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    The research paper that taught me the difference between "summary" and "synthesis."

    I thought I knew how to write a research paper. I was wrong. My first year of grad school, I wrote a 30-page literature review. I was proud of it. I had read 80 articles. I summarized each one carefully. I organized them by topic. 📑 My advisor read it. She said: "This is a summary. Where's the...
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    Can I cite a dissertation in my research paper, or is that bad form?

    I found a dissertation that's perfect for my research. The author covers exactly the gap I'm trying to address. The only problem: it's a dissertation. Not a peer-reviewed article. Not a book from a university press. 📚 My advisor says: "Dissertations are fine to cite. But they're not the gold...
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    How do I stop adding new sources and just finish my literature review?

    I have a problem. I can't stop finding new sources. Every time I think I'm done, I find one more article. Then that article cites five more. Then those five cite ten more. It's a hydra. 🐍 My advisor says: "Your literature review doesn't need to include everything. It needs to include enough."...
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