From here on we'll be using our meetings to check-in, as well as a Running Agenda. You can find ours for this semester in our calendar as a link!

Research Resources

Today I want to share a few helpful resources and ideas for our research going forward.

• A previous RA shared this file which will help you use better keywords when doing searches. You can also use PDF Expert (if you have an iPad or iPhone) to annotate PDF files on the go. I strongly recommend getting librarians involved in your research as well - they're brilliant and your tuition pays their salaries!

• Try using the Pomodoro technique and break your work up into 20-25 minute segments - this can help your brain concentrate better without being bogged down by hours of the same thing. It's also good for when you have less time but still want to be productive.

• Remember to ask direct questions of your mentor (me) about your lit review needs to make sure you are on the right track for your research questions. A good example of directed questions is in this blog post, which is a good read for all of you doing Lit Reviews.

• Finally, remember that our work isn't linear, whether it be lit reviews, making a codebook, coding, or anything else. All lab work is a process where we improve with each run-through. So if you start to feel like you're stuck doing the same thing over and over again, it's ok as long as each time you improve the process!

For reading articles, I highly recommend the ADIR method: read the Abstract, Discussion, Introduction, and then the Results! This will give you a good idea of the article's main points.