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From citation managers to generative AI, there are lots of tools that can help you in your research and get your research noticed. Plus be sure to use the writing center and career services on campus for more help!
The other tabs go in depth on certain topics, but here's an overview of some key tools/resources to help with anything from class projects to furthering your career:
Looking for journals to publish in or rankings? Try the databases below to explore by subject area, title, ISSN and more!
LaTeX (pronounced Lay-tech or Lah-tech) is an excellent tool that can simplify your writing processes if you work with lots of equations or need more direct content management than MS Word. Here are some resources to get you started:
If you are looking for more learning, be sure to catch a workshop (search for "latex") or watch a recording (materials in Github). If you need one-on-one support, schedule a consultation or contact Dr. Sarah Over.
There are so many AI tools available today, but many are not suitable for academic and/or research applications... In the Libraries we recommend assessing each tool when you use it for applicability to your research project!
This technology certainly has plenty of room to grow, so be sure to verify and validate your results when using it for technical applications (Why? See how ChatGPT can generate fake data).
Here are some AI options to get you started:
Be sure to check out our AI Guide for more info on AI (guides.lib.vt.edu/ai) and the great information from TLOS (tlos.vt.edu/resources/generative-ai.html)!
Other tools with machine learning and similar technology:
Starting a literature review? Or not sure how to get started? Try the handout below or follow these steps to start and finish your literature review:
What about Systematic Reviews, Scoping Reviews or other specialized review types? Reach out to us for help or to partner on a joint review! These projects are typically months long and require a team of 3 or more people when done in full (common for graduate students to do "rapid" version with just themselves).
So, You Have to Write a Literature Review
by
Is a literature review looming in your future? Are you procrastinating on writing a literature review at this very moment? If so, this is the book for you. Writing often causes trepidation and procrastination for engineering students--issues that compound while writing a literature review, a type of academic writing most engineers are never formally taught. Consider this workbook as a "couch-to-5k" program for engineering writers rather than runners: if you complete the activities in this book from beginning to end, you will have a literature review draft ready for revision and content editing by your research advisor. So, You Have to Write a Literature Review presents a dynamic and practical method in which engineering students--typically late-career undergraduates or graduate students--can learn to write literature reviews, and translate genre-based writing instruction into easy-to-follow, bite-sized activities and content. Written in a refreshingly conversational style while acknowledging that writing is quite difficult, Catherine Berdanier and Joshua Lenart leverage their unique disciplinary backgrounds with decades of experience teaching academic engineering writing in this user-friendly workbook.
Working on a thesis or dissertation?
Looking for example theses or dissertations?
And remember... A good thesis/dissertation is a done thesis/dissertation! Work towards completion, not perfection and when you need help, use the resources available like us in the libraries and the Writing Center.
No matter what type of research output you have produced, think about how to share it with your global research community! Besides conventional journal articles and conference proceedings there are many, many other options out there including:
Looking for how to make your research open? Check out VT's Open Access discounts - some are even free!
Not sure about your research output? Have something unique that does not fit these types of repositories? Ask Dr. Sarah Over for help or reach out via any of the links above to folks who run those sites.
There are also tools to help with research impact and intelligence, which are great whether you are hunting for a job, looking for information on candidates, learning about a company's research strengths and more. Try the resources below or reach out to Dr. Sarah Over to learn more!
