Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate Scholars: Introduction

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Start With Your Librarian(s)

Each college at RIT has a representative librarian - begin your library research experience by getting to know your librarian.  The librarians are available to offer you detailed assistance with your literature review and research in support of your thesis, capstone, project, dissertation, or portfolio. Dr. Boateng has resources related to Environmental Sciences, Bioinformatics, and Health Systems Administration. Dr. Naturale offers research and thesis support services.

This Guide is designed to assist you with your thesis proposal process.   Now is the time to begin searching for:

  • prior research
  • current research and
  • discussions on the future of your topic which you will incorporate into your thesis.

You can use the RIT Libraries Catalog to find books in your discipline. For example, try Ecology and Toxicology, Immunology, Bioinformatics, or  Health Services Administration. Try both keyword and subject searches.You can also look for encyclopedias or handbooks to get background information and topic ideas. If you are interested in exploring careers, check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Outline

Searching for information will be an ongoing process as you develop your proposal, chapter one (Introduction), chapters 2/3/4/5, etc.

  • I can assist you in retrieving relevant information , selecting appropriate keywords, keyword combinations and resources.
  • Review the suggested databases, journals and books that have been included in this guide.
  • Your journal articles can easily be collected and managed with tools like Zotero, Endnote, Journal Alerts, Database alerts, RSS feeds, etc.
  • Reminder: Ask your advisor what reference citing format should you use in your thesis/dissertation.

 

Writing Thesis/Dissertation Process

Your first two chapters should be written to create the reader's interest in your work.  This is where you introduce readers to your topic whether it is a procedure, an organism or a technology.

Look for journal articles that provide historical , background information and frequently cited works by well known authors.

Include statistics and data provided by professional and government organizations.

 

The last chapters of your dissertation/thesis focus on your actual research which you need to discuss and summarize.

Look for journal articles that support the outcome of your research and your methodology. '

In your conclusion support your recommendations or predictions with journal articles that discuss trends and solutions concerning your research.

Peer reviewed scholarly journal articles have been retracted after being published due to plagiarism, incomplete or false data. Visit the Retraction Watch website for further information and cases.

Double check with your advisor and committee on which reference citing format you should use.

If you start gathering your references with ENDNOTE, Zotero or any other bibliographic management software, you will save time in writing your papers.

References are the actual journal articles you have read and used to write up your paper. You cannot cite the individual references listed in another author's journal article. You only cite what you have actually read in your dissertation/thesis.

Library Services

If you are a new graduate student, please familiarize yourself with some of our services via our Graduate Student welcome brochure

Dissertation and Thesis Calculator

Graduate students often need help knowing what all the steps are in the thesis or dissertation process and need help keeping on track to complete their work by a deadline. The Dissertation and Thesis Calculator can help with project management and time management.

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Please contact your librarian with any questions.

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