academic preparatory program experience a writing class building on (1) students' prior writing experiences and (2) students' future ambitions related to science and aging. The personalized writing class was taught as a critical component of a comprehensive educational program that targets racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing scientific graduate studies in fields related to aging. Study findings suggest potential implications for effective interventions aimed to advance the writing skills and academic and career readiness of racially and ethnically diverse students entering fields of science and aging.

Background and Rationale

Importance of undergraduate writing skills development.

The need for quality writing skills in science-related fields, including aging, is becoming more crucial than ever before. Recently, there has been newfound attention on the importance of early writing skills development for students at the undergraduate level, particularly across science disciplines, as students who can demonstrate strong written communication skills are considered qualified candidates for graduate programs ( 5 ). While STEM candidates on the job market are required to have professional writing skills, science and technology high school and college students have been found to more likely experience difficulties with written communication ( 6 ). A study by Jang ( 6 ) found that 50% of college students in science and technology fields lacked basic levels of reading and writing. Jang ( 6 ) suggests that education programs in STEM fields can better prepare students for the changing job market by creating “a continuous cycle where students practice communicating in learning contexts and get frequent professional feedback from peers and educators using a peer and self-assessment for writing, speaking and collaboration” (p. 297).

For graduate programs in science, the significance of quality writing skills is clear: successful researchers, advanced practitioners and advanced degree-holders must be able to effectively communicate information with other researchers and practitioners as well as the general public ( 7 ). Scientific writing is also essential for scholarly activities such as publishing peer-reviewed journal articles, submitting abstracts for conference presentations, and completing grant proposals. These activities, in turn, prepare students to be competitive on the job market, empowering productive professionals and leaders in their fields. While there is strong expectation and need for students pursuing graduate programs in science and aging to be excellent writers, many students have not acquired sufficient skills to be able to write effectively in their respective fields by the end of their undergraduate studies. Consequently, the lack of writing skills might diminish the likelihood of the candidate's acceptance into their graduate school of choice. Even if accepted, students may feel less prepared for the “writing demands and other requirements of graduate education and professional careers” [( 5 ), p. 1].

Many reasons exist for the lack of writing preparedness among undergraduate students. With pressing demands to cover course content and large grading loads, instructors rarely have time to teach writing skills or provide students with substantial feedback on papers to help improve their writing ( 5 , 7 ). Because it is presumed that students learn basic writing skills during high school including knowledge of punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, and citations, some instructors may neglect to focus class time on writing development ( 8 ). However, for many racially and ethnically diverse students, the lack of writing preparedness is far more salient and complex.

Disparities in Writing Skills Development

An overwhelming number of racially and ethnically diverse students graduate from high school unprepared for the writing demands and rigors of college education ( 9 ). Research suggests that African American students in particular are less likely to be academically prepared for college, with those from economically distressed communities being the least ready for college-level curricula ( 9 , 10 ). The tremendous disparity in preparation for racially and ethnically diverse students, especially African American students, is often “centered on the deficiencies of students, families, and communities,” with little attention to institutional and social factors, including structural racism, exclusion, and poverty that influence college readiness ( 9 ). School factors such as poor access to college preparatory courses, funding, quality teachers, and supportive school counselors also impact students' preparedness for college ( 9 ).

There are discrepancies in the ways in which writing instruction is taught and measured across diverse student populations. According to Green ( 11 ), African American students are taught “to edit out, not edit, their Black English usage rhetorically to inform or enhance their academic writing” (p. 154). Unfortunately, racially and ethnically diverse students who struggle with “editing” out their unique linguistic differences in written assignments may face poor evaluations from teachers who operate from a Westernized perspective of writing that prioritizes dominant ideas about what constitutes “good” academic and professional writing ( 11 ). Despite perceptions of academic and professional writing skills as being racially and culturally biased ( 12 ), these perceptions remain the benchmarks by which many students are evaluated for admission into graduate school ( 13 ) and thereby deemed successful within graduate programs ( 8 ). Thus, there is need to equip racially and ethnically diverse students with the knowledge and skills to meet and exceed these standards, as well as to empower them to recognize unique cultural and linguistic differences in their writing.

Bridging the Gap—The Significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

HBCUs are unique sites for academic and professional achievement and cultural pride that have been significantly shaped by racism, discrimination, and social exclusion ( 11 ). HBCUs are shown to have welcoming and nurturing campus settings that provide opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students, especially African American students, to excel academically ( 14 – 16 ). HBCUs already exist to enhance the academic and professional trajectory of racially and ethnically diverse students ( 15 ), while taking into account their cultural and linguistic differences ( 11 ). As such, HBCUs are uniquely positioned to help bridge the gap in writing skills development and preparation for this student population. Importantly, HBCUs can serve as a unique pathway to increase the number of qualified racially and ethnically diverse students who pursue scientific graduate studies in programs focusing on science and aging. Thus, there is need to implement effective programs in collaboration with HBCUs to enhance the writing skills of students and help develop their readiness both for matriculating into graduate programs in science and aging, as well as to achieve success in the growing job market of STEM and aging.

Description

This section provides a brief description of the overall research education training program as well as the writing course component, and how they both aim to prepare students for graduate studies and career readiness in science and aging fields. Beginning in 2015, a flagship research university in a southeastern US state established an NIA-funded undergraduate research training program “to increase the number of qualified racially and ethnically diverse students who pursue scientific graduate studies in programs focusing on science and aging.” Based in a predominately white institution (PWI), this program to advance diversity in aging research collaborates with five HBCUs in the same state. HBCUs are ideal partners because they have a large number of undergraduate students who identify as Black or African American and who are majoring in medical, science, technology, engineering or mathematics (MSTEM) fields, and “who, through exposure to a research education program focusing on aging research, might choose to enter scientific careers committed to addressing complex biological, biomedical, behavior and clinical challenges that accompany aging.” Students who participate in the project gain mentored research experience by working in a research laboratory of a faculty member from the PWI research institution, along with co-mentoring from a faculty member from their HBCU, and attend didactic classes on the biology and social aspects of aging and experiential workshops led by faculty members at HBCUs and at the PWI research institution. Participating students (fellows) live on campus in student housing at the PWI research university for close proximity to their labs and classes during the summer research program. As part of their summer experience, fellows prepare a poster which they present at the end of the summer at the PWI's Annual Summer Research Conference. Fellows are encouraged to further disseminate their research through poster presentations at conferences after the summer workshops, with financial support from the program to attend professional meetings.

In the first few years of the program (2016–2018) the program offered formal coursework related to the biology and social aspects of aging, research in aging, and professional development. A number of our students needed specific writing skills development. Additionally, in 2018 fellows completing their second summer of research training, which takes place prior to their senior year of college, requested additional time and support to prepare personal statements for graduate and medical school applications. In response, program staff introduced the writing skills course in summer 2019 as a core component of the comprehensive institutional research education program. This writing skills course aims to prepare emerging aging researchers to write more effectively for individuals, groups, organizations, communities and colleagues and to improve writing skills needed for graduate program admissions, scholarship applications and other opportunities.

We hoped that students who actively participated in the course would improve their writing skills and be better prepared for advanced studies in STEM fields related to aging. Specific aims of the course are for students to: (1) increase their confidence related to professional writing; (2) organize written documents clearly and effectively; (3) substantiate arguments using appropriate evidence; (4) develop a clear, concise writing style; (5) produce effective academic, research and e-communication documents; and (6) adhere to strong ethical values related to writing and written communication.

The writing skills course is delivered through lectures and discussion. The primary method of instruction is interactive, with hands-on writing activities both in and out of class, coupled with critical feedback and review from classmates and the course instructor. The course instructor is a White female doctoral student who has experience teaching graduate-level writing students at the PWI research institution. At the conclusion of this course students will have completed two five-paragraph essays related to an aging topic of interest and one personal statement. These high-quality products can be adapted for graduate or medical school applications, fellowship or scholarship applications, and many other opportunities for professional advancement.

This qualitative research study analyzed the individual experiences and perceptions of a small number of students participating in a professional writing course contextualized within (1) their participation in a comprehensive advancing diversity in aging research intervention program, (2) their prior educational and professional writing experiences, and (3) their future educational/professional ambitions. This focus is consistent with that promoted by Smith et al. ( 17 ) and Yin ( 18 ). Data were collected through semi-structured phone interviews from senior fellows ( n = 4) who participated in the writing course during the second summer of the 2-year program. Similar to Ory et al. ( 19 ), the authors believe that the case study approach we have taken can contribute importantly to the development of other evidence-based programs and practices ( 17 , 19 , 20 ). Although n = 4 is a small sample size, the number of participants is appropriate for community case studies ( 18 , 21 – 23 ). All study procedures were approved by the University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board.

Researchers developed a codebook using inductive thematic analysis and iteratively analyzed each transcript, revising the codebook until no new themes emerged. Transcript data were coded by the first and second authors using a process of first-cycle, second-cycle axial coding ( 24 ). Analyses were conducted in NVivo-12 and theme prevalence was determined using a conceptual cluster matrix table ( 25 , 26 ). As the experts of their experiences, students can provide valuable information about their educational and professional experiences in an effort to improve their writing skills and academic and career readiness.

All participants were young adult college students who identified as Black or African American and female. Statements about professional writing skills were divided into four primary themes: (1) prior writing preparedness, (2) current writing preparedness, (3) writing goals and ambitions, and (4) structural considerations.

Prior Experiences

Statements under the theme of “prior writing preparedness” describe situations that took place prior to participating in the summer writing class, such as high school and college coursework. Some students felt equipped to engage in graduate-level academic writing because they were well-prepared by high school and college classes. One student described doing well in high school with minimal effort but experienced a more rigorous writing environment with more critical feedback at her undergraduate institution:

“ For me, I feel like high school was super easy. I was in all the hardest classes, you didn't have to study for anything. So I got into college and I'm getting my paper slashed up. I had to study hard. Because now I always study like real hard, so I think I definitely got humbled freshman year, learning that this is like the big leagues now. It's not the same. Going from school to school, I think it's natural.”

Another student also stated that her undergraduate institution prepared her well for college-level writing, but not for doctoral-level writing skills toward which she is working. Although the summer writing class was similar to writing classes she had taken at her undergraduate institution and she experienced some overlap in instruction, she still found the course useful:

“ I'm not one to say that I'm a strong writer. So all writing for me is crucial. So anytime that I can practice my writing skills and actually have someone read it, and actually give me feedback on what I need to work on, is great. So I do not mind the repetitiveness because my writing is not PhD-level, for example. It's like a college-level, which is where I was but I want it to be PhD level, so I didn't mind the repetition.”

Other students felt that their high school and college learning experiences did not prepare them to engage in graduate-level academic writing skills. For example, one student described how her college English composition course was a positive experience but that the class was not completely focused on writing:

“ We wrote papers but it was only like, two and… we also did a lot more presentations, for example we had to create a poster or something like that for my English Comp as a grade instead of actually writing a paper.”

Another student had a similar experience:

“ I learned a lot in [the professional development classes] because honestly even though I took English my first year of college, I think I learned more in my writing class over the summer than in my first year at college… my English class here wasn't a terrible class, I just felt like it wasn't as useful as the writing class I had last summer.”

One student described how her experiences in an underfunded, racially-separated public education system influenced her writing skills training and the opportunities she was exposed to as a high school student:

“ I know particularly in my community… a lot of the Black schools didn't have the same things as the white schools. The white schools were private schools, people would pay to send their white kids to these private schools just so they wouldn't have to intermingle with the Black people in the community. Within the white schools they have a lot of money from the county that they receive, it goes to the white schools first and then it was like the leftovers, even though there was more of us than them…. So our books are old and half the time the computers don't work. It's just really frustrating and I feel like if I would have went to a private school I probably would have had a better chance. Even in high school I didn't have teachers that look like me. They were from different programs because our county couldn't really afford to pay teachers so we would get these mediocre teachers who are usually white or another race…. I feel like if I went to a different school I probably would have had a better chance. More exposure to different opportunities and stuff like that.”

Current Writing Preparedness

Statements under the theme of “current writing preparedness” reflected what happened during the summer writing class, such as the writing projects they completed, their feelings about writing, and their skills related to writing. Students revealed specific skills they learned through the summer writing course including writing clearer, writing stronger, engaging in scholarly debate, seeking and incorporating critical feedback, and improved confidence.

One student described how completing assignments allowed her to craft a scholarly argument, engage meaningfully with feedback and write clearly and concisely using simple language:

“ We had, I believe it was two essays and a personal statement. I believe. Both of them were persuasive variety, trying to prove a point and the personal statement was totally up to us. We had deadlines that we had to meet. Our writing teacher gave us really great feedback. She'd tells what we could have done better, what we done wrong, what we done right, what we need to include as far as content, grammar, punctuation, all of that stuff. We learned different types of writing and how to approach them and how to recognize those different types of writing. We also learned how to breakdown articles… and not to sound where we were trying to sound overly smart, but just enough so that the reader could understand what we're trying to say.”

Every student mentioned the benefit of engaging with feedback from the instructor and/or their peers during the summer writing course. The following is a story about how the course impacted a student's perspective about critical feedback and writing skill confidence:

One student described feeling nervous to send an advisor her paper. This student felt “ a little- not uncomfortable-but just nervous, I just knew that paper was going to get sliced up, which it did. But that's just how it goes. But I wasn't uncomfortable, just nervous that someone was going to read my paper and analyze what I did and if I did it right and stuff like that.” But after the summer writing course she felt more comfortable opening herself up to feedback: “ It made my nerves go away, because now I understand, okay, the paper is not going to come out perfect the first time you write it. So it made me stronger, because now I write what I can, or write what I think is best or whatever, and then I just send it off with no regrets. And if it comes back and it has questions or feedback or if she sliced it up, then I just read the feedback, or even with [the writing course instructor] reading my personal statement, when people give me feedback, it makes me think, ‘Okay, maybe that did sound weird, or that did sound awkward. I should have changed this around.' So now I'm more open to it, and not so afraid. I think before I was like, ‘Oh, I don't want them to think I can't write.' Everybody has a hard time writing, especially when it comes to, like, scientific writing….So I feel like that's the hardest thing for me now, to [receive] criticism, when I'm just like, okay, I'm here, it's for me.”

When asked if she felt comfortable sharing her writing with other people, one student responded:

“ At first, I wasn't. But now I'm more open to share it with other people because I feel like I'm better at receiving feedback and how to incorporate in writing teams now, rather than how I was before.”

Because the class was very small, fellows received individualized writing skills coaching with specific deadlines for submissions and resubmissions. One student described the class size as follows:

“ I think it was because of the class size and how productive it was. I guess when we have deadlines we're adamant about meeting those deadlines over the summer… we were actually writing things that we needed. It had [tips] to make our writing better.”

Writing Goals and Ambitions

Statements under the theme of “writing goals and ambitions” include students' descriptions of writing-related future goals and ambitions and ways in which writing will help them achieve those goals. Because completing a personal statement was one course requirement, this empowered students to meet the short-term goal of applying to graduate school programs. Two different students described the personal statement requirement as follows:

“ I like how they incorporated the writing class because as a rising senior at the time, I know that I needed to complete my graduate school application and just different things that gave an extra push to start off the academic year with.” “ If it wasn't for [the writing class and the professional development class] I wouldn't even have applied early to my programs because by me actually doing my personal statement and taking the GRE when I actually got to school in August I didn't feel overwhelmed like some of my other classmates. So, I was already steps ahead, more steps ahead than the others. So that was really good, I would say my senior year with the program, it was very beneficial.”

Other students described ways in which the skills they learned in the writing skills course would support a variety of academic, research and professional long-term goals:

“ I'm going to need to write personal statements. I'm going to have to do dissertations, I'm going to have to write grants one day. I'm going to have to do all of these different things and [if] I don't know how to do professional writing. I'm not going to be able to do any of those.” “ I'm really trying to help [mentor] with this so I can get a publication before going into grad school,” she described how she used writing skills to write the literature review for the manuscript she is writing with her mentor. She also described how the writing skills will be useful in graduate school : “I have to be able to write a whole dissertation, with [research area]- it's just so big it has a lot of writing.” “ Writing is everything that a [healthcare provider] does. So, in class you learn document, document, document, which means you have to effectively, efficiently and in the most simplest way, write exactly what's wrong with an issue or a problem, something you've seen. You have to write down everything. If you don't know how to write it and get your point across in one or two sentences, then somebody else isn't going to have time to read a paragraph worth of things. So something that I learned in class that actually translates to what I'm doing now is getting your point across quickly, and then later you can elaborate on that point. But don't take seven sentences to say you walked down the street.”

Structural Considerations

Statements under the theme of “structural considerations” describe structural factors that influence their experience in the STEM scholars program both societally (e.g., at systematic levels) and personally. Most of the students mentioned that being an HBCU student at a PWI was a culture shock given their cultural upbringing and previous educational experiences.

The following is a story about how the campus environment and social norms of a PWI impacted a student's experience in the summer program:

“ When I got to [PWI-redacted] it was very different, it was very different. Because in [HBCU-redacted] everyone was really friendly, everybody is speaking even when they don't know each other. And you know [PWI-redacted] it was just very different, the atmosphere, when people walk, they just don't say, “Excuse me.” They just bump into you, they're not friendly. So, that was a shocker to me. I would speak and they would just look at me like I'm crazy.”

The student also discussed feeling conflicted about attending a PWI for graduate school given her previous summer experience.

“ So now that I'm actually going to PWI for grad school, I don't know what to expect. I can code switch but I just feel like it's going to be very different because I'm a very friendly person.”

Another student shared her experience of being an HBCU student at a PWI and feeling the pressure to not appear as a “stereotype” about her racial group while on campus.

“ Well, it was a culture shock for me. Only because I came from an all-black elementary, an all-black middle and high and I came through an HBCU, so everyone that I've ever known has looked like me. Then when I got on [PWI-redacted] campus and I saw all of the Caucasian people, I was a little shocked because it was like I didn't want to seem like a stereotype. Because what I was comfortable with doing, I didn't want to make other people uncomfortable with how I look and that was never a concern for me and over the summer it became one. The second summer it got easier because I already knew what to expect, but walking around on campus, it was a shock.” However, the student felt the summer program and campus experience at a PWI exposed her to the realities of graduate education and the job market as a minority. “ I feel like it's kind of prepared me for it because I know that as you go higher in the rank, unfortunately there's not going to be a lot of people... I'm not going to see a lot of people that look like me and that within itself is intimidating. I feel like this experience that I had over the past two summers at [PWI-redacted] will help me get more comfortable with the idea that it's okay and that I am now part of the minority again, when, my entire life I felt like the majority.”

All of the students mentioned that the underrepresentation of racially and ethnically diverse professionals and leaders in their respective fields influenced their decision to pursue graduate studies and careers in science and aging. One student described how the lack of African American (AA) female doctors in health care settings motivated her to pursue a graduate degree in public health.

“ I guess that it's just not diversity in science and in public health period. And that just makes me go harder with this public health degree because when I actually talked to the people this summer with my research, they feel better if they see people that they look like. And that thought would lead to when I go to doctors, I preferably want to see an African American woman doctor but it's almost where we just lack it.”

All students described the importance of feeling comfortable. One student described how diversity in science and aging related fields can help increase patients' level comfort and the quality of service they receive.

“ And if you're talking to someone that looks like you, then I feel like you'll always feel a little more comfortable. And if there's no diversity, then they're not being given the opportunity or fair chance. Then it's like you're never going to get to see a difference, or even know if that would make a difference.”

Another student described a similar perspective:

“ I feel like it would make people more comfortable to want to go into health care. I feel most comfortable if I actually see someone that looks like me because it's like a connection there; I feel like they will be very relatable.”

For students who felt well-prepared by previous writing education experiences, the writing to advance diversity in aging research course elevated their writing skills to the next level: supporting advancement from competitive undergraduate-level writers, to competitive graduate-level writers. For students who described feeling under-prepared by the writing instruction they received in high school and college, this course provided instruction on basic skills including grammar and sentence structure, as well as more advanced professional writing skills. This case study suggests that the success of the writing course was due to the individualized instruction method, which relied heavily on instructor feedback and iterative coaching to improve student skills.

Through writing classes, students gained experience completing specific assignments and editing those assignments based on feedback and peer review. These assignments allowed students to gain the skills necessary to engage meaningfully with critical feedback, participate in a scholarly debate with peers and mentors, and write more clearly and concisely. Students also gained more confidence in their ability to write. This confidence, coupled with increased writing skills and willingness to engage in critical feedback, will support students as they apply to, and begin graduate school programs.

Students reported that participating in the advancing diversity for aging research writing class supported both their short-term and long-term goals. Because completing a personal statement for graduate school was a core course requirement, students were able to begin their senior year at their undergraduate institution more prepared to begin applying for higher education programs. Gaining writing skills, gaining confidence, and gaining willingness to engage with critical feedback will support a variety of long-term goals including collaborating on publishable academic manuscripts, securing scholarships, fellowships and grants, writing graduate or doctoral level theses, and successfully engaging in a variety of research and professional activities.

Finally, students reported that the lack of racially and ethnically diverse professionals in their fields significantly influenced their decision to pursue graduate studies and careers in science and aging. With demographics in the US shifting rapidly—becoming older and more racially and ethnically diverse (i.e., “graying and browning”) ( 1 , 2 )—students underscore the need for more representation of racially and ethnically diverse professionals in science and aging specializations. Increasing diversity in science and aging related fields yields opportunities to challenge longstanding disparities impacting diverse populations and promote innovative solutions for equitable, culturally responsive services.

Limitations

Though this study provides important insights into the experiences of Black undergraduate students in a PWI-based academic preparatory program, it does not include the experience of other underrepresented minority groups. Future research is needed to understand and examine how the experiences of the students in the sample compare to students from various racial and ethnic minority groups enrolled in academic preparatory programs.

Conclusions and Implications

Individually tailored professional writing instruction offers a unique opportunity to prepare racially and ethnically diverse students for successful entry into graduate school and a distinguished advanced academic trajectory. For students attending HBCUs who plan to apply to graduate-level programs at PWIs, professional writing instruction may bridge gaps for both students who feel prepared and for students who feel unprepared. For students who already feel prepared for advanced graduate study, this course provides an opportunity to review and sharpen basic skills, reinforcing the idea that anyone can become a stronger, clearer writer. The course also provides an opportunity to prepare for writing experiences in a more rigorous, graduate-level learning environment, such as giving and receiving critical feedback and engaging in a written scholarly debate. For students who feel unprepared for advanced graduate study, the course provides remedial instruction on basic skills and responsive, iterative feedback to improve writing confidence as well as writing skills.

Future studies seeking to implement an PWI-based academic preparatory program in partnership with HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions should take in consideration the historical contexts of these institutions, including the cultural experiences they provide to students. In addition, future research on the impact of a personalized writing course for racially and ethnically diverse students is needed to assess the effectiveness and validity of such preparatory course in increasing students' writing development and readiness for graduate school and professional careers in aging and related fields.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent for participation was not required for this study in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

The research reported in this publication was supported by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging (R25AG050484).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Tips for Grads: Subtle essentials to writing research papers

By Emily Azevedo-Casey, PhD student

Research papers are often required and can be valuable opportunities to deepen your understanding of your field or topic, contribute to a larger body of knowledge, and develop essential skills for future careers in academia, industry, or other research-intensive professions. These tips aim to help demystify the process of completing a research paper by focusing on some of the subtleties of planning.

  • Get clear on assignment guidelines.  Don’t overlook specific requirements like formatting, citation styles, and other details, especially if you are considering submitting your work to a scholarly journal. Ask questions about the guidelines and keep in mind your audience, whether it is your professor or potential peer reviewers.
  • Set intermittent deadlines.  Work backwards from the date you want to submit your paper (or when it is due in class) and set deadlines for essential steps like choosing a topic, conducting background research, writing an outline, drafting your argument, completing the first draft, and revising. Don’t forget to plan breaks and time for your healthy habits like proper sleep, nutrition, exercise, and social activities. Give yourself two to three times more time than you think for each step to build in room for unanticipated challenges.
  • Prioritize data and information management.  Consider folder file management, naming conventions, and tools like  citation managers  to keep all your research organized and ready to be added into your drafts as efficiently as possible.
  • Use templates when available.  If you’re like me, then you might be driven to find new ways of writing research papers each time you set out to do it. While this can be fun and exciting, sometimes we really don’t need to reinvent the wheel and our time might better be spent on the actual assignment. Consider templates to form your outline and draft. Ask your professor for examples or model after published research papers in relevant journals. If you really want to try something new, try adding only one or two changes like  using a different literature search engine  or brainstorming activity.
  • Protect your work time.  Reflect on when you work best and avoid interruptions or distractions during your research and writing time. Communicate your limited availability to friends, family, or work. While you probably can’t meet your loved ones as much as they would like, avoid missing very important events with them and schedule time with them after your assignment is done.
  • Get support.  Use resources like  The Writing Center  or  UW–Madison Libraries  to get feedback on your work. Ask people you trust to give constructive feedback to read over your work, especially if they are not in your field to help improve your writing clarity and strength of connecting your points.

As you probably have experienced, writing a research paper can be a very involved process. These tips are meant to complement some of the other essential planning steps you might already know like conducting your literature review , writing an outline, and crafting your argument. For more help, consider working with folks at The Writing Center , using  the writer’s handbook , or meet with your professor.

Tips for Grads is a professional and academic advice column written by graduate students for graduate students at UW­–Madison. It is published in the student newsletter, GradConnections Weekly.

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How to Write a Research Paper for Grad School Application

How to Write a Research Paper for Grad School Application

Most doctoral programs require applicants to submit a research sample and though they are not typically required for graduate school applications, they can help take your application from average to outstanding. 

I know the task of writing a research paper for this kind of application may seem intimidating at first. How can an undergraduate or masters student hope to submit work that will measure up to a PhD program’s standards? First, try to re-envision your research sample as a window on your curiosity: your chance to get professors genuinely excited about how you think. In this blog on how to write a research paper for graduate school applications, you’ll learn how to select, position, and revise your early-career ideas.

Selecting Your Draft

The form and function of your research sample will vary widely depending upon your field. Undergraduates in STEM are far more likely to have early-career publications and to be involved in group lab research than are humanities and social science students. If you are contributing to a research team or already have a publication of your own, consult with your supervising professor about if and how you might use this work as your research sample. Don’t submit any account or draft of an unpublished group project without your professor’s permission, and try to write at least one research paper that is entirely your own, as a back-up option. 

Writing a Research Sample  

Now, let's turn our attention to unpublished, single-author research papers, focusing on humanities research samples as a paradigm.

The first step to writing your research sample is to think realistically about what kind of paper you can edit to make a self-contained, insightful argument within the page limit. Use these questions to narrow down your options.

  • Did you write an undergraduate thesis that you’re proud of? If not, skip to question 4.
  • Was it divided into chapters around the same length as your research sample’s page limit? If so, choose your strongest chapter as your starting point for your research sample, and move on to learn about “Positioning Your Ideas.”
  • If not, can you imagine making your writing more concise to fit the page limit? Or could you zoom in on one facet of your argument, to make a smaller paper out of your longer project? If so, consider isolating your main point and restructuring a portion of your paper to stand alone, as a research sample. This process may prove time consuming, so if your deadline is approaching, ditch this idea and go to question 4.
  • Can you identify two or three strong (A-range or distinction) research papers around the length of the research sample’s page limit? Is at least one of these papers in the subfield that you hope to explore in graduate school? If so, move on to the next section on “Positioning Your Ideas.”
  • If not, can you identify the beginnings of a research project or an idea worth expanding on in any of your undergraduate work? If so, consider working with a CRI Mentor (a professor or PhD student) to develop this idea into your sample.

Positioning Your Ideas

Once you have selected a handful of stand-alone essays or a portion of your thesis to revise, pause to position your ideas. What I mean by “positioning” is pairing your personal statement and research samples so that they point towards a consistent set of interests and methodological approaches within your field of study. 

If you’re applying to a program that only requires one research sample, then you should select a stand-alone essay or portion of your thesis that is solidly within your subfield of interest. Then, draft a paragraph of your personal statement clearly explaining how this research sample illustrates your engagement with this subfield. For guidance on how to begin this personal statement exercise, check out our previous post on How to Write a Personal Statement for Grad School . If you can’t write a paragraph making this connection, then you’re probably working with the wrong research sample draft—choose another, and move on to the process of revising your paper.

Suppose you’re applying to a program with two research samples (e.g., Harvard's English Department). In that case, you should select one sample solidly within your subfield and a second to demonstrate your interest in a different topic or methodology. Use your second sample to demonstrate the breadth of your curiosity but also to draw out subtle patterns in your ways of thinking. There should be something in common between your two papers for you to draw out in your personal statement: a method of research, a kind of primary source, an ideological agenda, etc. If you can make a clear connection between your research papers in your personal statement, then you’re on your way to positioning yourself as a coherent yet versatile scholar. And you’re ready to begin revising!

Revising Your Research

Once you’ve selected your research paper draft, you should begin the revision process by rereading it and taking notes in the margins: tracking where your argument is clearest and most exciting versus moments when it seems dull or loose. Then, reread any comments that your work has already received from professors. If you don’t have any comments, consider asking a professor mentor to review your work or signing up for a session with a CRI mentor . You might also ask a peer in your field to read your paper and tell you when they are most confused and/or most convinced by your writing. This combination of your own notes and other readers’ initial feedback will help you determine what parts of your essay to cut, rewrite, or expand.

Last Minute Advice

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to editing research, but I’ll conclude with some general advice to keep your revisions on track:

  • Make sure that you have a clear thesis—and that you coherently prove it within the word limit for your sample.
  • Engage with the kinds of secondary sources that you hope to one day write yourself. If you notice that your paper fails to engage with a range of secondary scholarship, hit the library and rework your argument to demonstrate your engagement with current criticism.
  • Signpost, signpost, signpost. In every transition, introductory, and concluding sentence of every paragraph, make sure that you announce what you are trying to prove—and how that mini-proof relates to your larger argument. Remember, admissions readers have to move quickly through an enormous stack of essays, so your argument must be clear.
  • Triple check your citations. You will not get into graduate school if you accidentally commit plagiarism. 
  • Have fun writing! If you’re not intellectually excited about your essay topic, no one will be.

If you ever feel stuck or bored of your revisions, then put down your paper for a day or two. Do not force yourself to slog through revisions—forced edits usually do more harm than good. Remember, you can always return to your work later, with guidance from a friend, colleague, or CRI mentor !

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Proactive Grad

How to find Research Papers: A Cheat Sheet for Graduate Students

Aruna Kumarasiri

  • July 23, 2022
  • PRODUCTIVITY

How to find research papers

“I will read this paper later.” I thought to myself before adding another paper to my overflowing internet browser.

Of course, I didn’t read it later.

Since my workflow was unorganized, I missed out on reading many important papers.

This was a crucial period in my undergraduate career. I had been working with a company for my final year project and knew success would require a solid intellectual foundation. For many hours, I read papers, determined to master the literature in my field.

“How to find research papers quickly?” has been a never-ending question for me.

How to find research papers_meme

However, I was unable to succeed despite my best intentions, largely due to inefficiency. In addition, I did not have a system in place for keeping track of new papers being published daily in my topic area or checking if I had missed key studies.

Nothing is worse than forgetting where you saved an important research paper. If I couldn’t find that specific paper, I couldn’t do anything else, and sometimes a day would pass before I found it.

As I was about to begin my PhD, I convinced myself that I should be more organized.

This is the first post of the four-part blog series:  The Bulletproof Literature Management System . Follow the links below to read the other posts in the series:

  • How to How to find Research Papers (You are here)
  • How to Manage Research Papers
  • How to Read Research Papers
  • How to Organize Research Papers

My workflow has evolved through many iterations, and I have finally found a system that suits my needs after lots of trial and error.

These tips will help you how to find research papers quickly and more efficiently.

Get recommendations from your supervisor

You may have already received a folder of information from your supervisor regarding your thesis topic. Your supervisor should have already been working on the proposal before you were hired for a funded project.

My supervisor, for example, has a folder named “Literature” for each project folder that contains all the important papers one might need to complete that project.

Therefore, asking your supervisor is one of the most straightforward ways to find research papers.

Even though your supervisor has not put up a folder like that, you can still ask them for recommendations, and they can point out a couple of pertinent articles. From there, you can find the references in the papers they recommended.

Use feed aggregators

Feed aggregators, such as Feedly , Inoreader , and NewsBlur , help me organize my feeds. In the morning, I dedicate five minutes to scanning my feed. For most papers, I just glance at the title and scroll past. Whenever I come across something interesting, I add it to my ‘Read Later’ folder.

Instead of storing papers in an unsecured location, my papers are more secure. As a result, it is much easier for me to look at that folder later on.

Use literature mapping tools

ResearchRabbit , Inciteful , Litmaps , and Connected Papers are literature-mapping tools you can use to dig deeper into a topic. It lets you see which papers are the most groundbreaking in a given field based on their citation networks.

This might not be very helpful if you’re doing research in a relatively new area. Finding relevant research papers in such cases may be more challenging.

This is why checking research databases would be a better option.

Use standard research databases

Scopus has strong searching capabilities and publishes metrics that can measure the relative importance of papers in their fields. However, it may take up to 2 years before an article is included in Scopus.

It has more features for sorting and filtering, so you might not feel overwhelmed when searching.

Therefore, if you are just starting your research, SCOPUS might be an excellent option for finding research papers.

ResearchGate

In addition to traditional searching for publications, ResearchGate offers the following features:

  • Follow researchers in your field, so you can keep up with their work.
  • Keep up-to-date with the research projects of other researchers by following their research projects, and
  • Comment on publications, ask questions, and send direct messages to interact with others.

As most of the comments on ResearchGate are coming from experts in their respective fields, the QnA section may be a great resource for finding the right paper for your research.

An RSS(Really Simple Syndication) feed, as the name implies, is a straightforward solution. By subscribing to RSS, users can access content from specific websites.

You can find RSS feeds for nearly every major journal and preprint server on their home pages – just look for the orange icon. As new articles are added to PubMed or Google Scholar, you can even subscribe to specific keywords.

Use academic textbooks the right way

If you are new to a particular research area, it would be best to start by reading textbooks to understand the topic better.

Despite the lack of depth and detail in a textbook, it can provide you with the basic concepts you need to read further. Furthermore, textbooks often include extensive lists of references as well as this information to get you started . Download the relevant articles from these references.

You might feel overwhelmed if you try to read an academic textbook from beginning to end. For this reason, read only the sections which contain the information you need for your project.

Review papers are game changers

A review paper on your topic is a great starting point for finding good references and getting a broad overview of your research topic.

After reading the review paper, you can read the references cited therein.

You are reading a much more comprehensive summary of the topic than you would have found reading ten individual research papers on the same topic if you found a highly relevant review paper for your research.

Look for technical reports and theses

Make sure you don’t limit yourself to research papers when looking for references. A technical report or code document on your topic may contain important citations (as well as practical information).

There is nothing that compares to a PhD thesis when it comes to the depth and extent of analytical work. See which references students have cited in their theses on your topic.

If you find a relevant thesis for your literature review, you will have extensive information about the research topic in one place, saving you a ton of time.

Google Scholar

The best for the last!

Due to its versatility and efficiency in finding academic papers, I decided to include Google Scholar separately from the database section.

I enjoy using Google Scholar among all the fancy databases available. One drawback to Google Scholar is that it lacks the ability to search for keywords and filter results.

Therefore, if you are just starting your research and aren’t sure what “keywords” to search for, Google Scholar might not be your first choice.

The advantage of Google Scholar is that if you are already familiar with your field of study and already know what you are doing, you will be able to find relevant research papers more quickly.

Use Google Scholar’s search function to locate relevant articles. Furthermore, you can subscribe to updates from colleagues in your field to access the latest references. The publisher of a journal paper may also report an article faster to Google Scholar than another database, which can take up to two years to include an article.

Images courtesy: Internet marketing vector created by jcomp – www.freepik.com

Aruna Kumarasiri

Aruna Kumarasiri

Founder at Proactive Grad, Materials Engineer, Researcher, and turned author. In 2019, he started his professional carrier as a materials engineer with the continuation of his research studies. His exposure to both academic and industrial worlds has provided many opportunities for him to give back to young professionals.

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M.S. Qualifying Research Paper Writing Guidelines

An important part of your master’s education is the writing of your final master’s qualifying research paper (also called a master’s thesis). To aid you in this process we have assembled the following guidelines.

Qualifying research papers fall into two categories, those based on laboratory research and those based on literature research. Both types are mentored by a faculty member or principal investigator of a research laboratory sought by the student. For laboratory research, the student will write the paper based on original experimental results obtained in the laboratory of the mentor. For a literature-based thesis, after selection of a suitable topic by the student and mentor, the student will research the topic by reading and analyzing original literature on the subject, and then prepare a substantive analysis that will constitute the paper. All qualifying papers are graded "Pass", "Pass with Distinction" or "Fail". Further information can be found at the  M.S. in Biology website .

STYLE INFORMATION

Qualifying papers in the Department of Biology should follow the structure of the types of papers that appear in the journal Cell. Laboratory research based papers should be modeled after a Cell research style articles and library research based papers should be modeled after Cell review style articles. Example articles with links are listed in the notes below.  

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Plagiarism is an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author: This means that you cannot copy lines of text from another source without noting that it is a quote (“put quotes around the text”) and citing the reference. In general avoid direct quotes from other sources unless the quote makes a strong point. General facts do not need to be referenced, but more specific facts and ideas must be referenced, even if they have been rewritten in your own words
  • Litertaure Review:  Lopez-Otin et al., 2023. Hallmarks of Aging: An Expanding Universe. Cell 186(2), 243-278 .
  • Research Research:  Lyons et al., 2023. Functional partitioning of transcriptional regulators by patterned charge blocks. Cell 186(2), 327-345 . 
  • Seek a thesis mentor and decide on a topic to study.
  • After beginning your literature research, provide a list of references you are reading to your mentor.
  • Proceed to write a brief outline of the paper with subsection ideas, then a more detailed outline with subsection descriptions, and share with mentor for comment.
  • Proceed to write a first draft of paper, which the mentor will read and provide suggestions/questions for comment.
  • Revise accordingly and submit the final version of your paper (~ 25 pages double spaced and reference list). Use citation format (Jones et al., 2023) and reference list as done in Cell papers (see above links). All figures taken from articles must be cited in the legend.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Graduate Writing Overview

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Here we present four vidcasts that offer a broad introductory overview of graduate writing. In this context, it is helpful to think about writing as a conversation , a process , a social endeavor , and a disciplinary undertaking . Stay tuned as we continue to publish these vidcasts!

Writing at the graduate level is quite different from writing at the undergraduate level. As emerging scholars, graduate writers will need to become well-versed in the scholarly conversations taking place in the journals and at the conferences within their field. Where undergraduate writers may find themselves primarily writing for their professor as audience and to show mastery of subject matter as a purpose, graduate writers’ audience will be their colleagues in the field, and their purpose will be to engage in conversation with and to disseminate new research to those colleagues. A graduate writer’s identity as scholar requires a concurrent identity as writer.

Materials in this section cover a range of topics relevant to graduate-level writing and to the process of becoming a scholarly writer within a particular field. Two sets of vidcasts fall in the category of Intensive Writing Experience (IWE). An IWE is a concentrated program aimed at a particular group of graduate students (e.g., those new to graduate writing or those writing theses and dissertations). These programs ask writers to learn about and engage with information about and strategies to apply to writing that they can then use in their own work. The Introduction to Graduate Writing vidcast series explores how writing is a conversation, a process, a social endeavor, and discipline specific. The IWE for Thesis and Dissertation writers offers material on how to set goals for and remain motivated during a long-term project. It covers topics relevant to drafting and revising documents, such as reverse outlining, sentence concision, and flow in scholarly writing.

In addition to the vidcasts, this section of the OWL houses a number of handouts specific to graduate writing on topics such as style or organization and on genres such as literature reviews and conference proposals. These materials offer explanations and samples of the particular topic or genre being covered in the handout.

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  •       Resources       Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

In addition to endless piles of reading, demanding expectations in the classroom, student teaching responsibilities, and the always-looming awareness that they need to research, write, and edit a high-quality dissertation before graduating, today’s Ph.D. students also commonly feel stress about another topic: publishing. As more prospective employers expect degree seekers to get their names in academic journals and conferences while still in school, many learners feel overwhelmed by the prospects of making the grade. The following guide answers some of their most pressing questions, provides guidance on the ins and outs of publishing while still in school, and offers expert advice from a professor who knows better than most what it takes to publish rather than perish.

Understanding Publishing in Graduate School

Getting published as a grad student can feel overwhelming at first, because there’s so much to learn about the process and expectations surrounding it. With a bit of research, however, students can familiarize themselves with the specific language surrounding publishing and make in-roads towards getting their first paper published.

What Does it Mean to Get Published?

Within the context of graduate school, publishing refers to getting essays, papers, and research findings published in one of the academic journals or related forms seen as a leader in the field. As jobs in academia continue to become more competitive, it isn’t enough for learners to simply do well in their coursework. The degree seeker who hopes to land an important post-doctoral fellowship or find a teaching position at a college or university must make themselves stand out in other ways.

When Should a Ph.D. Candidate Get Published?

Getting a paper published takes a lot of time and effort, and those students who wait until the final year or two of a doctoral program may fail to actually have any published materials by the time they graduate. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Graduate Connections program , getting a paper published – especially if it’s your first – can take up to three years. In addition to the fact that most journals publish quarterly, the panel review process typically takes a significant amount of time and those submitting for the first or second time usually need to make a large number of edits and complete rewrites in order to reach a publishable standard.

How to Get Published

In order to get published, students submit their work to the journal or conference of their choosing. They frequently also provide a cover letter outlining their research interests. Most journals put out generic calls for submissions once or twice a year, while some may ask for papers addressing specific topics that have a much shorter turnaround time. Grad students may find it intimidating to go up against more seasoned academics, but another option revolves around partnering with their dissertation supervisor or another professor with whom they work closely with to co-author a paper. This not only helps ensure the validity of their findings, but alerts the academic world know that this other, more recognized faculty member believes in the research the student is doing.

Who Should Get Published?

Learners most anxious to get published are those who see their future careers in teaching and research. Because the world of academia is relatively small when divided into individual subjects, it’s important for students who want to break into these ambitious arenas to make a name for themselves early on and create a curriculum vitae that captures the attention of hiring committees.

Where Should Students Get Published?

When deciding which publications to pursue, students should consider the research aims of each and their likelihood of getting published. Newer journals tend to take more submissions as they are still working on building up their roster of contributors. While less venerated than other publications, getting printed in these can help build up name recognition and make it easier to break into the top-tier publications over time.

In terms of where work is published, the majority of students look to academic journals when sending out cover letters and examples of their work. But other options exist as well. Presenting papers at conferences is a popular avenue, as are chapters in books. The following sections takes a more in-depth look at how and where to publish.

Realities & Challenges of Getting Published

Getting published, especially while still in grad school, takes tenacity, focus, and a thick skin. Those who continue working on their craft, presenting at conferences, collaborating with others, and not taking no for an answer, however, frequently find success. Some of the challenges students may encounter include:

Lack of time

It’s no secret that doctoral students have busy schedules that seldom allow for outside – or sometimes, even related – interests to take up much of their days. Because publishing is not a degree requirement, carving out the time needed to research, write, and edit the type of paper required for publishing can feel impossible. With this in mind, student should look for ways to multitask. If presenting at a conference, think about how that paper could be transformed into a journal article.

Lack of confidence

Studies have shown that mental stress and illness frequently increase in grad school as students feel intense pressure to stand out from their peers. These feelings are often intensified when considering publishing, as learners are going up against academics and researchers who have been working in the field far longer than them. It’s important to remember that each of those renowned individuals had to start somewhere.

Lack of funding

Completing the research needed for a competitive paper doesn’t only take time – it requires money. Whether traveling to archives or printing all the necessary documentation, funding for outside research can be scarce while in school. Some programs provide competitive grants for research travel to help offset these costs.

Intense competition

As discussed earlier, competition for publishing is fierce. Academic journals and conferences only have space for so many authors and trying to get noticed can feel like a losing battle. In addition to seeking out newer publications and co-authoring with more notable figures, consider taking part in symposiums at the school you attend to get your foot in the door. While research on the average number of rejections is lacking, don’t feel discouraged if it takes a long time to be chosen for publication.

Finding the right publisher

While getting your name in print within an academic journal you greatly admire is the ultimate goal, it may take some years for it to come to fruition. One of the biggest mistakes students make is applying to ill-suited publications. Look for journals with editorial board members whose names you recognize. If a professor knows one of them, don’t be afraid to ask if they can help get your paper in front of them.

Adequately addressing feedback

Getting a paper published often requires intense editing and even completely restructuring and rewriting what you conceived in the initial abstract. If an academic journal shows interest in your essay but suggests rewrites, pay close attention to their requests and try to work with an advisor to ensure you meet all the stated requirements.

What do Graduate Students Publish?

Academic journals may receive the lion’s share of discussion in the publishing world, but graduate students can actually choose from numerous outlets and paths for getting their work to a larger audience. Students should review the options listed below and think about which format might showcase their work best.

Tips for Publishing

Despite the great amount of work required to publish, students who meet the challenges and persevere stand to position themselves favorably for future job opportunities. The following section addresses some of the most common questions about the process and alleviates general fears about how publishing (or not) reflects upon them.

How many papers should a Ph.D. student try to publish before graduating?

According to scholar-practitioner Dr. Deniece Dortch, no single answer exists. “There is no hard and fast rule as to the number of publications students should have prior to graduation,” she notes. “The reality is students in STEM disciplines and those who use quantitative methods are more likely to have publications prior to graduation because they often work in research teams and labs. This is not to say that qualitative scholars or those in other disciplines aren’t, but it’s a much more standardized practice in STEM for students to graduate with two or three publications. Personally, I had one sole-authored publication accepted prior to graduation, one first-authored piece, and one second-authored piece.”

How many journal articles is it possible to publish during a PhD?

“The answer varies and is determined by factors such as length of program, research team access, and faculty relationships,” says Dr. Dortch. “I’ve seen folks finish with as many as 10 publications, although this is extreme and doesn’t happen often.” She continues, “Imagine you are in a four-year program and you get your idea to write an article in year two. You submit that article in year three after getting approval, collecting data, analyzing it, and then writing your paper. Year three you submit that paper; it may be accepted in year four after months of revisions at the request of the editor. You finally have one published paper as you graduate.”

Are there PhD students who have no journal publications? Should they be worried about that?

“It depends on the type of employment the student is seeking upon graduation,” says Dr. Dortch, “Students applying to or wanting to work in institutions and organizations with the highest levels of research productivity who have no publications may want to consider post-doctoral positions so they have the time and space to work on increasing their publication record after graduation.” She continues, “Postdocs are a very common practice in many disciplines and are used as a way to gain additional training and expertise in research and teaching.”

Is it absolutely essential to have publications to apply for a PhD program?

In a word, no. Individuals working toward doctoral degrees have many reasons for doing so, not all of which require them to publish. Admissions panels also recognize that students focus their efforts on many different goals (e.g. jobs, internships, presenting at symposiums) throughout bachelor’s and master’s programs. As long as learners can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to scholarship, publishing is not an absolute requirement.

Does publish or perish begin before starting a PhD program?

It’s true that many students begin worrying about publishing before starting a Ph.D. program, but the reality is that they have ample time during and after completing a doctorate to make their mark on the world of scholarship. According to a recent article by Inside Higher Ed , some individuals in the academy now wonder if too much emphasis is being placed on grad students publishing. Learners unsure about this should speak to a trusted advisor or mentor to figure out when to focus on getting published.

What is the difference between a published article and a Ph.D. thesis?

While a Ph.D. thesis is required for satisfactory completion of a degree, a published article is not. A Ph.D. also takes a much longer form than a published article, averaging approximately 90,000 words. Academic journal entries, conversely, are usually between 4,000 and 7,000 words.

Should I first write my Ph.D. thesis or publish journal articles?

Though publishing at the doctoral level is increasingly seen as a requirement in the job market, it is not part of degree requirements. With this in mind, students should prioritize the research and writing of their thesis above all else. If they have the time and mental clarity needed to publish journal articles, this can be a secondary focus.

From the Expert

Dr. Deniece Dortch is a scholar-practitioner known for her commitment to diversity, social justice and activism. Dr. Dortch holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an Ed.M. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from Columbia University, an M.A. in Intercultural Service, Diversity Leadership & Management from the School for International Training and a B.A. in Spanish from Eastern Michigan University. Hailed a graduate school expert by NPR, she has published numerous articles on the experiences of historically underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students. She is the creator of the African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative at the University of Utah and currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Higher Education at The George Washington University .

Publishing as a student can feel intimidating. Why is this process important for learners to go through?

Long gone are the days of getting a good job by just having a solid dissertation or an award-winning thesis. Publishing your work while in school demonstrates a commitment to answering and understanding our world’s most complex problems. Further, institutions want to know that you have the capacity to publish. Now, publishing doesn’t mean you have to be first author or that you must publish sole-authored pieces only. Collaboration is also sufficient and often encouraged. The publishing process is intimidating for folks because it involves critique and, most often, rejection.

Receiving and giving critical feedback is part of the learning process and students should not shy away from it because it will only serve them well in the end as they learn to cope with disappointment and reward. But more importantly, there is no point spending months and years conducting research if you are just going to keep your findings to yourself. What you learn is meant to be shared.

What are some common mistakes these learners make when preparing their first papers?

Common mistakes that individuals make include not adhering to the guidelines outlined in the submission process. Examples of this can include ignoring formatting requirements (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.), going over the stated word count, inadequately proofreading, and not submitting a cover letter. This is probably the most important one.

What specific advice do you have for them in terms of finding the right outlet, preparing their work, and submitting to journals?

Students should have multiple individuals read over their work before submission. Writing is a process and even after it is submitted, it will need to be revised many more times before you will read it in print. It is part of the process. To find a good outlet for your work, pay attention to where other scholars are submitting their work. If you’re subject is aligned with theirs, you have a shot. Make a list of at least three outlets that fit your article. Also look out for special calls. A special call for submissions usually goes a lot faster than the regular submission process, so if you’re a student who is about to go on the job market, submit to those first. Also, the more competitive the academic, the longer the process, so keep that in mind. If you are rejected, just re-submit to the the next journal on your list.

In addition to publishing in journals, how else might a student go about getting recognition in their field while still in school?

Apply for all fellowships, grants, and awards that are specific to you and what you do. People in the academy love an award winner and they especially love people whose work has been recognized and/or funded by outside groups. A great way to increase a student’s visibility is to publish outside academic journals and publish in other media outlets. Also attend conferences in your field. Try to get on the program as a presenter or facilitator so that people in your field will start to know who you are and your research interests.

10 Helpful Steps for Writing a Graduate Research Proposal

The road to obtain a graduate degree is unquestionably long. But we have ten incredibly helpful steps for writing your graduate research proposal. When you finally reach your destination, it will all be worthwhile.

As a graduate student, when you start your journey, you must write, present and defend a graduate research proposal in front of a committee of professors, also known as a graduate advisory committee.

A research proposal is usually short, with only fewer than ten pages, but it has to cover the proposed research in detail. After the committee approves it, you should follow the research plan explained in the research proposal to complete your research project.

 Research Proposal Timeline

Figure 1. The typical timeline in graduate school.

Why is it important to write a research proposal?

There are eight major reasons for graduate students to write a research proposal in graduate school:

  • It's required by the graduate school before performing research.
  • Students become more familiar with the research project
  • They develop research skills and academic writing skills.
  • Students develop literature review skills.
  • Students learn how to identify the research problem, objective, research questions and hypothesis.
  • They learn to explore different methods to collect and analyze data, and to select the most appropriate methods for solving research problems.
  • They learn to design research experiments based on logical and chronological steps.
  • The process nurtures critical thinking and logical reasoning skills.

What to include in a research proposal

The common elements to include in a good research proposal are:

  • Title : The title of a research proposal should be clear and brief.
  • Introduction : This part contains the background information of the proposed study leading to the research problem.
  • Statement of purpose : This element should include the research objectives.
  • Literature review : It should include an overview of findings from the previous studies, the gaps in the previous studies and the findings from a preliminary study.
  • Research questions and hypothesis : This includes the research questions and hypothesis.
  • Methodology : This element contains a full description of the research procedures, possible problems and alternatives strategies.
  • The significance and impact of the study : This part shows how the proposed research will contribute to the field of study.

The 10 steps to writing an incredible research proposal

Below are ten steps for writing a research proposal:

1.Choose a research topic and develop a working title

Having a strong interest in your research topic will certainly help you to keep going when the journey becomes more challenging. The research topic is the subject of your research, which is a part of a broader field of study.

When you pick a research topic, find a topic that is not too narrow nor too broad. You can limit your topic, for example, by focusing on a certain treatment, population group, species, geographical area, period, methodology, or other specific factors.

The research topic

After selecting a research topic, develop a working title to help you focus on your topic. As you write the proposal, you can keep changing the working title to formulate the perfect title.

2.Perform a literature review

The next step is to conduct a literature review. This step is important because when you write out the background information and knowledge gaps in your topic area, it will help you become more familiar with your research topic.

In addition, performing a literature review will direct you to a research problem . A research problem is a specific area of concern serving as the focus of your proposed research.

When performing a literature review, a graduate student can also discover some ideas for designing their research plan.

To help you conduct a literature review, answer the following questions below:

What have others done so far to solve the research problem?

Some helpful steps to answer this question:

  • Understand the experimental designs from previous studies to help you design your own research experiments.
  • Learn about appropriate sample sizes, data collection, and statistical analyses from previous studies.
  • Investigate and make a list the reagents and equipment you’ll possibly need for your research.
  • Learn the research questions, the findings, the impact and the significance of previous studies.
  • Find out about any ethical concerns.

What additional studies are still needed to solve the research problem?

  • Pay attention to the strength and limitation part of the discussion section of scientific articles. From this part, make notes about the limitations of previous studies to give you an idea about a potential research problem.
  • Read the suggestions for future research part of scientific articles. That can serve as a call to action for you to solve those unanswered questions from previous studies.

graduate programs research papers

3.Write an introduction

The introduction of your research proposal builds a framework for the research. This framework is the structure that supports your study and contains the background information. Its function is similar to the role of a foundation in supporting a building—if it is weak, a building will fall apart. Likewise, if your research lacks a strong background as a framework, it’s hard for others to see why it matters.

Writing your introduction can feel a little overwhelming. Where do you begin? How do you know you’re not missing anything?

You might want to read over our article:

How to Write an Effective Introduction Section of a Scientific Article

While the article is more specific to the introduction section of a formal research paper, there are some parts and tips you might find helpful.

4. Write research objectives or aims

In the next step, include research objectives or aims in the research proposal. A research objective is a goal you want to achieve in your research project ( Al-Riyami, 2008 ). Your research objectives must have a strong connection with your research problem.

When developing research objectives, identify all variables associated with the research problem. A variable in the research is a characteristic that you manipulate or observe in your experiment.

There are different types of variables, including an independent variable and dependent variable (Al-Riyami, 2008). An independent variable is a variable you can change in your experiment, whereas a dependent variable is a variable you observe in response to the independent variable. After identifying the variables, connect them to the research objective.

An example of a research objective: to determine the effect of different doses of a novel antibiotic X on the growth rate of some resistant bacterial strains . In this example, the independent variable is the treatment (the different doses of antibiotic X), and the dependent variable is the growth rate of some bacterial strains.

graduate programs research papers

5.State a research question

The next step is to identify a research question. A research question is the key question you want to answer in your proposed study ( Farrugia et al ., 2010 ). A research project can contain several research questions.

Keep in mind that your research question must meet the criteria of a good research question, including specific, feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant (Farrugia et al ., 2010).

In term of feasibility, use current methods and technology to answer the question during your limited time in the graduate school.

An example of a research question : What doses of the antibiotic X are effective to inhibit the growth of some resistant bacterial strains?

A research question

6.Formulate a research hypothesis

After developing the research objectives and question, the next step is to formulate a research hypothesis. A research hypothesis is a statement of a possible research outcome.

Some criteria of a good hypothesis ( Prasad et al., 2010 ; Al-Riyami, 2008):

  • Logical, precise, and clear
  • Testable with research experiments
  • Makes a prediction about the relationship between variables

An example of a research hypothesis: The new antibiotic X will significantly prevent the growth of some resistant bacterial strains.

A research hypothesis

7.Explain research methods

The methodology section containing proposed experimental procedures is required for a research proposal. This section has the detailed plan to solve the research problem. It also reflects the research questions and hypothesis.

After reviewing the credibility and validity of your research methods, your advisory committee will make a decision about the fate of your proposed study. Therefore, when writing the methodology section, keep in mind that others should be able to follow each step in the research design to perform the same experiment.

In this section, you should include these following key points:

  • Experimental design : This is the research strategy you choose to solve your problem.
  • Samples : It contains the description about the samples for each group of treatment in the proposed study.
  • Sample size : This information is important to make sure your sample size is sufficient.
  • Materials : It contains the reagents and chemicals needed in the proposed study.
  • Equipment : This has the list of equipment needed for the proposed study.
  • Protocols of data collection : It contains the procedures needed before collecting your data.
  • Ethical issues and consent forms : You may need to include these if your proposed studies will need human participants.
  • Data analysis : This part should include the steps to analyze the data.
  • Gantt chart : This chart contains tasks in each research project with the timeline for each task.

8.Include potential problems and alternative strategies

When performing your study, you may encounter potential problems. Therefore, include some of the possible problems that may occur during your study and the potential solution for them. By doing so, you can use your backup plan to solve each potential problem when the problems actually occurs.

9.Conduct and include a preliminary study

Perform and include the findings from a preliminary study in your research proposal. A preliminary study is a small-scale pilot study, conducted to test the experimental design ahead of time and increase the likelihood of success. By including the findings from a preliminary study, your advisory committee can visualize and assess the feasibility of your large-scale study.

10.State the potential impact and significance

In the last paragraph of your research proposal, include the potential impact and significance of your proposed study.

The potential impact of your study means the changes that your proposed research would make. These changes can be positive or negative, immediate or long-term, and direct or indirect.

Whereas, the potential significance of your study means the contribution that your proposed research would make. For example, you can explain its contribution to the knowledge in your field of study.

After putting it all together, evaluate the entire proposal to make sure it is strong and well written.

Al-Riyami, A. (2008). How to prepare a Research Proposal. Oman Medical Journal, 23(2), 66–69. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC32824...

Benedetti, A. (n.d.). Research Guides: Advanced Research Methods: Writing a Research Proposal. Guides.library.ucla.edu. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://guides.library.ucla.edu/c.php?g=180334&p=1289236.

Crawford, L. (2020). LITERATURE-BASED DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/105274_book_item_105274.pdf.

Farrugia, P., Petrisor, B. A., Farrokhyar, F., & Bhandari, M. (2010). Practical tips for surgical research: Research questions, hypotheses and objectives. Canadian Journal of Surgery. Journal Canadien de Chirurgie, 53(4), 278–281. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC29120...

How to choose a research area. (2016, April 8). ASCB. https://www.ascb.org/careers/choose-research-area/

How to Select a Research Topic | University of Michigan-Flint. (2019). Umflint.edu; UM-Flint. https://www.umflint.edu/library/how-select-research-topic.

How To Write a Proposal | Science & Quantitative Reasoning. (n.d.). Science.yalecollege.yale.edu. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://science.yalecollege.yale.edu/fellowships/how-write-proposal.

Jacobs, R. L. (2013). Developing a dissertation research problem: A guide for doctoral students in human resource development and adult education. New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, 25(3), 103–117. https://doi.org/10.1002/nha3.20034.

Kivunja, C. (2018). Distinguishing between Theory, Theoretical Framework, and Conceptual Framework: A Systematic Review of Lessons from the Field. International Journal of Higher Education, 7(6), 44. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v7n6p44.

LibGuides: Writing a Research Proposal: Parts of a Proposal. (2017). Illinois.edu. https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=504643&p=3454882.

LibGuides: Research Process: Finding a Research Topic. (2019). Libguides.com. https://ncu.libguides.com/researchprocess/researchtopic.

LibGuides: Research Process: Literature Gap and Future Research. (2012). Libguides.com. https://ncu.libguides.com/researchprocess/literaturegap.

Pajares, F. (n.d.). THE ELEMENTS OF A PROPOSAL. https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Pajares/ElementsOfaProposal.pdf.

Prasad, S., Rao, A., & Rehani, E. (2001). DEVELOPING HYPOTHESES & RESEARCH QUESTIONS DEVELOPING HYPOTHESIS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS. https://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/hypothesi...

Shardlow, M., Batista-Navarro, R., Thompson, P., Nawaz, R., McNaught, J., & Ananiadou, S. (2018). Identification of research hypotheses and new knowledge from scientific literature. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-018-0639-1

Steps in Developing a Research Proposal. Open.lib.umn.edu; University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition, 2015. This edition adapted from a work originally produced in 2010 by a publisher who has requested that it not receive attribution. https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter...

Vining, S. (2019, July 22). Dissertation Proposal | Genetics and Genomics. https://genetics.mcb.uconn.edu/dissertation-propos...

Writing a Research Plan. (2017, December 11). Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/careers

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Department of Anthropology

Writing a successful master's research paper in anthropology.

By Janet McIntosh, Department of Anthropology, Brandeis University

As a reminder, here is what the Graduate Handbook says about the Master's Research Paper: The Master's research paper must involve substantial research by the student and should be 25 to 40 pages long, not including references. The paper may have been written previously for a Brandeis course; normally students will undertake substantial revisions on the paper as part of the rewriting process.

The paper must be approved by two faculty members, at least one of whom is a member of the anthropology department. Master's paper deadlines are generally as follows: a first full draft of the master's paper is due approximately one month before the semester ends; one or both readers will provide feedback within two weeks; the final revised paper is due to both readers two weeks later.

View the specific deadlines .

Working Independently

The master's paper is an opportunity to undertake a "capstone" project that takes your independent research in anthropology to a new level. Completing this paper requires a great deal of self-motivated work. You should expect to put into the project at least the level of work you would put into a one-semester seminar course. It is up to you to determine your project and collect your own data and to present your reader (or readers), in a timely fashion, the updates and drafts that will help them to help you. Please don't wait to be contacted by your advisor about meeting deadlines; you should be proactive about this schedule.

How to Begin

Get started as early as you can in formulating your project and seeking a potential advisor (or "first reader")..

Students make their way through the master's degree in anthropology at different paces; most finish the degree in two to four semesters. Some students complete their master's paper during a semester when they are taking courses; others do so in the summer after their first or second year of coursework.

Many master's papers emerge as further developments of a course term paper; some do not. Regardless, it is in your interest to conceive of a master's paper topic/question well in advance of the period when you will be writing it. This will give you time to seek out a potential "first reader" (see below) for the paper, and precious time to plan fieldwork toward the paper (often conducted in the summer after your first year), should you decide to write a paper based on such data.

If you wish to use human subjects-based data in your master's research paper for a future dissertation, publication or public presentation, apply for IRB permission before conducting fieldwork.

A master's paper does not count as a "public document," so technically the research described in it need not be approved by the IRB (Institutional Review Board). However, if you anticipate revising your master's paper for publication, or using your data in a future public document or presentation such as a doctoral dissertation or conference paper, AND if your data collection involves research with human subjects (such as interviewing or participant observation), then you need to apply for and receive IRB permission in advance of conducting the research.

It is not possible to get IRB approval retrospectively.

You should submit your application as soon as possible since it can take one to two months to complete the process and the board not infrequently asks students for revisions. You can find detailed IRB information and instructions Human Subjects Research Information page . One of our faculty members, Jonathan Anjaria , has served on the Brandeis' IRB board, and he welcomes questions from our graduate students about the process and their proposals. Feel free also to contact the IRB administrator with queries.

If you opt to conduct original fieldwork toward your paper, you can apply for fieldwork/travel funding.

Possible funding sources include anthropology department grants, GSAS master's research grants, GSA travel grants, Jane's Travel Grants, and funds from Women and Gender Studies. Within the Anthropology department, there are two rounds of application deadlines for department-internal "GTR" funds; one in fall semester (typically, to support research over winter break) and one in spring (typically, to support research over the summer).

Master's students sometimes apply for these funds to support their fieldwork, and we try to support as many well-conceived projects as we can, to the best of our abilities (contingent upon our budget in any given semester).

Finding Readers

Your first reader for the master's paper assumes the role of primary advisor for this project. The best first reader is usually the professor best intellectually matched to the project, all other things being equal (e.g., equitable distribution of master's paper advisees across professors). This may or may not be your primary academic advisor in the department; often it is a professor who has taught you in the class that most closely inspires your master's paper.

Ultimately, the master's paper needs to be approved by a first and a second reader. Second readers can be drawn from faculty outside of the anthropology department. Sometimes a student may have a second reader in mind; if not, they can work with their first reader to generate ideas for a second reader. The student should certainly approach the second reader about the possibility of their reading a draft or drafts according to the standard timelines listed above, but the second reader is under no obligation to accept that responsibility (some will be very keen to give early feedback; others may simply not have the time).

Finding Your Data, Motivating Your Thesis, Crafting a Well-Written Paper

Your master's research paper can be based upon your original research in the field, upon data gathered from other sources (say, videotaped footage; political speeches; Internet chatrooms; archival or museum material), and/or upon existing theoretical and ethnographic literature. A fieldwork-based master's paper has certain advantages. Fieldwork is of course the foundation of anthropology, so conducting original fieldwork gives you a chance to flex these muscles, and (if need be) to test the waters to determine whether you think a future in anthropology is for you.

It is also wonderful to have a fieldwork-based writing sample when applying for doctoral programs, or, minimally, to be able to summarize one's fieldwork-based project in one's applications. However, fieldwork is not a must for an MA paper, and plenty of strong papers have been grounded in other material instead.

No matter where your data comes from, your master's paper must emerge from questions that are motivated; questions that feel like they need to be asked. Ideally, your introduction will set up your thesis statement (that is, your statement of your central argument) with a context that shows how your thesis stems from a tension, question, or puzzle in your data or the anthropological literature or both.

Rather than simply stating "I'm interested in X and Y," you must set up the problematic from which your (clearly stated) argument emerges. It is sometimes helpful to formulate a "why" question that your thesis will attempt to answer, or at least illuminate. For example, "Why does a critical mass of finance executives abandon their comfortable lives for a week every year to participate in the Burning Man Festival?", "Why, in the society under consideration, are young women much more likely than older ones to be accused of practicing witchcraft?", "Why did empire X collapse under this particular set of conditions, while empire Y, seemingly under the same conditions, flourished?"

"How" questions can also be fruitful. For instance: "How do Hawaiians sustain the notion that certain culinary and ritual practices are 'traditional' even when they are actively engaged in the process of altering them?", "How do members of society X — who have historically tended to espouse context-dependent models of the person — react to, assimilate, and question the essentialist models of the person in Facebook personality quizzes?" or "How do the power dynamics between coaches and players manifest themselves even in seemingly casual and friendly conversations?" Your motivating queries may, of course, be more detailed and nuanced than these. Regardless, having an interesting question or puzzle — a "motive" — built into your introduction helps you and your reader feel the urgency or importance of your argument.

If you wonder what kinds of argumentative gambits are available to you more generally, A Student's Guide to Reading and Writing in Social Anthropology (PDF) from the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University and Harvard College has a useful summary of common types of arguments in anthropological papers (see page 25).

The same guide is also richly laden with suggestions about how to engage with anthropological literature/sources. We recommend as well reading the annotated student essay at the end.

Engaging With Anthropological Literature and Ideas

Since this is a master's program in anthropology (or in anthropology and women's and gender studies), your master's paper must engage meaningfully with the anthropological literature on the subject matter and demonstrate proficiency in that literature. Drawing on the insights of other disciplines can enrich the work, but the paper must be anthropological at its core.

Thoroughly review the salient anthropological and scholarly literature on your topic, in consultation with faculty members and library staff. Be sure to search through the various databases, including AnthroSource, Anthropological Abstracts, Anthropology Plus, JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, and so forth. It doesn't hurt to run relevant terms through Google Scholar (the "cited by" function, which displays other works that have cited a given article or book, can be particularly useful). We encourage you as well to attend library workshops on research and on citation software.

Your master's paper should show signs that certain core lessons of anthropology have been internalized. A sociocultural anthropology master's paper should, for instance, reflect your understanding that the normally taken-for-granted conceptual categories of modern western societies are themselves subject to critical examination, and that anthropologists tend to try to understand the internal logic of cultural practices. An archaeology paper should also reflect such approaches, and should be about the people behind the potsherds, buildings, and other objects. It should question the how and why of patterns of material culture, striving to understand the cultural contexts and natural processes that produced the archaeological data.

Whether or not your paper directly addresses a non-western case, it may be strengthened by the comparative, cross-cultural perspective associated with anthropology. For example, a master's paper concerned with modern American conceptions of pets might benefit from thoughtful engagement with anthropological work on totemism and animal symbolism in a range of non-western societies. A paper on archaic states might benefit from a comparative review of the role of kinship in segmentary and unitary forms of socio-political organization. That said, while the comparative literature should inform the paper, it might not need to be written about at length. This depends on your project, and should be discussed with your reader(s).

Writing About Methodology

A successful paper should have a (brief) methodology section that not only explains the methods used, but also justifies them. If, for example, your data comes from written surveys rather than ethnography, this choice requires some explanation. If your fieldwork was constrained by logistical or social considerations, these should be explained. If you chose to focus on a particular subgroup, this choice requires some background.

You should also indicate your awareness of the potential pitfalls and limitations of your chosen methods. Your methodology section often appears in your introductory section, but in some instances, methodological issues may be addressed in an appendix.

If you used surveys or an interview guide, for instance, those usually are placed in an appendix. Depending on how well this serves your argumentative purposes, you may also wish to include a reflexive section, clarifying your own relationship to the topic in question. Are you studying a tradition or community that you count yourself a part of? Did you begin this project with a strong draw towards, or anxiety about, the social group in question? Why?

Titling the Paper

Even your paper draft(s) should have a working title, to organize the sense of argument for yourself and your readers. Your title should be precise; rather than merely gesturing at a topic ("Gender among Boston Construction Workers," or "Globalization and Childbirth in Tibet"), it should give the reader a more precise hint of your argument or your theoretical focus (e.g., "Rebuilding Gender: Practices of Self-Fashioning among Boston Construction Workers," "Cutting Cords: Global Anxieties and Contested Midwifery in Cosmopolitan Tibet"). In the case of a sociocultural paper, it is at times helpful for the first part of the title to incorporate an especially evocative quote by one of your informants — a quote that foreshadows the central concerns of the thesis.

Final Tips on Writing Well

  • Consider opening your paper with a detail — a vignette or a quotation, for example — that encapsulates some of the key issues or puzzles that you will dig into in the paper. This helps to hook your reader's attention more than broad generalizations do.
  • Remember that the introductory paragraphs must motivate your argument, provide a sufficiently detailed thesis statement (this can be two sentences or longer, if need be), and offer the necessary context to situate your argument.
  • Your paper must have enough summary of the relevant literature, and explicit definition of key concepts, that a well-educated generalist would be able to follow it. Do not assume that your reader is highly familiar with anthropological literature.
  • When you do summarize, be sure the summary is clearly articulated and signposted in service of your argument. In other words, you should control the summary for your purposes rather than being controlled by and getting lost in your sources.
  • Use the beginnings of paragraphs to transition from one point to another, placing a stitch between the preceding paragraph and the point to come. Often the start of a paragraph is also a good place to signpost back to the thesis, so as to re-orient the reader, and to make explicit how the logic of your argument is unfolding. (This gambit can help to avoid the "laundry list" paper structure, where points seem to arrive in no particular order.)
  • Use the ends of paragraphs to hammer home the central point of the paragraph if it is not already obvious. As you re-read your draft, make sure every paragraph has a clear center of gravity.
  • Assume a fairly inattentive reader, who requires frequent signposting to the key terms/key concepts in the thesis so as to be reminded of where the writer is taking the reader, and why.
  • Assume a fairly impatient reader, who will be irritated and distracted by grammatical solecisms and spelling errors. Have someone — or even two people — proofread your paper.
  • Please cite sources and format references competently and professionally — see below for helpful websites.
  • Read your paper out loud to yourself to catch run-on sentences and awkward constructions.
  • Paginate your drafts and final version before submitting to your reader(s).

Helpful Links

  • Brandeis Writing Center Services for Graduate Students — Graduate-level consultants can work with you on a variety of needs.
  • American Anthropological Association's (AAA) Style Guide
  • Chicago Manual of Style (used by the AAA)

Nuts and Bolts of Submission and Approval

One month before the registrar's deadline to file an application for your graduate degree for the semester in which you seek to graduate, please fill out the "Master's Paper Plans" form available from Laurel Carpenter's office. This form requires that you list a provisional title, four or five lines describing your likely topic/argument, and the names of your first and second readers. Your first reader will need to sign this form before it is submitted to Laurel Carpenter.

  • Check in with your second reader about whether they will have time to offer feedback on a draft of your paper. As noted above, such feedback can be helpful, but it is not strictly required from second readers.
  • Check in with your readers about the medium they prefer for draft and final paper submission. Some may be happy with email submissions; others may require printed copies in their mailbox. Be sure you know what they want in advance so that you are able to get printed versions to readers who require them in a timely fashion.
  • If you are hoping to finish your master's paper over the summer, it is especially important to check in with your readers well in advance about availability.
  • When both readers have approved the paper, they will let you and Laurel Carpenter know, most typically by email. The readers then fill out and sign a form that goes into your record to indicate your master's paper has been approved. You do not need to procure or sign this form, unless you are a joint WGS and Anthropology student (WGS has its own administrative process). Email signatures can be accepted in lieu of paper signatures. A copy of the approved version of your master's paper must be submitted to the department.
  • If your readers find that your final version of the master's paper does not yet meet the requirements, you will be asked to make further revisions, and may need to delay your graduation date.
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Research and Writing at Graduate Level

Any program leading to the Master of Arts fosters the student’s transition into a profession. Students learn how to discuss ideas in a particular discipline as professionals among professionals. To attain this goal, graduate students routinely engage in research and writing where correct documentation of sources signifies much more than the avoidance of plagiarism. Research and writing about scholarly discoveries signal the graduate student’s membership in a professional community.

Thus research papers written for graduate courses will differ from those written for undergraduate courses. The graduate student’s research paper will sustain deeper analysis of a topic at greater length and with narrower focus than the undergraduate paper. Graduate research papers will employ a significant scope of sources that are current, authoritative, and recognized within a particular area of study. Additionally, the graduate research paper demonstrates the student’s ability to identify appropriate topics related to course material and to exercise independence in both research and writing.

Graduate-level papers will also demonstrate the student’s ability to document all sources accurately and to edit carefully for standard American English. Students should refer to  The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , 8th Edition (ISBN 978-1-60329-262-7), if they have questions about documentation, though some courses may ask students to follow the Chicago Manual of Style or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association .

To prepare students for the level of research and writing required in graduate courses, professors incorporate into their classes instruction in bibliography and methodology appropriate to course content. Professors will assist students to access and learn how to access and evaluate scholarly materials. Professors may further provide rubrics or specific requirements about the nature and originality of the research and writing expected in fulfillment of a particular assignment.

For information on academic misconduct and plagiarism, see the Honor Code section of the Graduate Student Handbook.

UNI ScholarWorks

Home > College of Education > Curriculum & Instruction > School Library Studies > Student Work > Graduate Research Papers

Graduate Research Papers

This collection contains Graduate Research Papers written by students in the Division of School Library Studies , Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education.

Submissions from 2023 2023

Diversity in Collections Utilizing Accelerated Reader Programs , Leah Cahill Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Parent perceptions of support from the school library , Heather Garrett Open Access Graduate Research Paper

No One Will Love You If You Are Fat , Mary Lynn Gerzema Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Elementary Children Through the Use of Quality Picture Books: A Content Analysis , Shauna Mostek Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Writing a Short Science Fiction Novel for Young Adults , Cheryl Robson Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Van Buren County Mothers as Readers and Role Models for Tomorrow’s Literate Children , Kristin Anne Steingreaber Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Stereotypes of the Native American Found in Young Adult Literature , Kim D. Zelhart Open Access Graduate Research Paper

An Examination of the Criteria for the Iowa Children's Choice Award List , Jessica Zimmerman Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Reading Interests and Attitudes of the Iowa Governor’s Summer Institute Participants, 1991 , Rosemary Cortright Zimmerman Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2022 2022

Teacher librarian influence on students' self-selection of books , Elizabeth A. Nelson Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of Native Americans and Native culture in children's picture books , Janace Nester Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Pleasure reading workshop: Meeting SEL competencies based on sustained (and maybe not so silent) reading , Lora Sink Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The influence of book talks on reader engagement in fourth grade students , Jennifer Smith Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

A case study of the impact a pleasure reading curriculum has on students' passion for reading , Danielle M. Wolfe Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Hey! That's how I feel! A qualitative content analysis of anxiety in middle grade literature , Heather M. Wood Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2021 2021

Mental illness representation in young adult literature , Ashley Aberle Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of characters with autism in picture books , Tara Amundson Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Examining diversity in the Iowa Goldfinch Award , Jill M. Doyle Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The influence of book club conversations on reluctant or struggling readers , JaDee Jo Gloede Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Examining teacher librarians' impact on students' self-selection strategies , Sarah Gunsolley Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

The portrayal of fathers in children's literature , Kate A. Hite Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Diverse representation within secondary-level state consortium-provided e-books , Jill McDonald Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

A case study of the impact of teacher librarian collaboration in the instruction of information literacy and digital citizenship on student achievement in inquiry skills , Abby M. Mussmann Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

The historical and cultural accuracy of the Japanese internment camps in children's literature , Zoey Perrigo Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Portrayal of females in notable science trade books for children , Carolyn Proesch Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Examining the impact a teacher librarian has on students' self-selection strategies , Stefanie Throndson Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2020 2020

Representation of Native peoples in picture books about Christopher Columbus: A literary analysis , Mari Butler Abry Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Elementary school library program integration with art, literacy, and STEAM through makerspaces , Kristi Baldwin Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of characters with physical disabilities in picture books , Emily Biederman Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Portrayal of Diverse Family Structures in Children's Literature , Beth Grafft Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Characterizing protagonists in graphic novels for teens , Danielle Lahr Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of immigration in fiction for grades 4-6 , Melissa N. Marwedel Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Three cases of makerspace integration in school library programs in conjunction with district initiatives: Literacy, design thinking, and STEAM , Sara Pflughaupt Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Influence of book clubs on reading motivation for third through fifth grade students , Allyson Reister Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Trauma in children's literature , Kyra Ross Open Access Graduate Research Paper

An analysis of ADHD in middle grade and young adult literature , Sydney Schuler Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Representation of LGBTQ characters in 2019 young adult literature , Janelle M. Snyder Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Gazing at scattered stars: Immigration through the lens of elementary graphic literature , Jennifer K. Stanerson Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Three cases of makerspace integration in school library programs in conjunction with district initiatives: STEAM, design thinking, and literacy , Lisa Tegels Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Culture in transitional chapter books: Assimilation or inclusion , Jeanette P. White Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2019 2019

Teacher perceptions of understaffed school libraries , Amanda Bonjour Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Student engagement within the use of graphic novels , Melissa Felsenthal Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of females in agriculturally themed children's books , Malinda Mick Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Submissions from 2018 2018

Embracing New Experiences: Young Adult Literature About the Immigrant Experience , Ashley Hoppenjan Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Depression and Anxiety in Current Middle Grade Fiction: Finding Quality, Authentic Portrayals for Use in Bibliotherapy , Tonia Sandersfeld-Miller Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Information Literacy: Expectations of High School Students in Joint Enrollment Courses , Steven Witmer Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2017 2017

Defying the odds: A research based reading program project guide , Megan Casey Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Examining student selection behaviors with library fiction collections , Katie Delaney Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Book selection approaches and the middle school student , Sara Fischer Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Reading Aloud to Tweens and Teens to Create Empathy: A Functional Criteria , Elizabeth Good Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Dungeons and Dragons and literacy: The role tabletop role-playing games can play in developing teenagers' literacy skills and reading interests , Stefanie L. B. Kaylor Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Teacher librarians and technology leadership , Jennifer Kizer Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Recreational reading in secondary schools through book clubs , Briana White Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2016 2016

Supporting reading curriculum without restricting access to library materials: Resources for teacher librarians , Tricia Carty Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Female sexuality in current young adult literature , Joanna M. Freking-Smith Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Readers' advisory program for non proficient readers , Lisa Gogel Open Access Graduate Research Paper

A selective annotated list of reading promotion events recommended for elementary students , Nicole Nadine Guldager Open Access Graduate Research Paper

A twist on happily ever after : Fractured fairy tales for young adults , Kathryn Hale Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The use of mentor texts to teach writing in kindergarten, first and second grades , Mary Heeringa Open Access Graduate Research Paper

E-readers and struggling middle school readers , Abigail L. Hendrickson Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Content analysis of two libraries resources for supporting primary economics instruction , Lindsey J. Hilts Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Online audiobook reference guide for Iowa elementary school librarians , Kerry LeWarne Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Makerspaces and the Iowa Core: Connections in a high school library , Tracie Marshall Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The need for a teacher librarian to take a leadership role in the implementation of supplemental reading program initiatives to achieve desired student outcomes , Mindy M. Reimer Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2015 2015

The 21st century school teacher librarian: Trends in the Iowa school library survey data over the last decade , Emily Baltes Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The 1930s: The Great Depression and beyond ; an annotated bibliography , Tydra Corbin Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The impact of school library circulation policy change: A case study , Kristen Downes Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Middle school leisure reading selection: Influences during selection and implications for school library programs , Jessica A. Elliot Open Access Graduate Research Paper

An annotated bibliography of materials recommended for middle school classrooms regarding the multiple perspectives on the causes of the American Civil War , Emma Folland Open Access Graduate Research Paper

ELA teacher perceptions of the school librarian's role in standards implementation , Franny Frey Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Genrifying the school library's fiction collection , Andrea Hora Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Poverty and homelessness : A content analysis of children's nonfiction literature , Christine Newell Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Teacher librarians & literacy coaches: Their roles in reading support , Nicole N. Ruthaivilavan Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Student achievement in the area of inquiry learning with the implementation of 1:1 iPads , Denise Shekleton Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Submissions from 2014 2014

An investigation of adolescent boys' dispositions toward leisure reading , Julie Barnett Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Influencing incoming fourth graders' reading habits through a summer literature circle: A case study , Brandy E. Bingman Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Why don't they read? , Cynde Duncan Open Access Graduate Research Paper

How fifth grade elementary students select books , Tiffany Evans Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The Usefulness of Graphic Novels as Information Sources for Nonfiction Reading , Sarah Holub Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The Perceptions of Teacher Librarians and Principals Regarding the Role of the Teacher Librarian in the Implementation of the Iowa Multi-Tiered System of Supports , Katy A. Kauffman Open Access Graduate Research Paper

The collaborative relationship between teacher librarians and public librarians , Jennifer J. Keltner Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Technology's Role in Inquiry-Based Learning , Melissa Mulder Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Submissions from 2013 2013

Cold Shoulder: An Alaskan adventure , Christine C. Berlin Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Teacher perceptions of graphic novels , Katherine Block Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Getting graphic: Exploring the inferential thinking skills that are required to comprehend graphic novels , Angela Brauns Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of Latinos in young adult fiction , Jennifer Cole Open Access Graduate Research Paper

A training guide and reference handbook for elementary school library secretaries in the Iowa City Community School District , Lisa Collier Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Library instruction designed to support core curriculum , Julie Courter Open Access Graduate Research Paper

College freshmen dispositional readiness: Examining the perceptions , Jennifer Dovre Open Access Graduate Research Paper

A WebQuest for the Instruction of Appropriate Online Behavior , Susan Heilig Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Iowa core technology integration: A resource for kindergarten through second grade teachers , Shalyn Huerter Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

A comparison of print and e-book texts with 4th grade students to evaluate comprehension and motivation , Sarah Johnson Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Misconceptions of the Teacher Librarian Role , Mary Junker Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Collaboration of the Teacher Librarian and the Classroom Teacher to Incorporate Literature and Information Literacy Skills into a Sixth Grade Social Studies Unit , Susan A. Klett Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Library Paraeducators' Training: Assumptions or Facts? , Virginia H. Knapp Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of agriculture in children's literature: Contemporary stories in picture books, traditional tales, and nonfiction , Kathryn S. Koller Open Access Graduate Research Paper

A selective annotated bibliography of materials recommended for junior high classrooms regarding resistance during the Holocaust , Katharine Mulfinger Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Young Adult Memoir Dealing with Alcohol, Abuse, Infidelity, Violence and Poverty , Kelly Reinhold Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Portrayal of Characters with Disabilities within K-6 Fictional Literature , Katie Roling Open Access Graduate Research Paper

101 books for youth that feature hunters & hunting , Leann Seddon Open Access Graduate Research Paper

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5 Tips for Writing a Successful Graduate-Level Paper

graduate programs research papers

Writing is a challenge even for the best of writers, and for many graduate students it is their most daunting task. However, writing is a powerful tool in the learning process because it requires us to explore ideas, to think critically, and to apply what we have learned in new and meaningful ways.

Tip # 1: “Be proactive” and “Begin with the end in mind”

These concepts from Stephen Covey’s (1989) Seven Habits of Highly effective People are applicable to the writing process. Good writing begins with good thinking. Before you can begin to write, you have to understand the assignment, the instructor’s expectations, and the topic you plan to write about. Begin the project on the day it is assigned; break it down into its various components, and come up with a plan for how and when to complete each part.

“Be Proactive”

  • Understand the assignment. Get clarification from the instructor about process and expectations. Be sure you understand the requirements and follow directions.
  • Identify audience and purpose. Is the assignment formal or informal? Who will be reading the assignment? What is its purpose? Are you writing to inform, to explain a process, or to present an argument?
  • Plan ahead. Do not wait until just before the due date to begin writing.
  • Remember that writing is a recursive process and as you find information, you may find you have more questions; or different questions; or you may find you have gone in one direction only to find you have to backtrack to take a different position.
  • Have the tools you need – an APA Style Manual, access to library databases; word processing.

“Begin with the end in mind”

  • Think about the topic; let ideas ruminate in your head; think when you shower, walk, or drive, when you are lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Dream about the topic! Talk to others about your ideas or thoughts on the subject.
  • Begin with a research question – what do you want to know, what do you need to know?
  • Draw up a schedule for when you will work on each part of the writing process. Remember, you may have to adjust your plan as you go along.
  • Get information – research. Question what you read. Annotate and take notes. Talk to others about what you read.
  • Evaluate sources and keep an open mind. Look for sources on both sides of an issue. Do not dismiss an article just because you disagree with its premise.

Tip # 2 Organize and Draft

  • Once you have analyzed and thought about the information, formulate a plan to present the ideas. Then begin writing.
  • Write a thesis. Make a claim. Understand that you may have to adjust or change it as you write.
  • Organize: group related information. Create an outline or graphic organizer to see how ideas relate to one another.
  • Decide on order– will you present the most important ideas first or will you save them for last and build up to them?
  • Write a rough draft.
  • Clear your mind. Put the draft away for a day.

Tip # 3 Revise, revise, revise

This step is one of the most important in the writing process, and the most difficult because you have to be willing to make big changes or to let material and ideas you have become attached to, go; you may have to cut sentences and paragraphs you have worked so hard to construct; or you may have to eliminate quotes you love but that really do not support your claim. Approach this part of the process with a clear and critical mind. Ask yourself some basic questions: Have I proven my claim? Have I presented enough evidence in support of that claim? Is there anything here that does not directly relate to my claim?

Look at the big picture.

  • Have you proven your claim with logic and solid evidence? Do you need to add more specific examples or evidence? If you are writing an argument, have you included an opposing view and rebuttal?
  • Look for sentences and ideas that do not support the claim and delete them.
  • Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that relates to the thesis and which tells the reader what the paragraph will be about.
  • Does the introduction provide enough background information about the topic? Does it explain the problem or provide context for the claim?
  • Does the conclusion offer a new perspective or insight on the topic? Does it offer an expanded thought and does it reiterate the key points of your argument without being repetitive?

Look at the smaller details

  • Have you included transition words, phrases, or sentences to link ideas and paragraphs?
  • Are the sentences clearly worded? If you have to read them more than once, they will probably be unclear to your reader.
  • Check for sentence fragments, comma splices, and run-ons.
  • Check sentences for conciseness. Eliminate unnecessary words, jargon, biased language or repetitive sentences.
  • Check for sentence variety; use a good mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences.
  • Check verbs – use active voice; substitute strong action verbs for weaker verbs.

Tip # 4 Use your resources

It is always helpful to get another perspective on something you have written. A fresh set of eyes can see things you may not be able to see because you are so close the material. You know what you want to say and what you are thinking, and you know what the research says on your topic, but the reader does not. Your writing has to be crystal clear, so it helps to have someone else read your work.

  • Have a friend or spouse read the paper to check for any unclear sentences or ideas.
  • Send your paper to the writing tutors at Smarthinking to get feedback.
  • Consult with librarians for help with research or APA formatting.

Tip 5 # Edit and proofread

As a final step, always edit the paper for grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; then proofread for missing or wrong words or misplaced commas. Check to see that you have met the requirements of the assignment. Check word count/page length; correct type and number of sources; in-text citations; references, cover page or other format requirements.

Check for some of these common errors:

  • Subject-verb agreement
  • Tense shifts
  • Incorrect pronoun use
  • Mixed constructions or dangling modifiers

Punctuation

  • Colons and semi-colons
  • Quotation marks
  • Capitalization

Some final hints

  • Read the paper out loud to catch those mistakes your mind corrects automatically.
  • Try reading the paper backwards line by line to catch odd or incorrect words.
  • Take a break when revising and editing – step away – clear your mind; rest your eyes.

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Graduate School Strategies: What is Academic Research?

  • January 28, 2022

Kathryn Starke

Home Educators Blog

What is Academic Research?

Academic research is a systematic approach to increase knowledge on a particular subject matter or topic. The deep exploration and study of a specific topic found through academic research are often used to explain particular facts, misconceptions, and opinions of a relevant topic about a field of study.

A person’s academic research is most often associated with a master’s degree , doctoral program , or professional contribution to journals, conferences, or internships.

Why is Academic Research Important in Graduate School?

Academic research is essential in graduate school because it is often the culminating project or final paper submitted to support a candidate’s complete understanding of a topic within a graduate program. The actual academic research usually takes a year or more to complete in addition to a two-year to five-year time period in an in-person or online program, depending on the field of study and amount of coursework required.

Academic research often indicates or proves that a candidate is qualified to be a leader in their field of study while also representing the graduate school. Academic research is an in-depth critical analysis of statistics, observations, literature, case studies, and theories closely related to a graduate school candidate’s professional interests and career path.

More often than not, the academic research conducted in graduate school is later published in a trade publication or periodical. It can also be submitted and used as a research-based presentation at a professional trade or industry conference. Sometimes, it is even used later to write and publish a book on the subject matter. In this instance, graduate school is the driving force behind academic research.

How Do I Know if Something is Credible?

Several factors can be used to determine if academic research is credible . The first question to ask is why the study was chosen in the first place to fully examine. Then, ask a variety of inquiry-based questions to support the reason behind the research:

  • What is the purpose of the research?
  • Why was this research so important to conduct?
  • How relevant is this research?

It is important to identify the credentials of the person conducting the research, what school is backing or supporting the academic research, and if any particular organization or institution funds the research.

The sample size of the case study and the data collected are important to review for credibility in addition to understanding the measures and said outcomes of the conducted research. Finally, peer-reviewed and trusted resources are a good indicator of credible sources.  

Academic Research Tips: How to Find Trustworthy Research

When an individual is completing the actual research, it is imperative to ensure that trustworthy research is available to help create a substantial research paper to present. One of the best ways to do this is to be skeptical about everything you read. The tips to finding trustworthy research are similar to determining if something is indeed credible. Peer-reviewed papers and highly ranked trusted institutions and organizations often produce and publish the most trustworthy research.

Reviewing the identity of the researcher conducting the academic research and their credentials of the person conducting the research is vital to locate trustworthy research. Find out if a particular school, organization, or institution is backing, supporting, or funding the academic research.

Depending on the industry, a various institutions and organizations are nationally and internationally recognized as trustworthy research sources in their field. Check the sources cited by the author of the research as well. In addition to reviews, check if the research received any awards, accolades, testimonials, or endorsements.

Visit a university library, public library, or academic research library to begin the research process. Google Scholar is an online search that is primarily focused on housing academic journals, articles, and publications on a particular subject matter. Finding trustworthy research begins by finding and selecting relevant articles, journals, and publications that address the topic a student or candidate is researching.

It is recommended that sources published within the past ten years are the most reliable and relevant materials for up-to-date and current research. An exception would be when you are looking for historical pedagogy or theories to support the present-day research.

Once you find, read, and critically analyze the research that you have found, it is time to use it effectively to share and present your research. Organize and communicate information in a manner that allows you to write and express your research efficiently. Finally, you present and defend your research to your committee within the graduate program.

The ultimate goal of academic research is to make an impact, create a solution to a problem, or better a system within your industry or organization. When academic research can be implemented for a positive outcome, the purpose of completing the academic research in the first place is validated.

Interested in looking into graduate programs? Check out our available education programs and enroll today!

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We evaluate the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Combining reduced-form estimates from tax data with a global investment model, we estimate responses, identify parameters, and conduct counterfactuals. Domestic investment of firms with the mean tax change increases 20% versus a no-change baseline. Due to novel foreign incentives, foreign capital of U.S. multinationals rises substantially. These incentives also boost domestic investment, indicating complementarity between domestic and foreign capital. In the model, the long-run effect on domestic capital in general equilibrium is 7% and the tax revenue feedback from growth offsets only 2p.p. of the direct cost of 41% of pre-TCJA corporate revenue.

We thank Agustin Barboza, Emily Bjorkman, Walker Lewis, Anh-Huy Nguyen, Shivani Pandey, Sarah Robinson, Francesco Ruggieri, Sam Thorpe, and Caleb Wroblewski for excellent research assistance; our discussants Eyal Argov, Steven Bond, Manon François, Andrea Lanteri, and Jason Furman; and seminar and conference participants for comments, ideas, and help with data. We thank Michael Caballero, Anne Moore, and Laura Power for insights on multinational tax data and Tom Winberry for helpful discussions about his adjustment cost estimates. Chodorow-Reich gratefully acknowledges support from the Ferrante Fund and Chae fund at Harvard University. Zwick gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. Zidar thanks the NSF for support under grant no. 1752431. Disclaimer: All data work for this project involving confidential taxpayer information was done at IRS facilities, on IRS computers, and at no time was confidential taxpayer data ever outside of the IRS computing environment. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the IRS, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or the National Bureau of Economic Research. All results have been reviewed to ensure that no confidential information is disclosed. The model-implied revenue estimates are not revenue estimates of the TCJA.

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Graduate students commit to research despite early challenges

  • Felicia Spencer

12 Mar 2024

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This image shows Kaiser Arndt standing next to a research poster and speaking to Christopher Thompson.

Imagine you are a student in a new graduate program when a pandemic hits and shuts down the research you have just begun.

That is what befell the first cohort of seven graduate students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) program, who began in the fall of 2018. Rather than focus on the challenges the pandemic brought them, students doubled down on their research, which exemplifies the kind of student for whom the program was originally developed.

“We’re supposed to contribute something back, in the spirit of Ut Prosim,  That I May Serve, so we focused on our community and making a contribution to literature and research,” said Earl Gilbert, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience. “Do I think I have made a contribution to how people will think about the brain because of my work? Yes, I believe so, and that’s awesome.”

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Elizabeth Shupe '23 was the first member of the cohort to graduate. She’s currently working as a patent officer for biotechnology and organic chemistry inventions in the U.S. Patent Office. Gilbert and the remaining cohort members will continue to graduate this spring.

A beneficial partnership

According to Silke Hauf, co-founder of the program and associate professor of biological sciences, the Molecular and Cellular Biology program aims to provide graduate students with a supportive community, the ability to collaborate with researchers in seven departments, professional development, and career guidance. It also provides a minimum yearly $28,000 stipend in addition to tuition costs and subsidized health benefits.

“Because you’re getting paid to do something you love, it is both an honor and a motivator,” said Beatriz Pinkston, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience. “I better utilize my time wisely developing science that is going to benefit the community. I’m being invested in and I think that pushes me.”

This photo shows Beatriz in front of a computer screen that shows an astrocyte.

Keeping it fresh

To ensure the program stays fresh and successful, there is a rotation of program directors. The current directors, Timothy Jarome, associate professor in animal sciences, and Shihoko Kojima, associate professor of biological sciences, brought with them some changes.

“We decided to change our interview process,” said Jarome, who is a faculty affiliate with the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. “We use feedback a lot in the program. The student population is going to keep changing over time, their interests are changing, and that’s part of the reason that we shift around the directors over time.”

Another change considered by the new leadership is expanding to 10 students per cohort instead of seven. The program already spans several departments, but Jarome and Kojima believe other departments would be receptive to working with their program. 

“We use similar tools,” said Kojima, who is an affiliated faculty with the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. “We speak the same languages and we can communicate, even though the typical categorizations may look totally different. One person may be studying a brain, and then another may be studying a muscle.” 

The directors are purposeful in establishing and maintaining a close-knit community among the cohort's students by providing monthly social meetings, encouraging collaboration across disciplines, and yearly retreats. That emphasis on community benefits not only the students, but also the affiliated faculty. 

“I have collaborations now with virology faculty we have on campus on topics I would never have known before, but that is the point of MCB, the interdisciplinary aspect that brings these separate but actually related disciplines together,” Jarome said.

Cultivating a supportive community is an integral aspect of the program. Kojima believes it not only enables better collaboration within the lab environment, but it also fosters better relationships between the faculty and the students.

“I’ve always felt super supported in the program, and the directors have definitely developed it in such a way that they take feedback from us students, like what is working, what’s not working, Pinkston said. “And I think it’s been really nice to feel heard and to feel validated.” 

About the program

The Molecular and Cellular Biology Program includes 62 faculty members from seven departments and four colleges:

  • Animal science
  • Biochemistry
  • Biological sciences
  • Human nutrition, food, and exercise science
  • Neuroscience

The current number of students in the program is 21, and each year, seven students are accepted from around the world. 

For the first semester, students rotate through three labs of their choosing for a six-week duration in each lab. Once students choose a lab, they are moved into the department of that lab and entered into the Ph.D. program of that department and officially part of the MCB program.

Students select from among the four broad categories for their research projects:

  • Cell signaling and cancer
  • Inflammation and immunity
  • Microbiology and virology
  • Neurobiology

Find more information about the Molecular and Cellular Biology graduate program online.

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Graduate School Application Checklist

Complete your graduate application in six steps..

All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or a recognized institution in another country whose requirements for the bachelor’s degree are substantively equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. GRE is not required. 

The basis on which credits are awarded for the bachelor’s degree must be consistent with Wichita State's policies and procedures for awarding such credit.

More details on general Graduate School admission requirements can be found in the graduate catalog .

STEP 1 - Determine your admission type

Will you need degree admission or non-degree admission? Learn more about degree and non-degree admission .

International applicants

Typically international students who will require an F-1 visa cannot be considered for non-degree status or online programs. International students who wish to remain in their home country while studying may apply for online programs.

Additional information international applicants should consider, including: STEM Designated programs, ineligible programs, arrival deadlines, and more.

Online program applicants

Before applying, verify Wichita State's authorization in your state of residence.

STEP 2 - View our deadlines and program information

  • Wichita State offers more than 50 graduate programs and certificates .
  • Determine the deadline for your program .
  • Determine what additional materials may be required by your program area.
  • Additional questions about the program can be directed to the graduate coordinator .

STEP 3 - Gather application materials

The application cannot be submitted without these items:

Unofficial transcripts and degree certification (if degree not posted on transcript). Unofficial transcripts must be obtained from each institution you have attended before submitting your graduate application. You will need to order a secure PDF or have a paper copy sent directly to yourself. Both of these are considered unofficial because they are sent directly to you rather than directly from the institution to our office. For Wichita State students, you will need to obtain unofficial transcripts as well. You can access your transcript through the myWSU portal or obtain an unofficial paper copy from your undergraduate advising office to be scanned and uploaded.

  • Any documents required by your program—such as test scores, statement of purpose, resume, writing sample, etc. Refer to Step two above for more details.
  • Contact information for references, if required by your program.
  • Permanent Residents will need to upload a copy of proof of permanent residency.
  • Application fee. Your application cannot be submitted without payment. The application fee is non-refundable, non-transferrable, and non-negotiable.

Application fee information

All applicants to the Wichita State University Graduate School who do not qualify for a waiver through the McNair Scholars program are required to pay the application fee. The fee is paid in the application prior to submission. The fee will not be waived or deferred. Applying to multiple programs requires the submission a new application and fee. The fee is nonrefundable and must be paid in U.S. dollars. Applicants must pay the application fee electronically as part of the online application submission.

  • Domestic application — $60 Domestic applicants are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents with a valid permanent resident (green) card.
  • Priority deadline: March 1 fall semester, Aug. 31 spring semester — $75
  • Secondary deadline: April 30 fall semester, Sept. 30 spring semester — $135
  • Late submission: any date after secondary deadline — $175
  • International readmission and deferral fee — $75
  • Badge application — $10
  • EMBA application — $75

Those meeting the priority deadline may submit the express mailing fee separate from application submission. Please visit our online payment site . Those applying under the secondary deadline or in the late submission period have the express mailing fee included in the designated application fee.

International applicants - additional requirements

The materials listed below are not required to submit the application and receive an admission recommendation. They are required to receive final admit decision and an I-20.

  • copy of passport (if available)
  • financial certification
  • financial support documents
  • proof of English proficiency

STEP 4 - Complete your Online Application *

The online application process includes five steps:

  • Create an account using your personal email address . International applicants should not use an address provided by an agent or third party partner. The university will communicate with you at this email address until your arrival on campus.
  • Begin the online application form. Complete all fields. The final page will notify you if any incomplete fields are needed.
  • Provide payment details for the application fee.
  • Submit the application.
  • Upload transcripts, supporting materials and supplemental items as required .

Agents should not submit applications on behalf of students, as the account that is created will then serve as the student activity portal. Instead, please direct your students to create their own account, and submit the application and supporting materials themselves.

STEP 5 - Check your application status

Initial review and admission recommendations are completed by the program to which you applied. The application process is described below:

  • You may access the application and check your status through the application portal .
  • Check your email. We may contact you with questions about your application. If we request anything additional, you will be able to upload it directly to your student activity page within the application portal.
  • The graduate program to which you applied reviews the application and forwards a recommendation for admission or denial to the Graduate School.
  • The Graduate School reviews the application materials and the departmental recommendation and sends the official decision notification to the applicant through the application portal.

STEP 6 - If offered admission

Students offered admission based on uploaded documents will need to submit official materials to finalize admission, as indicated below. All required official documents should be submitted by the start of the fourth week of classes for the fall and spring semesters, and the second week for the summer semester:

  • Have official transcripts sent to the Graduate School. Transcripts and degree certificates from non-US schools may be provided when you come to the university.
  • Have official test scores sent directly to our office. At this time, Duolingo English Test, TOEFL, and IELTS score reports do not need to be sent. The Graduate School can verify the unofficial copies uploaded into the application.

Admission Levels

Full standing.

Students who have fulfilled all of the admission requirements for a given program, including admission grade point average, entrance exams if required, reference and credentials if required, and have no prerequisites, may be granted admission on a full-standing basis. Students admitted to full standing are eligible for consideration for assistantships and federally-funded financial aid.

Conditional Standing

Students who have background deficiencies or requirements assigned by the program or Graduate School at the point of admission may be granted admission on a Conditional basis. All conditions will be stated in the acceptance letter. Students must complete all conditions within one year of matriculation unless otherwise specified in the acceptance letter. Students may be admitted with both conditions and on probation, as these two levels of admission are not exclusive. Students admitted with conditions may be eligible for federally funded financial aid, and may be considered for graduate assistantship positions for which they are qualified.

Transfer to an appropriate nondegree category may result if the conditions are not satisfactorily met within the specified time limit. Reentry into the degree program will require reapplication, and readmission is not guaranteed. Students would be required to meet all requirements in place at the time that they reapply for reentry.

Probationary Standing

Students admitted on probation or placed on academic probation following admission are not eligible for assistantship awards or federally funded financial aid. Students may be admitted on probation when reasonable evidence exists to indicate their inability to do satisfactory degree program work, at the discretion of the department to which the student applied. To clear this status, students must complete their first nine credit hours of graded graduate level coursework at Wichita State University with a minimum 3.00 grade point average. Only courses numbered 500 and above, and those courses which are letter graded (A, B, C, D, F), can be used toward the nine hour requirement. Satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) or credit/non-credit (CR/NCR) courses will not count toward the nine-hour requirement.

Tentative Standing

This status can be used in conjunction with any of the above statuses and means that the student's admission was processed before the award of their degree. In order to clear this status, the student must submit official and attested final transcript or marksheets. If the transcript does not specifically state the title and date of the degree award, the student must also provide degree certification. The missing items must be on file no later than the end of the student's first semester of enrollment. Failure to provide this evidence will result in removal from the Graduate School.

If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 316-978-3095, or by email at [email protected] .

The Graduate School Application Checklist presents and clarifies information found in the Graduate Catalog and is not intended to contravene or supplant any Graduate School policies. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for all Graduate School policies, including those found on, or linked to from, this page.

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The Right Fit - How to Find the Right Master’s Program For Your Career Goals

Sreyoshi Battacharya

“The best investment you can make is in yourself," Warren Buffet once said.  For business professionals, that means pursuing a business master’s program, of which there are many types, from an MBA or Master of Business and Technology to specialized business master’s. Choosing the master’s program that aligns your passions with your career goals involves weighing multiple factors. To make a balanced decision, you’ll need careful planning, starting with:

Career aspirations

Charting a roadmap of what excites you career-wise helps you narrow down options. Ask yourself, what will a master’s degree add to my career profile? What area of knowledge am I interested in? What domains —entrepreneurial, technical, communication, financial, professional, interpersonal — align with my past educational qualifications and future career endeavors?

Degree of fit

Next, identify schools that match your career aspirations. If possible, visit schools and meet students and faculty to gain unique insights into the culture. Studying the academic requirements and course curricula of the schools you are interested in can help distill what you want from your career and the degree that you are seeking. Are the course contents aligning with your career goals? Are there experiential learning opportunities that will provide real-life work scenarios for you?

graduate programs research papers

Find your calling

Most universities understand individual differences in academic interests and offer course electives and specializations within programs to help you customize your education. Different universities may offer similar programs with slight variations. Each university hopes their program best fits you, but ultimately, it’s critical to ask yourself if the school’s unique cornerstone and course foundations dovetail with what will lead to a satisfying career.

Connecting with the program specialist, faculty members and students via information sessions and webinars or even emails can be helpful in gaining firsthand perspectives on the programs. Seek advice from them and your mentor(s) or career counselors for multiple perspectives. They can help align your academic and career goals. Gathering information on tuition, living fees, scholarships and financial aid can further assist in making a serious, committed decision to join a master’s program.

graduate programs research papers

Be pragmatic as you pursue your goals. Evaluating the prospects within your field of interest is a smart approach to assessing the long-term demand for your skill set. Engaging in conversations with subject matter experts, fellow students and professors will clarify doubts and confirm your instincts. Conducting a comprehensive evaluation can minimize potential hurdles in your future academic and career journey. As you draw near to your decision, give yourself permission to trust your gut.

The obvious question that comes to mind is, why should I get a master’s degree? Here’s what convinced Daniels School of Business students:

  • Knowledge expansion : Arpita Raman, MSHRM ’24, has a background in psychology, and a top-ranked MS in HR degree was the right path for her to further her knowledge and career trajectory. “My interest in organizational behavior aligned directly with the expertise of Dr. Brian Chupp and Dr. Brad Alge. I wanted to work with them to gain more knowledge on relevant topics and choose my preferred specialization. The practical experiences through case competitions, workshops, internships, and exposure to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) caught my eye.”
  • Switching careers : A master’s degree can be a segue into a different career trajectory that can be a better professional fit and bring more joy to working. Dhrumil Gala, MS Global Supply Chain Management ’23, wanted to pivot from finance, and a master’s degree from a reputed university allowed him that opportunity. “My push had more to do with me wanting to make a career switch. I started off as a finance/business major. I completed my Chartered Accountancy course, and then started working in manufacturing/logistics. This is when I realized that going back to school would be a good alternative.”
  • Launchpad for entrepreneurial mindsets : In an ever-evolving marketplace, entrepreneurship is increasingly common. Gala expects that his master’s offers flexibility. He can gain experience, then attempt entrepreneurial endeavors. “My preferred career trajectory will be to work in the supply chain space for a few years, gain experience and expertise and try my hand at entrepreneurship. Supply chain skill sets are highly transferable and can be used in various industries.”
  • Brand value : Gala elaborated that his Master of Global Supply Chain Management from Purdue "was one of the best-ranked MS programs in the U.S. and is STEM-designated. Supply chain MBAs don’t qualify as STEM, which becomes a huge dealbreaker. Purdue’s brand and recognition speak for itself.”

graduate programs research papers

In sum, choosing to pursue graduate studies in a master’s program is a life-altering decision, and you have the potential to transform your career with the right one. This decision should not be hurried, imposed or fast-tracked. Avoiding a few pitfalls can save you time, effort and confusion.

  • There is a difference between a business specialty master's degree and an MBA/MBT (Master of Business and Technology) . While MBA/MBTs and specialty master’s degrees all provide an understanding of how businesses work, an MBA offers a broader understanding of business, an MBT provides technology experts with tech and business training, and a specialty master’s explores in-depth knowledge in one key business area.
  • You are neither too young, nor too old to get a master’s degree. This is not a competition, and you are in a race with no one else. Do what serves your goals.
  • You are not alone. There are always resources you can use. Ask questions and seek feedback and guidance. If you’re uncertain about your experience or preparedness, talk through your qualifications with a program specialist at your prospective school rather than write yourself off as not ready.
  • If finances concern you, consider the overall return on investment for your master’s degree. The Daniels School of Business offers ROI information for each program on the tuition page.

If you would like to receive more information about pursuing a business master’s at the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, please fill out the form and a program specialist will be in touch!

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Graduate Programs

From the optical fibers that connect the world to deep space exploration, many of humanity’s greatest achievements would have been unthinkable without electrical and computer engineers. Our department has played an important role in many of these advancements. 

You can add to our legacy in world-class photonics, high-frequency diodes, and materials science research, and extend our long-standing tradition in computer engineering, devices and circuits, signal and image processing, and communications.

Our co-location with the University of Virginia's School of Medicine enables ECE faculty and students to conduct research in medical imaging, microfluidics, electrophoresis, bio-molecular engineering, and biomedical and cyber-physical data mining. Machine learning and artificial intelligence now influence everything we do, including the design and operation of engineered systems; you can leverage our investments in machine learning research to ride the AI wave.

We aspire to be an inclusive and welcoming place for all, and a hub of innovation where research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Our mission is to prepare the next generation of electrical and computer engineering leaders to solve society’s grand technological challenges and improve quality of life.

Our Graduate Programs

Ph.d. in electrical engineering.

We offer a direct pathway from your bachelor's degree to a Ph.D. If you are admitted to the Ph.D. program, you have the option of earning your M.E. or M.S. degree en route. 

M.S. in Electrical Engineering

The M.S. is a research-based master's that requires a final thesis defense.

M.E. in Electrical Engineering

The M.E. is entirely course based and can be earned in person or online through Virginia Engineering Online .

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We also offer graduate degrees in computer engineering in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science.

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Explore our resources for graduate students, including professional development support and ways to get involved at UVA Engineering.

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Our electrical engineering program is known throughout industry and academia as a source of outstanding engineers and researchers. Our faculty maintain this reputation by continually updating curricula to reflect current scientific and technological advances and requirements and by maintaining a vigorous, interdisciplinary research program that provides staff and graduate students with high-level learning experiences relevant to societal needs.

Recent graduates have joined industry, such as Apple, Amazon, BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, Corning, Facebook (now Meta), General Electric, General Motors, Google, Halliburton, Intel Research, Microsoft Research, NVIDA Research, Northrop-Grunman, Oracle, Qualcom and Samsung Research. Some chart their path to government research labs including the Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, NASA, NIST and The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Others have followed their advisors' path into academe, pursing postdoctoral research and faculty positions in the United States and overseas, including Kuwait University, the National Defense University of Technology, China; the Royal Thai Air Force Academy; Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China; the University of California Davis, University of Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of New Hampshire, University of Notre Dame, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Graduate Program Contacts

Beth eastwood-beatty .

IMAGES

  1. FREE 27+ Research Paper Formats in PDF

    graduate programs research papers

  2. How to Write and Publish a Research Paper.pdf

    graduate programs research papers

  3. Write A Research Paper At The PhD Level (SERIOUSLY)

    graduate programs research papers

  4. 38+ Research Paper Samples

    graduate programs research papers

  5. List of Research Papers Published by Our PhD Scholars

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  6. senior paper outline

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VIDEO

  1. Department of Preprofessional Studies Undergraduate Diploma Ceremony

  2. The 4th Undergraduate Research Forum

  3. Student's Research 20

  4. New Research Degree Regulations

  5. Introduction to Graduate Research Development

  6. Grad school admissions rant: Do you have to be published to get into a PhD program? #phdadmissions

COMMENTS

  1. UNI Graduate Research Papers

    Browse Graduate Research Papers by year of completion: Jump to: Unable to build JumpList: Forbidden Submissions from 2023 PDF An Analysis of a Multigenerational Workforce, Paula F. Atkins Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only) PDF

  2. PDF Graduate School Writing Samples

    July 10, 2022 1 The Goal of the Writing Sample A writing sample for graduate school primarily serves an evidential function: its purpose is to give evidence of your qualifications to enter graduate school at the program you're applying to.

  3. Research Papers

    You'll be required to submit a research paper at the end of either the first or the second summer. Some fields require papers following both summers. You'll have access to faculty guidance and supervision during the summer period, and you'll present your paper in a seminar format and/or before field faculty. Attend an Admission Event Stay in Touch

  4. Research Paper Guidelines

    Filing of Research Papers with the Graduate School Submit electronically through OpenSIUC. A Microsoft Word document is preferred, Adobe pdf documents are acceptable. Approval Form. All research papers submitted to the Graduate School must have an original approval form signed by the student's committee, and generally the department chair.

  5. Thesis Writing and Filing

    The Graduate Division serves more than 13,000 students in over 100 graduate degree programs. We are here to help you from the time you are admitted until you complete your graduate program. ... The common thread linking various parts of the research, represented by individual papers incorporated in the thesis, must be made explicit, and you ...

  6. Investigating Graduate Education and Undergraduate Research Intentions

    Numerous studies demonstrate the value of undergraduate research experiences to students' gains in research skills, knowledge about research careers, identification as a scientist, and aspirations for graduate education (see Laursen, Hunter, Seymour, Thiry, & Melton, 2010 ).

  7. Research Paper Writing

    Graduate courses will challenge you to write at a professional academic level through seminar papers, major research papers, and reading responses. Learn how to improve and supplement your research and writing skills using the Graduate Writing Lab's resources and services.

  8. Research and Writing Tips : Graduate School

    Share your draft with someone outside your field who can ask you questions about the content and point out areas that need clarification. Take some time away from the draft before you dive back in. Focus on organization, noting what each paragraph is about and how each paragraph functions in the paper as a whole. 3.

  9. Writing Skills Development for Graduate Studies and Career Readiness in

    For graduate programs in science, the significance of quality ... instructors rarely have time to teach writing skills or provide students with substantial feedback on papers to help improve their ... in student housing at the PWI research university for close proximity to their labs and classes during the summer research program. As part of ...

  10. Tips for Grads: Subtle essentials to writing research papers

    Madison, WI 53706 9 am - 4 pm (September - April) 10 am - 3 pm (May - August) [email protected]. Research papers are often required and can be valuable opportunities to deepen your understanding of your field or topic, contribute to a larger body of knowledge, and develop essential skills for future careers in academia, industry, or other ...

  11. How to Write a Research Paper for Grad School Application

    Most doctoral programs require applicants to submit a research sample and though they are not typically required for graduate school applications, they can help take your application from average to outstanding. I know the task of writing a research paper for this kind of application may seem intimidating at first.

  12. How to find Research Papers: A Cheat Sheet for Graduate Students

    ResearchRabbit, Inciteful, Litmaps, and Connected Papers are literature-mapping tools you can use to dig deeper into a topic. It lets you see which papers are the most groundbreaking in a given field based on their citation networks. This might not be very helpful if you're doing research in a relatively new area.

  13. M.S. Qualifying Research Paper Writing Guidelines

    M.S. Qualifying Research Paper Writing Guidelines. An important part of your master's education is the writing of your final master's qualifying research paper (also called a master's thesis). To aid you in this process we have assembled the following guidelines. Qualifying research papers fall into two categories, those based on ...

  14. Graduate Writing Overview

    Graduate Writing Overview Here we present four vidcasts that offer a broad introductory overview of graduate writing. In this context, it is helpful to think about writing as a conversation, a process, a social endeavor, and a disciplinary undertaking. Stay tuned as we continue to publish these vidcasts!

  15. Ph.D Students' Guide to Publishing: Expert Advice & Resources

    Within the context of graduate school, publishing refers to getting essays, papers, and research findings published in one of the academic journals or related forms seen as a leader in the field. As jobs in academia continue to become more competitive, it isn't enough for learners to simply do well in their coursework.

  16. 10 Helpful Steps for Writing a Graduate Research Proposal

    1.Choose a research topic and develop a working title. Having a strong interest in your research topic will certainly help you to keep going when the journey becomes more challenging. The research topic is the subject of your research, which is a part of a broader field of study.

  17. Writing a Successful Master's Research Paper in Anthropology

    Writing a Successful Master's Research Paper in Anthropology. By Janet McIntosh, Department of Anthropology, Brandeis University. As a reminder, here is what the Graduate Handbook says about the Master's Research Paper: The Master's research paper must involve substantial research by the student and should be 25 to 40 pages long, not including references.

  18. UNI Science Education Program Graduate Research Papers

    This collection contains graduate research papers by students in the Science Education Program. The Graduate Research Paper is a non-thesis paper or project, which can be considered the capstone of the graduate program. For the paper, students synthesize information they have learned throughout the program and apply it to the field experience.

  19. Research and Writing at Graduate Level

    The graduate student's research paper will sustain deeper analysis of a topic at greater length and with narrower focus than the undergraduate paper. Graduate research papers will employ a significant scope of sources that are current, authoritative, and recognized within a particular area of study.

  20. UNI Graduate Research Papers for the School Library Studies Program

    Graduate Research Papers for the School Library Studies Program, Curriculum and Instruction Department, College of Education, at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) ... Diversity in Collections Utilizing Accelerated Reader Programs, Leah Cahill Open Access Graduate Research Paper. PDF.

  21. Stevenson University

    5 Tips for Writing a Successful Graduate-Level Paper Writing is a challenge even for the best of writers, and for many graduate students it is their most daunting task. However, writing is a powerful tool in the learning process because it requires us to explore ideas, to think critically, and to apply what we have learned in new and meaningful ...

  22. Improving Equitable Access to Graduate Education by Reducing Barriers

    Structural inequities in graduate education perpetuate inequity for students with historically minoritized identities. This paper reviews previous reports of inequities faced by students with minoritized identities and suggests a path forward for improving equitable access to doctoral study. Specifically, this paper suggests investing in the scholarship of teaching and learning while using ...

  23. Graduate School Strategies: What is Academic Research?

    Academic research is an in-depth critical analysis of statistics, observations, literature, case studies, and theories closely related to a graduate school candidate's professional interests and career path. More often than not, the academic research conducted in graduate school is later published in a trade publication or periodical.

  24. Tax Policy and Investment in a Global Economy

    Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professionals.

  25. Research » MIT Physics

    Research. The Physics Department strives to be at the forefront of many areas where new physics can be found. Consequently, we work on problems where extreme conditions may reveal new behavior. We study the largest things in the universe: clusters of galaxies or even the entire universe itself. We study the smallest things in the universe ...

  26. Graduate students commit to research despite early challenges

    Imagine you are a student in a new graduate program when a pandemic hits and shuts down the research you have just begun. That is what befell the first cohort of seven graduate students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) program, who began in the fall of 2018. Rather than focus on the challenges the pandemic brought them, students doubled down on their research, which exemplifies the ...

  27. Graduate School Application Checklist

    STEP 2 - View our deadlines and program information. Wichita State offers more than 50 graduate programs and certificates. Determine the deadline for your program. Determine what additional materials may be required by your program area. Additional questions about the program can be directed to the graduate coordinator.

  28. How to Find the Right Master's Program For Your Career Goals

    Sreyoshi Battacharya. 11-17-2023 "The best investment you can make is in yourself," Warren Buffet once said. For business professionals, that means pursuing a business master's program, of which there are many types, from an MBA or Master of Business and Technology to specialized business master's. Choosing the master's program that aligns your passions with your career goals involves ...

  29. EE Graduate Programs

    Our faculty maintain this reputation by continually updating curricula to reflect current scientific and technological advances and requirements and by maintaining a vigorous, interdisciplinary research program that provides staff and graduate students with high-level learning experiences relevant to societal needs.

  30. New teaching certificate available to all graduate students

    The Graduate School at Penn State and Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence have partnered to provide a new teaching certificate open to all graduate students modeled after the framework developed by the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning.