Tools for Success
There are a few tools that I find really helpful in my research. These are a few.
NoodleTools
I've been using NoodleTools from before I started my doctoral studies. I like the way it helps me create citations in APA format, the personal assistance you can get by email and the online access to my citations. It has recently undergone a refresh which improves it significantly. A spell check would be a nice addition (though you will likely use the spell checker in your word processor anyway...but there are advantages to having it in your citation manager) and a global search just has to happen. Despite them, I'm sticking with NT.
Google Scholar
Nova has a very, very good library with lots of online journals. Still, it's nice to start with Google Scholar. Without having to sign in, I can sometimes find a quick citation/paper to get a course post done quickly. Also, it might find a paper faster than in Nova where you have to query each database separately (well, you can use ERIC, but doesn't cover all of the literature either).
Facebook
Yes, because we have a very supportive ITDE community established. Over 100 students asking and answering questions, giving moral support when the dissertation seems like just too much. All the more important in an online community of students.
Wikipedia
In the academic world, Wikipedia is probably more embarrassing or controversial a tool than Facebook. But, it is a great place to start research or to get an explanation of a topic or concept. A well developed article has references to follow up on which are the ones you could use in a paper. Just don't tell your prof where you started (unless s/he is open to Wikipedia).
Apple Products
In a strange way, my iPhone, iPad and iMac have been my best friends in many doctoral courses. Given the field, several courses have required videos, audio segments and web sites. All of these projects have been accomplished using my Apple team. I've used GarageBand (badly) and iWeb (not as badly) primarily. The Blackboard Mobile Learn app allows me to participate in my online courses while on the move with my iPhone or iPad.
NoodleTools
I've been using NoodleTools from before I started my doctoral studies. I like the way it helps me create citations in APA format, the personal assistance you can get by email and the online access to my citations. It has recently undergone a refresh which improves it significantly. A spell check would be a nice addition (though you will likely use the spell checker in your word processor anyway...but there are advantages to having it in your citation manager) and a global search just has to happen. Despite them, I'm sticking with NT.
Google Scholar
Nova has a very, very good library with lots of online journals. Still, it's nice to start with Google Scholar. Without having to sign in, I can sometimes find a quick citation/paper to get a course post done quickly. Also, it might find a paper faster than in Nova where you have to query each database separately (well, you can use ERIC, but doesn't cover all of the literature either).
Yes, because we have a very supportive ITDE community established. Over 100 students asking and answering questions, giving moral support when the dissertation seems like just too much. All the more important in an online community of students.
Wikipedia
In the academic world, Wikipedia is probably more embarrassing or controversial a tool than Facebook. But, it is a great place to start research or to get an explanation of a topic or concept. A well developed article has references to follow up on which are the ones you could use in a paper. Just don't tell your prof where you started (unless s/he is open to Wikipedia).
Apple Products
In a strange way, my iPhone, iPad and iMac have been my best friends in many doctoral courses. Given the field, several courses have required videos, audio segments and web sites. All of these projects have been accomplished using my Apple team. I've used GarageBand (badly) and iWeb (not as badly) primarily. The Blackboard Mobile Learn app allows me to participate in my online courses while on the move with my iPhone or iPad.