prof_smartypants
Treasure-pilferin' and grog-swillin'
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,640
Kiss the baby!
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« Reply #1185 on: July 29, 2009, 06:41:15 PM » |
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If you are using a reference database (i.e. endnote), you can attach the .pdf document to the record, and then it becomes much easier to manage through endnote.
Personally, I wouldn't print them out. My lit review went through many versions, and I ended up using some articles a lot, and some not so much. Print them out when you need to bring something to read, or when you realize you really need to read the article through closely and take notes.
Good luck!
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Welcome to college, motherf*cker.
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scampster
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« Reply #1186 on: July 30, 2009, 07:21:04 PM » |
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I think I'm entering a vicious cycle of over-analysis of my data. I like analyzing my data. The methodical approach really appeals to my OCD-like tendencies. And for what I am doing now, it also means the path of work is clear. But I could do this forever and never graduate!
So I think I need to stop, plot, write, move on.
I have been doing the same analysis for five days! That is too long! I think I am using my perfectionism as an excuse for procrastination on the hard stuff (the writing).
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When you are a scientist your opinions and prejudices become facts. Science is like magic that way!
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prephd
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« Reply #1187 on: July 30, 2009, 07:56:22 PM » |
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Hi Folks,
I'm starting the first draft of my thesis proposal, and have downloaded 99% of the papers I'll need for my Lit. Review. I'm planning to read the pfd versions of everything and then go from there, but I was wondering if it might be a good idea to print everything out as well. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I hate to waste trees, but I like the idea of having a tangible copy of a reference I might need at a later date.
Also, does anyone have any suggestions on a good naming convention for papers? I have sorted everything into the major categories, but have titled the articles "Lastname Year" and am wondering if there might be a more efficient way to name these things.
Welcome, Warehouse. I print articles because I like to carry them around and read them on the train, write in the margins, etc. I sort them alpha by author in binders as well as in .pdf in EndNote. I figure that's the way they'll appear in the references, so it's better to start as I intend to finish and not reinvent the wheel. |
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Prephd, in all that black, you are like the anti-pink-me. Freewill is a beeyaaatch
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warehouse13
New member
Posts: 8
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« Reply #1188 on: July 31, 2009, 12:26:58 PM » |
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The .pdf link in Endnote is great! I'll have to explore Endnote more to see if there's any other features I didn't know about. Now I only need to find a way to imbed equations into the "Research Notes" section for each reference...
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unnamed
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« Reply #1189 on: August 04, 2009, 04:15:39 AM » |
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I have an orphan chapter. I could break it up and put it in pieces with other chapters. I think it will lose a lot of its importance if I do that. I had thought maybe I could leave this chapter out. But I like this chapter. Were I just starting, this chapter would be the centerpiece and everything else would be written in relation to this chapter. Now, this chapter says interesting thigs but I can't quite articulate the tenuous link to the bulk of the work.
I think I should have the option to submit a mindmap instead of a thesis.
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stanwyck
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« Reply #1190 on: August 04, 2009, 04:36:37 AM » |
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I have an orphan chapter. I could break it up and put it in pieces with other chapters. I think it will lose a lot of its importance if I do that. I had thought maybe I could leave this chapter out. But I like this chapter. Were I just starting, this chapter would be the centerpiece and everything else would be written in relation to this chapter. Now, this chapter says interesting thigs but I can't quite articulate the tenuous link to the bulk of the work.
I think I should have the option to submit a mindmap instead of a thesis.
Can you set it aside, and then re-work it as a separate publication after you're finished with the dissertation? |
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prephd
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« Reply #1191 on: August 04, 2009, 08:35:49 PM » |
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Good idea, Stanwyk!
I've got to get this proposal (first three chapters) ready to submit, for real, by next weekend. I've got a lot of editing to do on Chs. 1 & 2, and a lot of writing (though it's already mapped out) for Ch. 3.
Then I wait. Again.
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Prephd, in all that black, you are like the anti-pink-me. Freewill is a beeyaaatch
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unnamed
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« Reply #1192 on: August 05, 2009, 06:27:59 AM » |
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Mr Spammer, do you really think there are lot of thesis/dissertation writers in the market for gold? Be gone!
I think I'm back in the writing zone. I have a vision for the final chapter, which I will start again. That chapter has previously existed in three versions, each with between 5 000 and 10 000 words that are in my vocabulary and yet make no sense in the combinations some fool - me - put them in.
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mountainguy
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« Reply #1193 on: August 10, 2009, 04:19:06 PM » |
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Does anyone have any ideas for how to stay sane during the revisions process? I'm revising my prospectus at the moment, and it's maddeningly excruciating. I understand and agree with most of my advisor's comments, but that doesn't make implementing them any easier. In some cases, I fear that I'm just making my writing disjointed or wordy by making the requested changes.
I'm working from a list of Revision Tasks that I made. Out of the 53 tasks that I need to do, I've done 17 so far. So I'm getting there.
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marigolds
looks far too young to be a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,270
if it ain't ruff it ain't me
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« Reply #1194 on: August 10, 2009, 04:40:47 PM » |
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I did my prospectus revisions in 4 days. So I didn't stay sane...but the madness was contained in a short period. See? Procrastination is GOOD!
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"You and your mom are hillbillies. This is a house of learned doctors."
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stanwyck
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« Reply #1195 on: August 10, 2009, 11:30:54 PM » |
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Does anyone have any ideas for how to stay sane during the revisions process? I'm revising my prospectus at the moment, and it's maddeningly excruciating. I understand and agree with most of my advisor's comments, but that doesn't make implementing them any easier. In some cases, I fear that I'm just making my writing disjointed or wordy by making the requested changes.
I'm working from a list of Revision Tasks that I made. Out of the 53 tasks that I need to do, I've done 17 so far. So I'm getting there.
Do the revision tasks as needed, set aside for 24-48 hours, come back and edit for wordiness/disjointedness. It's a lot easier to revise the revisions, so to speak, once the document is more or less whole. You can spend an hour polishing up a revision paragraph, only to discover the next revision breaks it apart. Focus on the content of the revisions for the moment, allow yourself to write imperfect prose just to get the changes made, then return and work on the style at the end. |
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unnamed
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« Reply #1196 on: August 17, 2009, 02:46:29 PM » |
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Awfully quiet around these parts. Has everyone finished? Gone on vacation? Thrown their toys and refused to let the man (aka thesis/dissertation) get them down?
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scampster
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« Reply #1197 on: August 17, 2009, 03:40:39 PM » |
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Trying my darnedest right now to get this shiznit done! I'm still running into the same problem of overanalyzing data instead of writing. Tomorrow I am not allowing myself to open Matlab in the hopes that I won't mess around with the data anymore and will start writing the story for this chapter. I have a case for the story already - I'll worry about making a stronger case after the draft is written.
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When you are a scientist your opinions and prejudices become facts. Science is like magic that way!
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prephd
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« Reply #1198 on: August 17, 2009, 06:30:26 PM » |
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I'm just waiting to get feedback on Ch. 1-3 before I start revising and preparing for the proposal defense. Not a whole lot to do at this point but nail down my methods, find a few citations, format my references, and tighten up the writing. But the writing can always be tightened up.
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Prephd, in all that black, you are like the anti-pink-me. Freewill is a beeyaaatch
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synecdoche
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« Reply #1199 on: August 20, 2009, 02:11:19 PM » |
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So how come I can have a meeting with my supervisor where
1) I lay out what I'm planning to do for this chapter and he says "This sounds great"
2) He refers me to two books I've already figured out how to incorporate
3) He tells me what's missing in the brief precis I gave him and I can honestly say "I've got it covered"
And I still feel like this chapter's never getting started, much less finished?
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