Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE)
This guide is intended to support students participating in the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) program as well as their supervisors, at the University of Calgary..
VIDEOS: Practical Advice for Doing Research
- What are the practical steps for doing a research project?Sage Research Methods Online
(2:10 minutes) - How do I identify a good research topic?Sage Research Methods Online
(2:18 minutes) - The Research CycleSage Research Methods Online
(1:36 minutes) - Top tips for planning your first research projectSage Research Methods Online
(5:23 minutes)
- Core Skills for New Researchers: How to communicate during the research processSage Research Methods Online
(12:49 minutes)
Dr. Zina O'Leary discusses effective communication, strategies for openness and trust, and the ABC's of influence and persuasion. - Core Skills for New Researchers: How to solve problems & make decisionsSage Research Methods Online
(11:55 minutes)
Dr. Zina O'Leary explains the problem-solving process and demonstrates its usefulness in conducting research. - Core Skills for New Researchers: Being an effective project managerSage Research Methods Online
(13:14 minutes)
Dr. Zina O'Leary discusses managing research, the five phases of project management, and provides an example of a one semester project. - Core Skills for New Researchers: How to identify & promote transferable skills for future career developmentSage Research Methods Online
(13:07 minutes)
Dr. Zina O'Leary explores the skills typically gained through the research process. O'Leary examines each skill for how it could best be leveraged in seeking employment.
- How do I manage my time during a research project?Sage Research Methods Online
(2:36 minutes) - Deadlines and project detailsSage Research Methods Online
(6:58 minutes)
- How to conduct an effective literature reviewSage Research Methods Online
(17:06 minutes) - Am I the only one struggling to write a literature review?Sage Research Methods Online
(11:05 minutes)
Dr. Zina O'Leary explains the misconceptions and struggles students often have with writing a literature review. She also provides step-by-step guidance on writing a persuasive literature review. - An introduction to literature reviewsSage Research Methods Online
(15:09 minutes)
Dr. Eric Jensen, Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, and Dr. Charles Laurie, Director of Research at Verisk Maplecroft, explain how to write a literature review, and why researchers need to do so. Literature reviews can be stand-alone research or part of a larger project. They communicate the state of academic knowledge on a given topic, specifically detailing what is still unknown.
- Academic Writing: How to get started and keep goingSage Research Methods Online
(3:21 minutes) - What are some tips for writing up my research?Sage Research Methods Online
(1:59 minutes) - How do I present my research at a conference?Sage Research Methods Online
(2:39 minutes) - How do I publish a journal articleSage Research Methods Online
(2:05 minutes)
READINGS: Doing Research
- Doing Your Undergraduate ProjectAdvice is given on all that is involved in undertaking a project, from the choice of the topic through writing the proposal, reviewing the literature, selecting and using methods of investigation, recording, interpreting and discussing results to drawing conclusions and writing the final report.
- Research: The journey from pondering to publishing"The book has been divided into three sections, each containing several chapters. The first deals with the first steps, such as characterizing and defining research. The second focuses on accomplishing research through exploring various methodologies and approaches for actualizing research. The final section deals with writing research proposals for funding as well as writing to publish". (p. 2)
- Doing academic research"Introduction to scientific writing that takes care of all aspects of academic research. The author explains how to design a research project, describes the research process, defines research types, designs, methods and instruments, shows how to analyse and interpret data, and how to present the research."
- How to Read a PaperHealth Sciences focus.
How to Read a Paper explains what to look for in different types of papers and how best to evaluate the literature and then implement the findings in an evidence-based, patient-centred way.
Many chapters, though, are relevant to numerous disciplines. These topics covered include: Why read papers?; Searching the literature; Getting your bearings: What is this paper about; Assessing methodological quality; Statistics for the non-statistician.
- A scientific approach to scientific writing"This volume systematically guides readers through the process of writing scientific papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals, and addressing referees’ responses. "
- Scientiric writing 2.0: A reader and writer's guide:The book helps scientists write papers for scientific journals. Using the key parts of typical scientific papers (Title, Abstract, Introduction, Visuals, Structure, and Conclusions), it shows through numerous examples, how to achieve the essential qualities required in scientific writing, namely being clear, concise, convincing, fluid, interesting, and organized. "
- Writing the literature review: A practical guide"This accessible text provides a roadmap for producing a high-quality literature review--an integral part of a successful thesis, dissertation, term paper, or grant proposal. Each step of searching for, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing prior studies is clearly explained and accompanied by user-friendly suggestions, organizational tips, vignettes, and examples of student work."
Additional Resources
The library has Research Guides (just like this one) for all disciplines. These are a great starting point for identifying what the best resources in your subject area are.
Your subject librarian can set up remote consultations via Zoom to ensure you have what you need. They can also connect you to other experts within the library depending on your information needs. To find your librarian, you can use the subject drop-down from this link:
If you can’t find your librarian, you can also use this online form and we will connect with you.
- Last Updated: Jan 31, 2023 5:29 PM
- URL: https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/guides/PURE
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