|
Items here have been featured on the "News & Notes" section of the Graduate School Writer's Nexus.
Have questions about graduate work? Dissertating from a distance?
Gradshare is a new, free networking site where graduate students from all over the U.S. and abroad can answer each other's questions, or have a look at advice provided in Gradshare's experts section. Gradshare is operated by Proquest, a company that also provides databases for libraries and content such as historical newspapers and dissertations.
Interdisciplinary Dissertation-Writing Seminars
If your dissertation research crosses disciplinary boundaries, consider enrolling in one of the new interdisciplinary dissertation-writing seminars. The seminars will be led by University of Minnesota faculty members selected for their distinguished records of interdisciplinary research and teaching and for their innovative seminar plans, which mesh with student interest as gauged by a 2008 survey of graduate students who described their work as interdisciplinary.
Ten different seminars will be offered over the course of academic years 2008-2010.
What is a Dissertation-Writing Seminar Really Like?
This glimpse into an interdisciplinary dissertation-writing seminar might just inspire you to sign up for a seminar yourself in 2009-2010.
April Showers Bring ... Workshops for Researchers and Job-Seekers!
The nursery rhyme tells us that " April showers bring May flowers." We'll believe that when the snow stops falling, but believe this: April brings helpful workshops for graduate students conducting research or getting ready for the job market:
If you don't see the right workshop for you now, please check the schedules again in the fall and spring, which will bring a whole new slate of workshops--and weather.
Making Connections: Graduate Junction
If you're looking for a place to connect with other graduate students online, you might try Graduate Junction, a networking site for graduate students. (Graduate Junction is not affiliated with the Graduate School at UMN.)
Individual Writing Plan (IWP)
The Individual Writing Plan (IWP) is an optional tool for you to use with your advisor to set goals for your academic and professional development during your doctoral studies. The IWP will give you an idea of what to expect at different stages of your studies, and also provides links to resources you might find useful along the way.
Researching? Looking for Grants? Formatting Your Dissertation?
The Libraries are ready to help with a slate of spring (yes, spring!) workshops. Workshops include an introduction to Zotero, a free online tool for collecting and organizing citations, Grant Funding for Graduate Students, Web Tools for Working Collaboratively, The Publication Process (for science papers), and a brand new workshop that's bound to relieve some anxiety: Formatting Your Dissertation in Word 2007.
Can't Seem to Get Started? Talk Back to Your Inner Procrastinator
Let's get right to the point: here are some thoughts about how to cope with procrastination. If you can't open the pdf file, here is the same page in html format.
Dissertation Templates are Here!
Researching and writing a dissertation is challenging work, so how about a little help with formatting your magnum opus? The Graduate Student Services Office now has dissertation templates available for students using Microsoft Word or LaTex. They also offer a wealth of information about Doctoral Degree Requirements for Graduation, including what you need to know about Electronic Dissertation Submission and Paper Dissertation Submission.
Quiet, please . . . .
In a recent Graduate School workshop on overcoming writer's block, graduate students discussed the ultimate quest: a quiet place to study and write. The University librarians offer these ideas:
Need a small space to yourself? You can apply for a study carrel at Wilson library or a study carrel at Magrath Library. If you're not able to get a carrel, you might try Wilson Library room 301B, a "deep quiet" study area, which means not even laptops are allowed. If you need to use a computer, Walter Library 208 (the periodicals room) is also intended to be a quiet study area. It's a large room with study tables, carrels, computers, plus wireless and ethernet connections. Is St. Paul your home base? If you're studying with a group of people, you might want to sign up to use the group study room (B55) in Magrath Library in St Paul for up to a day; bring your UCard and inquire at the 1st floor circulation desk.
If you get tired of quiet, you can head to one of the library rooms labeled for "group study" or multimedia use. These are meant to encourage what the librarians call "audible interaction," which can be anathema to writers and researchers on the hunt for quiet.
Writing Tips from a Pro
If you don't mind a few curse words, then Anne Lamott also has many words of wisdom to share about tackling major writing projects. The Emory University Writing Center has posted a chapter from Ms. Lamott's book Bird by Bird. If the excerpt whets your appetite for more, Bird by Bird is also available from the University Libraries or is, like so much else, for sale online.
Summer Class for Dissertation Writers
Please note: Look for this class again next year!
The Writing Studies department has a summer class that may help you make progress on your dissertation. WRIT 8505 "Professional Practice" is essentially a writing workshop that is suitable for students working on their theses or dissertations. Find more information on the course schedule page for Writing Studies or contact Professor Longo with questions.
Researchers: Online Tools to Get Excited About
- You know you're writing a thesis or dissertation when...
-
... you get excited about research and citation management tools. Here are two resources you may not have discovered yet.
- OneSearch:
-
Do you know the children's story, "Seven at One Blow"? It's about getting more done with less effort, and the Library's OneSearch brings that concept to online academic research.
-
With OneSearch's Basic Search, for example, you can look for articles in subject-related groups of databases such as Web of Science, MLA, ERIC, and Historical Abstracts, all at one time. Didn't find what you needed in one group? Just click a button and switch to another group of databases--or another or another.... You may be surprised at what you find and how quickly you find it. Requires UMN ID and password.
- Zotero:
-
Zotero is a free, very easy to use Web-based program for collecting citations and formatting bibliographies. Find a book or article or other material in the Libraries' catalog, a database such as Worldcat, or in many other places on the Web; with a click of your mouse, you can download the citation to Zotero, which keeps track of it for you. Later you can use Zotero to add the citation to a Microsoft Word or Open Office document. And you don't need a special class to learn how to use Zotero: it's quite easy to get up and running. (Not affiliated with or supported by UMN.)
Dissertating from a Distance: More Online Resources
If you're dissertating from a distance or you just need some inspiration or ideas in the middle of the night (or day), you might find these free online resources helpful:
Hot Tips from Down South on Dissertation Writing
Baby, it's cold outside, so we have turned to warmer climes for some inspiration: the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center's handout on dissertations offers many practical and encouraging suggestions for dissertation writers. Among their other resources, they also have an excellent guide for writing groups. (Be aware that some of the information provided applies only to UNC students.)
Practical Advice to Start the New Year
No matter what your field, you may find useful information in this article published in the American Historical Association's online journal, Preview: "Practical Advice for Writing Your Dissertation, Book, or Article," by Liena Vayzman.
This page is part of the Graduate School Writer's Nexus, a means of connecting our graduate students to resources and support for their dissertation and thesis writing.
Do you want to suggest a resource to include here? Have a question or comment? Let us know, please.
| 
