Richard de Neufville's TPP SM Thesis Manual - Title Page - MIT

A most important remark for anyone doing a literature search: write down the fullreference (including page numbers and other details) of any work you think youmight eventually cite. You may think this is unnecessary because you willremember how to find it, but two months later many people find that they havelost track of references. It is aggravating to have to look for everything all overagain, especially when you are preparing the final draft of the bibliography andyour graduation deadlines is only a week away.Computer SearchesIt is much easier to use a computer to search for a reference than to use thetraditional index cards. They are particularly convenient when you can use themremotely, from your office or home.But beware: Computer searches can generate a lot of useless material. Theyemphasize quantity rather indiscriminately. You need to complement computersearches with some ideas – usefully obtained from experienced colleagues –about which authors or research groups have done the best work, and whichjournals are likely to have the most relevant and most reputable work.Beware especially of the web! It is seductively attractive – and frequentlyuntrustworthy. It is attractive because it offers quick, 24-hour, convenient accessto pages with statements about every conceivable topic.The web is untrustworthy because there is no – repeat no – quality control.Practically anybody can post whatever they want. There is no objective review ofanything that appears.In looking at the web, you are looking at press releases. The people postingmaterial on the web want to make themselves or their ideas look good. They canpresent whatever “facts” they want, can give you only the good news, and havelittle reason to present opposing ideas fairly if at all.The material on the web cannot be double-checked. It is here today and may begone tomorrow. Its sources can vanish without trace. Newspapers at least arearchived and many can be viewed on microfilm. The web, however, is atransient source of suggestions, some excellent, others most dubious.Bibliographic Systems to be AvoidedMany systems of preparing references and bibliographies exist and are “correct”in the sense that they meet acceptable norms of scholarship and are used byjournals. But some of these systems turn out to be exasperatingly difficult toprepare in practice. So be careful about your selection.Thesis Definition and Preparation -- Richard de Neufville 26