Monday, December 03, 2007

Finding Scholars



Researchers sometimes forget that people are a great resource too. When you notice that several articles are by a particular scholar, you might consider checking the Web to see if they have their own Web site about their area of research.
Use Google or another search engine to search for the scholar of interest. Search on their name in quotes (for Google) - "Firstname Lastname" - and if their name is not unusual you might consider adding a keyword for their area of expertise.
On some sites, all you may get is a contact email address, while others may include a CV, full text articles - both published and in press, and other resources.
Consider emailing a scholar whose work resonates with yours. Most of the time, you will have a positive experience and a contact for the future. Be sure you are clear about who you are and your affiliation (e.g. graduate student at ITP working on your dissertation) and positively frame any questions you may have. And expressing gratitude goes a long way.