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Graduate Research: Theses & Dissertations: Getting Started & Planning

Graduate Research = Building Advanced Information Skills

Graduate research and the process of writing a thesis or dissertation involves honing advanced skills in managing information: gathering and organizing information, analyzing information, synthesizing information, creating information, sharing information, and communicating or teaching information.  This requires many specialized skills, often discipline specific, as well as generalized work productivity skills such as time management, team building, and stress management.  This research guide is designed to lead you to general resources that may help you in your learning process as a graduate student and support your success.

Find resources to get started on this page, then navigate to additional resources using the tabs above, or click a link to a topic area below:

Research Process

Exploring Research Ideas

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

An Individual Development Plan is a good way to reflect on your interests and develop career goals.  This is best done in collaboration with your faculty advisor or mentor, but can be done by yourself.  Some research funding agencies, such as NIH and NSF, encourage use of IDPs for graduate students and post-doctoral scholars.  Here are a few resources to help you get started creating an IDP. 

Related Research Guides

eBooks / Guides

Blog on Research & Writing

Graduate Research Librarian

Library Search/Retrieval Options

 

UW Libraries QuickSearch: includes the collections of the University Libraries, UW Law Library, and the American Heritage Center.

 


Prospector: a unified catalog of twenty-three academic, public and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. UW students, faculty and staff can borrow materials from Prospector.

 

 

yellow arrow on a sky blue boxInterlibrary Loan: UW students, faculty and staff can request books, journal volumes, journal articles and other materials, regardless of whether it is available in the UW Libraries, online or in libraries around the world. A free service!