Civil & Environmental Engineering

As you complete your research, documentation is key - take notes on all aspects of your project, from background research to methods to results.  Depending on your research field, notes may include:

• Why you chose one research approach over another
• Assumptions made prior to experiments/analyses
• Comments within code
• Metadata
• Manufacturer/batch information

Besides preparing for questions from a graduate committee, the reasons for keeping good documentation include:

• Preparing for writing an article or thesis/dissertation
• Having data available and usable for future researchers
• Keeping within proper scientific ethics - people can trust your work!

LaTeX is a wonderful tool that can simplify your writing process, and if you are looking to get started, some resources are included here:

• latex-project.org - main site for LaTeX releases, development and how to get LaTeX
• ctan.org - Comprehensive TeX Archive Network, find information about the 5700+ packages you can use in LaTeX
• tex.stackexchange.com - community Q&A all about LaTeX, if you have a question go here first
• overleaf.com/learn - free online LaTeX editor that has a well-developed help section with information from getting started to details of document formats
• UMD LaTeX Template - use this for your theses and dissertations