Q: Gathering useful resources for future publication

Detailed Question -

I am a graduate student. How can I accumulate useful resources for future publication?

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

To begin with, read some good research papers in your field to familiarize yourself with the significant developments in your field. You can ask your professor or a mentor to give you a list of significant studies in your field.

On reading a few papers, you will be slightly familiar with the basic structure and organization of a good paper. Then you can read with a slightly more critical/analytical approach, that will help you evaluate each article or book that you are reading.

Here are a set of questions that can help you understand and evaluate a study:

1. What is the main thesis or research question of the study

2. What is its significance?

3. How good are the basic components of the study design?

4. Is the analysis of the data relevant to the research question?

5. Do the data and analysis logically lead to the conclusions?

6. In what ways does the article contribute to the field of your research?

Make notes whenever you read an article. Include all citations and references in your notes. This will make the actual writing process easier as you will not have to hunt for citations at the time of writing your paper. 

You can create different folders according to the topic and store your notes in relevant folders. That way, you can build a database of useful resources by the time you are ready to write your own paper.