Graduate Students' Library Guide

A Curriculum Vitae or CV is an academic document used to showcase one's credentials, certifications, research, and affiliations. It is mainly used for academic, scientific, and medical jobs and is typically detailed to several pages long. A CV is different from a Resume in that it summarizes a person's education and qualifications. Most importantly, your CV should be customized to the position you are applying to.

Basic Outline 

• Your information
• Education
• Honors and Awards
• Research Experience and Interests
• Relevant Professional Experience and Certifications (Professional Service)
  • Can include University/College Service, Community Engagement
• Conferences, Lectures, Workshops, and Symposia
• Professional memberships and associations
• Teaching/Mentoring Experience
• Publications
• References

A Precis is a formal summary of a non-fictional work in which the writer must extract the maximum information and convey this information in the minimum of words. Thus, report the essence of the subject being covered in a manner that is both clear and concise.

The main parts may vary depending on the course, so always check with your instructor.

• Introduction
  • One sentence includes the author's name, article/book title, date of publication, and topic.
  • A rhetorical verb (assert, argue, disprove, explain) the author's primary purpose.
  • The thesis statement of the book or novel.
• Main body/Abstract
  • Write a sentence clarifying how the author formulates and further explains the main point of the reading.
  • One sentence that reflects the author's purpose
  • One sentence describing the presumed audience
• Conclusion
  • Restate the central claim used to develop the evidence.

With the combination of theory and analysis, Field reports are for the purpose of describing an observed person, place, or event and the analysis of the observation data in order to identify and categorize common themes in their relation to the research’s problem(s) underpinning the study. These types of reports are found mostly in applied social sciences: social work, anthropology, gerontology, criminal justice, education, law, the health care professions.

Forms of data for the field report can be: notes taken during observations, photography, illustrations, or audio recordings. 

Outline

            Introduction

This should include basic information about the study from the organization and setting of the study, the focus of the study and the specific objective and important theories or concepts that are the main point of the study.

            Description of Activities

This part of the report should include the 5 W’s: What, Where, When, Who, Why. Making it crucial to provide sufficient details to place context of the analysis that will follow.  

            Interpretation and Analysis

Place the analysis and interpretations of the field observations within a larger context of the theories and issues expressed in the introduction. As well as, express certain points like what meaning of your observations, why you think what you do of the observations, what was unusual or out of the ordinary, and are there any connections or patterns.

Only base your interpretation on what you have actually observed.

            Conclusion and Recommendations

                        This part should recap the points of the report and point to the importance of your observations.

            Appendix

Place the information that is not essential to explaining the findings, but further support or validate your analysis here. Examples of this information could be: figures, tables, charts, and graphs, to name a few.

            Reference List

 A list of all the sources used and where information was obtained from while writing your report. Field reports do not generally include further reading or extended bibliographies, make sure to check with your professor on the list of sources that should be included.

Comprehensive Exams are there to ensure that you know the material and that you are prepared for the job market. And knowing the material in your field is essential when it comes to being published or teaching this information. 

• Know the basics: when, where, what are your exams?

  • Does it tell you a specific date for your exams?

  • Does it tell you what semester you are expected to have completed it?

  • Where will it be held?

  • What is the format/how many questions must you answer?

  • Do you know the questions in advance?

• Make sure you clearly understand what your committee members expect from you in a comprehensive exam. 

  • Talk with previous cohorts. They have a wealth of knowledge about how your specific graduate program works.

• Assess how much time you have to prepare and plan accordingly

  • Make sure that the time spent on each topic is proportional to its representation in your exams.

  • If you have questions about the exams, make sure to get the answers early on.

• Take notes on all your readings.

  • Structure and organize your notes in a manner that will make them readily accessible to you during the short period you have to write.

    • An outline

    • 3x5 note cards

    • 25 to 50-word paragraphs

• Make sure you know the range of possible questions and know exactly how you would respond. 

• Take practice comps. 

• Remember, you are not writing a thesis on each of these topics. You need to write enough to show that you know what you are talking about.