1. Starting Your Research: Literature Search ImportanceSkillsStepsSuggestions Google and other search engines are only useful as the very first step!

2. Review of the First Steps: From Interest to Topic 1. Choose an Interest Area and read a magazine or a newspaper article in that field or read a magazine or a newspaper article in that field or find a section or a chapter in a textbook t, find a section or a chapter in a textbook t, and write down questions on the reading and write down questions on the reading 2. Make a list of possible Topics of interest 3. For each Topic make a list of possible Questions of study 4. For each Question list the purpose and possible outcomes of the research 5. Choose one Topic and start a literature search on that topic

3. By Author’s name Author’s website may contain: actual recent papers actual recent papers abstracts of other papers abstracts of other papers coauthors names, affiliations coauthors names, affiliationsExample: G. H. Miley, “The IEC Device as a Low Cost Student Experiment with a Burning Fusion Plasma”, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Washington, D.C., Vol. 46, No. 2, p 157, April-May, (2001). G. H. Miley, “The IEC Device as a Low Cost Student Experiment with a Burning Fusion Plasma”, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Washington, D.C., Vol. 46, No. 2, p 157, April-May, (2001). G. H. Miley, “Gridded IEC Discharge Physics with an Auxiliary Ion Source”, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Washington, D.C., Vol. 46, No. 2, p 120, April-May, (2001). G. H. Miley, “Gridded IEC Discharge Physics with an Auxiliary Ion Source”, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Washington, D.C., Vol. 46, No. 2, p 120, April-May, (2001). Are these published in journals, conference proceedings, books? Look for the answer and then follow the lead…

4. Follow the trail: search the listed society meeting abstracts http://www.aps.org/search.html http://www.aps.org/search.html http://www.aps.org/search.html Search results for 'miley' Search results for 'miley' Match: Format: Sort by: Refine search: Change part of site to search? Documents 1 - 10 of 111 matches. Match: Format: Sort by: Refine search: Change part of site to search? Documents 1 - 10 of 111 matches. Session J1 - Poster Session II. Session J1 - Poster Session II. Session J1 - Poster Session II. Session J1 - Poster Session II. Previous session | Next session Session J1 - Poster Session II. POSTER session, Sunday afternoon, April 06 Regency A, Loews Philadelphia Hotel [J1.001] New Precision Measurements Methods [J1.002] Low energy muons in ion traps Xiang Fei (Central Institute for Precision Study) Introducing low energy... http://www.aps.org/meet/APR03/baps/abs/S2410.html 04/28/03, 47913 bytes Previous session | Next session Session J1 - Poster Session II. POSTER session, Sunday afternoon, April 06 Regency A, Loews Philadelphia Hotel [J1.001] New Precision Measurements Methods [J1.002] Low energy muons in ion traps Xiang Fei (Central Institute for Precision Study) Introducing low energy... http://www.aps.org/meet/APR03/baps/abs/S2410.html 04/28/03, 47913 bytes http://www.aps.org/meet/APR03/baps/abs/S2410.html

5. Follow the trail: on to the society’s meeting abstracts Session J1 - Poster Session II. POSTER session, Sunday afternoon, April 06 Regency A, Loews Philadelphia Hotel Session J1 - Poster Session II. POSTER session, Sunday afternoon, April 06 Regency A, Loews Philadelphia Hotel [J1.014] Stability of Electrons in the Virtual Cathode Region of an IECStability of Electrons in the Virtual Cathode Region of an IEC Hyng-Jin Kim, George Miley, Hiromu Momota (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, 103 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801 USA) In the Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) device, electrons are confined inside a virtual anode that in turn confines ions. Prior stability studies [1, 2] have considered systems in which one species is electrostatically confined by the other, and either or both species are out of local thermal equilibrium. In the present research, electron stability in the virtual cathode region of an ion injected IEC is being studied. The ion density in an IEC is non-uniform due to the radial electrostatic potential, and increases toward the center region. The potential near the virtual cathode is assumed to have a parabolic shape and is determined assuming that the net space charge density is constant in that region. The corresponding ion distribution function is assumed to have the form f = C [sigma] (H W) /L^0.5 and the electron response is taken to be diabatic. Then using a variational principle after linearizing the hydrodynamic equations, stability properties of the electron layer are determined. Results will be presented as a function of injected ion/electron current ratios. 1. L. Chacon and D. C. Barnes, Phys. Plasma 7, 4774 (2000). 2. D. C. Barnes, L. Chacon, and J. M. Finn, Phys. Plasmas 9, 4448 (2002).

6. By Key Words Example: Discharge in Water Example: Discharge in Water Google search results: [DOC]Lake Superior Discharge/Water Quality Directory Structure and... File Format: Microsoft Word 97 - View as HTML Lake Superior Discharge/Water Quality Directory Structure and File Description:... sault.txt (water depth and discharge for July 1998 at Sault Ste. Marie).... www.rsi.mtu.edu/rsidata/superior_watershed/ metadata.doc – Google search results: [DOC]Lake Superior Discharge/Water Quality Directory Structure and... File Format: Microsoft Word 97 - View as HTML Lake Superior Discharge/Water Quality Directory Structure and File Description:... sault.txt (water depth and discharge for July 1998 at Sault Ste. Marie).... www.rsi.mtu.edu/rsidata/superior_watershed/ metadata.doc –Lake Superior Discharge/Water Quality Directory Structure and...View as HTMLLake Superior Discharge/Water Quality Directory Structure and...View as HTML New key words: Electrical Breakdown Water or Dielectric Breakdown in Water New key words: Electrical Breakdown Water or Dielectric Breakdown in Water These can be only a result of primary background reading

7. Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Results of a GOOGLE Search: Results of a GOOGLE Search: Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Device Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) Garrett... Tips for Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Investigators - Tom Ligon. Technical... torsatron.tripod.com/fusor/ - 6k - Sep 20, 2003 Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Device Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) Garrett... Tips for Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Investigators - Tom Ligon. Technical... torsatron.tripod.com/fusor/ - 6k - Sep 20, 2003Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion DeviceInertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Device SOURCES at the above link: SOURCES at the above link: The Farnsworth/Hirsch Fusor: How a Small Vacuum System and a Bit of Basket Weaving Will Get You a Working Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement Neutron Source, by Richard Hull and more The Farnsworth/Hirsch Fusor: How a Small Vacuum System and a Bit of Basket Weaving Will Get You a Working Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement Neutron Source, by Richard Hull and more In that source’s: “FURTHER READING:” In that source’s: “FURTHER READING:” Robert Hirsch, Inertial-Electrostatic confinement of Ionized Gases, Journal of Applied Physics, 38, October 1967. Robert Hirsch, Inertial-Electrostatic confinement of Ionized Gases, Journal of Applied Physics, 38, October 1967. G.H. Miley, J. Javedani, Y. Yamamoto, R. Nebel, J. Nadler, Y. Gu, A. Satsangi and R. Heck, Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Neutron/Proton Source, AIP Conference Proceedings 299, Dense Z- Pinches, AIP, New York, 1994. G.H. Miley, J. Javedani, Y. Yamamoto, R. Nebel, J. Nadler, Y. Gu, A. Satsangi and R. Heck, Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Neutron/Proton Source, AIP Conference Proceedings 299, Dense Z- Pinches, AIP, New York, 1994.

8. Searching College Libraries by author, publication, and/or keyword Rutgers: http://www.iris.rutgers.edu/ IRIS search database Rutgers: http://www.iris.rutgers.edu/ IRIS search databaseIRIS search databaseIRIS search database Princeton: http://libweb.princeton.edu/ Princeton: http://libweb.princeton.edu/ Princeton Library catalog Princeton Library catalogPrinceton Library catalogPrinceton Library catalog PPPL: http://www.pppl.gov/library/ Library searches Princeton also PPPL: http://www.pppl.gov/library/ Library searches Princeton alsoLibrary searches Princeton alsoLibrary searches Princeton also These libraries carry all types of publications including research journals and conference proceedings These libraries carry all types of publications including research journals and conference proceedings

9. Other Searchable Databases (there are many more!) American Institute of Physics http://www.aip.org American Institute of Physics http://www.aip.orghttp://www.aip.org Institute of Physics http://www.iop.org Institute of Physics http://www.iop.orghttp://www.iop.org Bioinformatics at Weizmann Institute http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/index.html Bioinformatics at Weizmann Institute http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/index.html http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/index.html FlyBase: A Database of the Drosophila Genome http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il:7083/ FlyBase: A Database of the Drosophila Genome http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il:7083/ http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il:7083/ Species Specific Databases: Molecular Biology Databases on the Internet - Species-Specific Databases http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/mb/db/species_specific_databas es.html Species Specific Databases: Molecular Biology Databases on the Internet - Species-Specific Databases http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/mb/db/species_specific_databas es.html http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/mb/db/species_specific_databas es.html http://bip.weizmann.ac.il/mb/db/species_specific_databas es.html American Psychological Association Journals http://www.apa.org/journals/ American Psychological Association Journals http://www.apa.org/journals/ http://www.apa.org/journals/

10. Searchable Data Bases http://www.ingentaconnect.com/ http://www.ingentaconnect.com/ http://www.ingentaconnect.com/ http://www.sciencedirect.com/ http://www.sciencedirect.com/ http://www.sciencedirect.com/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycarticles /index.aspx http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycarticles /index.aspx http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycarticles /index.aspx http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycarticles /index.aspx http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/guesthome.jsp http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/guesthome.jsp http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/guesthome.jsp

11. The choice of a database and a publication Example: Iop Search engine searching The Journal of Applied Physics Example: Iop Search engine searching The Journal of Applied Physics J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 (21 March 2003) 661-665 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 (21 March 2003) 661-665 Ignition phase and steady-state structures of a non-thermal air plasma Ignition phase and steady-state structures of a non-thermal air plasma XinPei Lu and Mounir Laroussi Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA E-mail: mlarouss@odu.edu Received 19 November 2002 Published 26 February 2003 XinPei Lu and Mounir Laroussi Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA E-mail: mlarouss@odu.edu Received 19 November 2002 Published 26 February 2003 XinPei LuMounir Laroussimlarouss@odu.edu XinPei LuMounir Laroussimlarouss@odu.edu Abstract. An AC-driven, non-thermal, atmospheric pressure air plasma is generated within the gap separating a disc-shaped metal electrode and a water electrode. The ignition phase and the steady-state are studied by a high-speed CCD camera. It is found that the plasma always initiates at the surface of the water electrode. The plasma exhibits different structures depending on the polarity of the water electrode: when the water electrode plays the role of cathode, a relatively wide but visibly dim plasma column is generated. At the maximum driving voltage, the gas temperature is between 800 and 900 K, and the peak current is 67 mA; when the water electrode is anode, the plasma column narrows but increases its light emission. The gas temperature in this case is measured to be in the 1400–1500 K range, and the peak current is 81 mA. Abstract. An AC-driven, non-thermal, atmospheric pressure air plasma is generated within the gap separating a disc-shaped metal electrode and a water electrode. The ignition phase and the steady-state are studied by a high-speed CCD camera. It is found that the plasma always initiates at the surface of the water electrode. The plasma exhibits different structures depending on the polarity of the water electrode: when the water electrode plays the role of cathode, a relatively wide but visibly dim plasma column is generated. At the maximum driving voltage, the gas temperature is between 800 and 900 K, and the peak current is 67 mA; when the water electrode is anode, the plasma column narrows but increases its light emission. The gas temperature in this case is measured to be in the 1400–1500 K range, and the peak current is 81 mA. Success due to the choice of the publication searched and the database used

12. Attention! Author(s) – record all names and affiliations Author(s) – record all names and affiliations Date – start with research papers within the past five years, move back in time while acquiring background Date – start with research papers within the past five years, move back in time while acquiring background Publication – name of the journal or book and the publisher or the name of the organization for conference proceedings Publication – name of the journal or book and the publisher or the name of the organization for conference proceedings Co-authors – may lead in a new direction, carefully record the same as above Co-authors – may lead in a new direction, carefully record the same as above