Research and Write Effectively: Dissertation, Thesis, Term Paper
Working on a doctoral dissertation, a master's thesis, a senior capstone, or an undergraduate term paper? Meet with a subject librarian to refine your research question, design a literature review search, learn about research methods, and connect to tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Consult with a Librarian
Students are invited to meet with their subject librarian to receive help with:
- Refining a research topic
- Accessing guidance about qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design
- Locating collections of primary sources and secondary datasets
- Constructing and documenting a literature search strategy
- Evaluating the credibility of sources
- Learning about software options for gathering, storing, and analyzing data
- Using citation style guides to give credit to sources
Not sure who to contact? Chat with us online, or request a consultation to be matched with a specialist.
More Services
Looking for more ways to get help with your research? Check out these services.
Read and Write Critically: Information Literacy
Librarians can help students understand how to sift through and identify credible scholarly works.Upcoming Events
List
- Workshop
April 13, 2026
Researching Creatively!
Get a head start on finding sources for your term papers by joining librarians for this low-stakes workshop, where we will delve into how to bring creativity to your research practice.
- 1:00pm - 2:00pm
- Fisher B Level Seminar Room, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level
Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff