Today's researchers have access to more information than ever before.
Yet the new material is both overwhelming in quantity and variable in
quality. How can scholars survive these twin problems and produce
groundbreaking research using the physical and electronic resources
available in the modern university research library? In Digital Paper,
Andrew Abbott provides some much-needed answers to that question.
Abbott tells what every senior researcher knows: that research is not a
mechanical, linear process, but a thoughtful and adventurous journey
through a nonlinear world. He breaks library research down into seven
basic and simultaneous tasks: design, search, scanning/browsing,
reading, analyzing, filing, and writing. He moves the reader through the
phases of research, from confusion to organization, from vague idea to
polished result. He teaches how to evaluate data and prior research; how
to follow a trail to elusive treasures; how to organize a project; when
to start over; when to ask for help. He shows how an understanding of
scholarly values, a commitment to hard work, and the flexibility to
change direction combine to enable the researcher to turn a daunting
mass of found material into an effective paper or thesis.
More than a mere how-to manual, Abbott's guidebook helps teach good
habits for acquiring knowledge, the foundation of knowledge worth
knowing. Those looking for ten easy steps to a perfect paper may want to
look elsewhere. But serious scholars, who want their work to stand the
test of time, will appreciate Abbott's unique, forthright approach and
relish every page of Digital Paper.