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Rutgers-Newark Physics Research Guide: Getting Started with Research

This research guide was created (in the Summer of 2017) to help students performing research in the Physics department at Rutgers University-Newark

1. From background information to original research articles

Researching a topic that's new to you?  

  • 1st: Learn more about the topic:
    • A book can be helpful since it's broader in scope
    • Reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias can also be useful for looking up unfamilar terms
  • 2nd: Review articles are valuable resources:
    • Providing historical background information
    • Explaining the significance of the research - why it's important to study
    • Discussing possible future directions
    • Identifying key papers (& scientists) in the subject area
  • 3rd: Read current original research articles:
    • Narrow in scope
    • More details about methodology
    • Be up-to-date on newest discoveries

2. Rutgers University Libraries Research Guides

At Rutgers University Libraries, subject specialist librarians create research guides for subject areas, courses, workshops, and more. These are a good place to learn about the different resources available for doing literature research in a certain subject area. Those that are more relevant to (Rutgers University-Newark) Physics students/scholars are:

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