Graduate student survival

From GSLISWiki

Contents 1 General advice 2 Research 3 Writing, especially the dissertation 4 Qualifying exams 5 Faculty, Postdoc, and Research Associate Jobs 6 Financial Support

[edit] General advice

• UIUC
  • Office of Admissions & Records information about registration, academic deadlines (add, drop dates, etc.), tuition, grades, transcripts, diplomas, and more.
  • Grad Links, Bulletin from the Graduate College
  • A Handbook for Graduate Students and Advisers
  • Graduate College Career Services Office
  • GSLIS Advising FAQ's -- Advising and registering for M.S. Students: A timeline of steps from admission to beginning of classes
  • The Center for Writing Studies. Resources for Graduate Students
  • College of Education Graduate Programs Handbook, 2001-2002
• Arizona State University (1999). Preparing future faculty occasional paper series
• Networking on the network.—an excellent document by Phil Agre on "helping newcomers figure out where the net fits in the larger picture of their own careers." It includes sections on the rationale behind professional networking, a six-step model of the networking process, the use of electronic media for building a professional identity, and how to get an academic job
• Meeting with other students
• Inquiry Research Group
• Courses across campus
• What They Don't Teach You in Grad School, by Paul Gray and David E. Drew -- Be sure to follow the links to the two earlier parts in which they cover finishing the dissertation, finding a first job, and and academic responsibilities.

[edit] Research

Links to guidelines and methods for research in library & information science, education, writing studies, and related areas.

• Research memos—methods for organizing your research and writing
• Research Methods
• Stephenson, Mary Sue, Research Methods Resources
• Eldredge, Jonathan D. (2004, January), Inventory of research methods for librarianship and informatics, JMLA
• Learning case study
• Human subjects research

[edit] Writing, especially the dissertation

• Bruce, Chip (2001). Writing the dissertation -- notes on dissertation writing, structure, and audience
• Haythornthwaite, Caroline (2004). Structure of a dissertation proposal
• Pratt, Wanda. Graduate School Survival Guide. Stanford Medical Informatics
• Shivers, Olin. dissertation advice
• the All But Dissertation Survival Guide
• The Graduate College, UIUC (1999, January). Handbook for graduate students and advisers -- explains privileges, responsibilities, and services for UIUC graduate students.
• Counseling Center, UIUC (1996). Dissertation success strategies -- addresses "some of the most frequently encountered difficulties doctoral students experience while writing the dissertation. It will also suggest strategies you can employ to minimize these potential problems."
• Re-envisioning the Ph.D.
• Pryor, James (2002). Philosophy links. See especially the links to "Philosophical Terms and Methods," "How To Read a Philosophy Paper," and "Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper."
• Syverson, Peg (2002). The making of the wealth of reality reflections on the writing of the dissertation this is an excellent colloquium presentation, which addresses many aspects of writing a dissertation, including setting goals, getting organized, staying on a schedule, using software, etc.

[edit] Qualifying exams

• Joyce Walker and Karen Lunsford are candidates in the English Dept. who took their special fields exams in 2000-2001. Read their reflections on this experience: "forming a committee, getting through the bureaucracy, reading all of that stuff, taking the exam, and figuring out what comes next."
• Qualifying exam questions (UIUC) — selected previous qualifying exam questions
• Specialty and special field exams
• Field Exam
• Core Exam

[edit] Faculty, Postdoc, and Research Associate Jobs

• The Chronicle of Higher Education
• American Educational Research Association
• Association for Library and Information Science Education
• Bruce, Chip (1998). Finding a job.
• The Jobs and Finding a Job Categories.

[edit] Financial Support

• Graduate School of Library and Information Science
• Graduate Student Advisory Council
• Student Employment Office
• NCSA
• Graduate College Fellowship Bulletins—information about various pre-doctoral fellowships, post-doctoral fellowships, traineeships, and grant opportunities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and other universities, foundations, federal agencies, and organizations.
• Graduate Student Resources, Bureau of Educational Research]
• The art of writing proposals—Some candid suggestions for applicants to social science research council competitions], by Adam Przeworski & Frank Salomon
• scholarshiphelp.org
• Jobs

Chip Bruce