Library Guides: LEADERSHIP: Research Guide: Thesis Resources

Have questions?

In This Section

In this section, you'll find:

Tips for staying organized, including
- Taking good research notes
- Using citation managers
Information on useful library services
Research and writing guides that can offer inspiration and advice, as well as walk you through various research methods

Taking good research notes is a key part of staying organized.

Keep track of:

What search terms or keywords you used
Where you were searching (database names, the library catalog, Google, etc.)
When you were searching - databases and websites are constantly removing and adding content, and links change or break
Full citation information for everything you save
Permalinks or stable URLs (or DOIs) so you can get back to what you found

Have a system for:

Organizing the articles you download, including naming PDFs (usually the file name automatically assigned at download is not helpful - you want to be able to quickly identify and find the articles you're using in your research)
Keeping track of summaries, quotes, or paraphrases from your sources, including exactly what pages those quotes or paraphrases come from

Citation managers are sometimes good tools for these types of notes, but using a text document or spreadsheet and folders on your computer, OneDrive, or Google Drive can work just as well. The important thing is finding a system that works for you, and then using it consistently.

Citation managers can help you keep track of large amounts of sources, as well as generate references lists and in-text citations. They can save you a lot of time and effort as you compile resources and integrate them into your writing.

Zotero

Zotero is a free bibliographic manager available as a software plugin in your web browser. Zotero collects, manages, and cites research from multiple types of sources. Through Zotero you can organize your research into different folders for different projects. Zotero can create bibliographies using Word or OpenOffice. Zotero provides a series of tutorial videos to get you started.

Mendeley

Mendeley is a free reference manager that allows you to manage citations and PDFs. It includes plugins for Word and OpenOffice to create citations and/or bibliographies as you write. Unlike other similar tools, Mendeley is a social networking tool that allows you to connect and share with other researchers and students - you can even login via Facebook.

Mendeley

Library Services

Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary loan (ILL) allows us to share and borrow resources from other libraries. If you come across a book or article that UJ doesn't own, submit an ILL request and another library will lend us the item. **DO NOT pay for an article, ever. We can get it at no cost to you!**
Library Resource Mail Request
Off-campus students can request physical items from Raugust Library to be delivered to their home address. This service is free!

Search the libraries of other universities across the state!

This great expands the number of books available to you for your research. In the library catalog:

Enter your search terms or keywords into the search bar. A drop-down menu with four options will appear.
Choose the All ODIN Libraries option at the bottom - this will include resources from all other university libraries in ODIN, our state-wide network, in your search.
If you find a book or other resource that's relevant to your research, sign into the catalog and request it through Interlibrary Loan.