Grad Student Resources

Here are some useful resources for students and research group members.

Thesis Preparation

This section discusses how to organize the thesis work.

The PhD Candidacy Report

Ina PhD program, there is a preliminary examination to ensure that the provisional candidate has both the background knowledge and a plan for successful completion of the proposed topic. Here are a few points about how to prepare the candidacy report.

Presenting a Research Poster

Many conferences have both presentations of papers and poster sessions, where a large single page summarizing some research is posted and there are times when the researcher is available to speak to the work.

Publishing a Paper

Writing is hard. Publishing is sometimes harder. Here are some tips about selecting a publication venue, how to prepare the manuscript and submit it, and respond to reviewer comments.

Writing Guides

There are many resources available to help with writing. Technical writing is a specialization, with its own culture and rules of thumb.

On-Campus Resources

We are fortunate at the university of Alberta to have a number of resources available on campus as well as in the community to help us hone our writing skills.

Thesis Defence

Defending the thesis is a daunting challenge. Knowledge of what the process is helps make this challenge less scary.

Intellectual Property Protection

Wondering whether your idea should be protected? Most research is published, which gives the creator of the knowledge recognition and copyright (which may, in some cases, be assigned to a journal or other publication, with limits). Other ways to establish your ownership of intellectual property include patents and trademarks. A quick guide to these strategies is found at

https://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/index.php?title=Trademarks,_Copyright_and_Other_Intellectual_Property_(No._231)

Professor, Mechanical Engineering