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LinkedIn for Grad Students

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by Dora Farkas, Ph.D., MIT -
LinkedIn started out in the living room of co-founder Reid Hoffman in the fall of 2002, and it has become one of the largest online professional networking sites. Unfortunately, few people know about all of its features. In this brief, I summarize how to set up a LinkedIn profile, and then show you LinkedIn's … Read More

Understanding Repetitive Strain Injuries

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by Dora Farkas, Ph.D., MIT -
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a silent epidemic in the workplace, as well as in universities, caused primarily by excessive typing. In its most severe form, an injured person might not be able to write or even hold a pen without pain. Many of you readers probably do not suffer from RSI (and possibly have not … Read More

How can you fit all you need to do into the week?

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by Janet Padgett, Ph.D., M.Ac. - Senior Editor, Life Sciences Author, ProQuest
When you are busy with graduate studies, you need to manage your time wisely in order to accomplish all that you need to do, along with all that you want to do. You may find it helpful to categorized and make time estimates for the various tasks in your life. Doing so will help you prioritize these tasks. First cate … Read More

Writing for conferences

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by Dr. John Wood - Professor, Rose State College
Participating in conferences can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Lower level conferences ? local and state ? tend to have higher acceptance rates, while upper level, especially regional conferences, tend to be stingy in their acceptance of papers. This is especially true when they are from unknowns, i.e., gr … Read More

Dealing with student complaints

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by Dr. John Wood - Professor, Rose State College
Most teachers, through years of trial and error, have to figure out how to handle student complaints professionally in order to keep on a healthy career track. The following points can save you time and energy (and maybe even your job). Get to know your students. You are going to have all types of students, get … Read More

How to get it done?

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by Christine Jensen Sundstrom, PhD - Coordinator, Graduate Writing Support Program, University of Kansas
Completing Your Dissertation Has Little to Do With How intelligent you are or whether you are a good writer or how good your findings are. Whether you know a lot about a topic. Teaching others what you know. Completing Your Dissertation Has Everything to Do With Putting in the seat time. Presenting a good a … Read More

Guidelines on grammar and use of language in your field

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by Christine Jensen Sundstrom, PhD - Coordinator, Graduate Writing Support Program, University of Kansas
Proofreading 101 Print out what you have written and read it aloud, reading only for grammar and editing issues Edit for conciseness working to eliminate "to be" verbs, passives, and phrases that come between the subject and verb Eliminate words like various and different as well as etc. Avoid the use of contract … Read More

Finding Post-doctoral Fellowships

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by Christine Mione Kiefer - National Institutes of Health
Deciding whether to look for a post-doctoral appointment depends on your long-term career plans. Lately, more and more doctorates in the sciences are finding that a post-doctoral fellowship is a prerequisite, or at least a very strong advantage, when applying for research or teaching positions in academia, industry, a … Read More

Syllabi & Grading

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by Dr. John Wood - Professor, Rose State College
A syllabus is important as a roadmap and an agreement between you and the student, whether in class or online. You have to set out your requirements during the onset to get all the students on the same page and to minimize grade appeals. A syllabus is considered a contract with a student. As an instructor, you are expe … Read More

Guidelines for writing and editing your research papers

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by Christine Jensen Sundstrom, PhD - Coordinator, Graduate Writing Support Program, University of Kansas
Questions to ask your instructor before you write a research paper for a graduate class Most research papers in graduate classes are similar in nature to reviews in journals. Clarify whether that is the case and whether the review needs to be as professional as those for a journal in the field. If so, are there ce … Read More

Comprehensives Exams: Written as Review Papers

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by Christine Jensen Sundstrom, PhD - Coordinator, Graduate Writing Support Program, University of Kansas
Determining Your Department?s Expectations Are reviews for comprehensive exams evaluated much more stringently than those for class papers? What level of professionalism is expected on comprehensive exams? Does you department have samples of successful comprehensives? If not, will a colleague who was successful l … Read More

How to pick a thesis topic? The Conceptual Conversation

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by Marlene Coles, Ph. D - Partner Relations Manager, ProQuest
Everything you've read that's piqued your interest - or not - during your academic career has contributed to the first step of writing a dissertation: selecting a topic. Prepare to spend a total of 10 hours (about a week) engaging in a conversation that brings to light the key pieces of the research for your dissertati … Read More

The Dissertation Proposal

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by Amanda Ross M.A. - Product Manager, ProQuest Dissertations
The dissertation proposal represents a major commitment on your part to doing a particular kind of study. It can be changed only at a price ? a longer timetable for completion of your dissertation. Target 200 hours to write your dissertation proposal. Avoid the temptation to start writing before you have thoughtfully … Read More

The Advising Relationship

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by Amanda Ross M.A. - Product Manager, ProQuest Dissertations
Working with your Advisor The advising relationship is, at its core, a communication relationship. Some advisors will be better than others about exploring ideas with you, sharing writing strategies and offering other forms of assistance as you research and write your dissertation. By using good communication s … Read More

Committee Selection

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by Amanda Ross M.A. - Product Manager, ProQuest Dissertations
Assembling Your Dissertation Committee Consult your program handbook to understand the official structure of the dissertation committee and the eligibility of committee members Talk with other students in your department who are further along in the dissertation process about their experi … Read More

Writing Your Dissertation or Thesis

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by Amanda Ross M.A. - Product Manager, ProQuest Dissertations
Writing and Editing Target 245 hours to write your dissertation. Here are two key strategies for writing a dissertation effectively: fast writing and slow revising. Fast Writing When it's time for you to write, only write; don't revise. Write a "spew draft" ? a draft in which you write as fast as you can until … Read More

Defending Your Dissertation

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by Marlene Coles, Ph.D - Partner Relations Manager, ProQuest
Sonja Foss would say that the defense begins as soon as you start working on your dissertation (Foss & Waters, 2007). Defense in the context of the dissertating process refers to the presenting, explaining and defending of your ideas. It also includes laying out the rationale behind your choices and decisions, for e … Read More

Submission

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by Marlene Coles, Ph.D - Partner Relations Manager, ProQuest
In the context of this piece submission refers to the process of having your dissertation reviewed and approved. The submission process entails several other steps necessary to clear you for graduation at your institution. The exact elements of a submission and clearance process may vary from institution to instituti … Read More

Scholarly Publishing

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by Marlene Coles, Ph.D - Partner Relations Manager, ProQuest
If your intent is to pursue a faculty position, mastering the developmental task of producing a professional piece of scholarly work is essential. Opportunities for demonstrating mastery are offered at two stages of an academic career. The first opportunity is throughout years of the graduate student apprenticeship. … Read More

Well-Executed Literature Review

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by Craig Emerson - Vice President - Editorial Operations, Proquest
A well-executed Literature Review can eliminate hours of wasted effort and help build a solid foundation on which to construct your research. It will show you what is already known, what needs to be known, and how to develop your research methodology. In General: It's easy to digress when searching t … Read More

Best Practices for Research Organization

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by Craig Emerson - Vice President ? Editorial Operations, ProQuest
Document absolutely everything, review, and then fill in the gaps! It is crucial that all aspects of data collection and analysis be fully documented. Assume (1) that you'll forget everything about your data within one month, and that (2) there will be a pressing need to use those data. Without docume … Read More

How to make data presentation efficient and interesting?

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by Sandeep Phatak - Research Associate, Army Audiology and Speech Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Most readers and listeners are interested in your interpretation of the data and not the raw data itself. Stay focused on presentation of concepts and interpretations as opposed to the raw data itself. Do not overwhelm your poster or slides with excessive text. A simple rule would be to not … Read More

How to handle lab bench work?

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by Christine Mione Kiefer - Post-Doctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health
If you are a student in the hard sciences or engineering fields, your lab bench work should be the primary focus while in graduate school. However, it is inevitable that other obligations such as lab meetings, journal clubs, and classes will interfere. The following are some tips to help you keep your attention in the … Read More

What are the best ways to prepare for comprehensive and qualifier exams?

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by Frederic A. Spangler, Ph.D - Manager, Special Projects, ProQuest
Doctoral comprehensive and qualifier exams (Comps) are most often administered by the candidate's department or by the selected doctoral program committee. They are almost always written in nature but some components may be oral. The primary purpose of Comps is to measure whether the candidate has understood and … Read More

How can I network if it's really scary to walk up to strangers and start a conversation?

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by Pam Stoker - Assistant Director, Graduate Career Service Center, Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University
Here are some ideas to make networking work for you: Facts: 80% of jobs are found through networking. Most CEOs hire people that they know. The best network is one that is built one relationship at a time. It's not just a list of people that you happen to know. A network is a web of people with whom you have som … Read More

The Art of Interviewing

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by Hugh Anderson Associates -
The art of interviewing is not about getting a job; it's about getting the right job - making sure you are as well suited for the job as the job and organization are for you. There are three categories of interviews you will likely run into during your job search - Informational, Screening, and Selection or H … Read More

How to Succeed on the Academic Job Market

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by Briana K Keller PhD. - Senior Career Counselor & Coordinator of Graduate Student Services, University of Washington Career Center
Plan Ahead Start networking and analyzing interesting position descriptions early in grad school. Spend time learning what it's really like to be a faculty member at different types of schools. Research the job search timeline in your field a year before you apply. Begin crafting your application materials severa … Read More

Is it advantageous to teach while in graduate school? What methods should be used?

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by Fred Spangler, Ph.D. - Manager, Special Projects, ProQuest
Many students may be asked or required to teach while in graduate school. This is often funded in the form of teaching assistantships and teaching fellowships. You are encouraged to apply for these programs as there is no better way to solidify command of your subject area than by teaching it. Advantageous ? definit … Read More

Code of Conduct for University Educators

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by Dr. Ruth A. Palmquist - Consultant
Most institutions of higher education produce a statement covering ethical teaching practices, but such a statement can often be buried deep within a larger Handbook for Instructors. So here are some general areas that should be considered in a higher education setting. Honesty - Perhaps the primary characteristic f … Read More

Getting Help from Campus Instructional Office

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by Dr. Ruth A. Palmquist - Consultant
Using your Campus Instructional Consulting Services office Most universities have some type of instructional support available for full time and part time faculty and also available for graduate students who are asked to teach as part of their graduate support. These places can provide a great many ideas to th … Read More

How can knowing your learning style help you learn?

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by Janet Padgett, Ph.D., M.Ac. - Senior Editor, Life Sciences, ProQuest
Each person has their own unique learning style. Most people use a combination of styles in order to understand and integrate new materials. Some learning styles are listed below. Visual - you need to see text, diagrams, flow charts, demonstrations. Auditory - you need to hear, either … Read More

How to find help for writing a proposal

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by Sarah Starr - Director, Funding and Research Development, The Ohio State University Office of Research
Sources of help in writing a proposal include: The sponsor - Guidelines are not always clear and the sponsor's program officer can help clarify them. Remember that you are wasting not only your time but theirs' by turning in a proposal that is not fundable or is missing important data. Through this conversation you … Read More

Things you should know about the Research Office

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by Sarah Starr - Director, Funding and Research Development, The Ohio State University Office of Research
What to think about/do before contacting the office: Have a specific funding opportunity that you plan to write a proposal for. Read the guidelines thoroughly and prepare a list of questions you have concerning those guidelines. Talk to the sponsor to get a sense if they consider this to be a fundable project. Pr … Read More

How to start looking for funding possibilities

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by Sarah Starr - Director, Funding and Research Development, The Ohio State University Office of Research
Strategies that will help you find potential sponsors include: Develop a list of words and phrases that describe what you need funding to do. A good way to do this is to describe what you are doing to someone, asking them to write down the words and phrases they hear you say. You'll be surprised at how many words … Read More

How to become a peer-reviewer for a scholarly journal?

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by Amy Forrester - Managing Editor, Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy
Peer review is commonly accepted as an essential part of scientific publication and involvement in the peer review process is often necessary for career advancement. It would benefit graduate students to obtain some experience with the peer review process to further their professional development or assist a potential … Read More

Building Up Your CV By Publishing

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by Ethan Goffman - Senior Editor, ProQuest
There are numerous formats in which to publish. In general, the easier it is to get published, the less prestigious and the less helpful for getting academic jobs. However a lot depends upon the type of academic job you are aiming for. For a serious research position, publication in a peer reviewed journal is the go … Read More

What differences exist between publishing in conference proceedings and journal articles

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by Dr. Ruth A. Palmquist -
Many graduate students start to build their Curriculum Vitae by publishing first in an association conference proceeding and then move onto to publishing in journals. Both of these choices have distinct differences. Getting published in a conference proceeding. First make sure that the conference you are intere … Read More

Wellness: Coping with Studies, Work, and Family Life

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by Bonnie Ann Cain, APR - Senior Communications Specialist, Oklahoma State University
Graduate school will take every spare moment you have available. Five hours a week, ten hours or twenty, whatever you can carve out of your life, graduate school will devour. Entering a masters or doctorial program is a multi-year commitment; to be successful and maintain your health, relationships and sanity requires … Read More

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