Part II – Mapping the Research Landscape¶
“You can’t contribute to a field you don’t understand. Before you build your thesis, learn the terrain of where ideas live, get published, and get cited.”
🌐 Understanding the World You’re Entering¶
Once you’ve chosen your direction, you might feel tempted to dive straight into coding or writing.
But research isn’t just about building something new—it’s about building on what’s already been done. And to do that, you need to understand the ecosystem of academic research:
Where is knowledge stored? How is it shared? What makes some papers more important or trusted than others?
This part of the handbook will teach you to read the map before making your mark.
What You’ll Master in This Part¶
- The differences between journals, conferences, workshops, and preprints
- Where and how to find papers that actually matter for your field
- The role of publishers and academic platforms like IEEE, ACM, DBLP, and Google Scholar
- How to evaluate the credibility and quality of a research venue (and how to start small)
Chapter Breakdown¶
| Chapter | Title | What You’ll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Types of Academic Publications | Journals vs. conferences, peer review vs. preprints, and why the format matters |
| 5 | Major Publishers & Platforms | The key players: IEEE, ACM, Springer, Elsevier, and platforms like DBLP, arXiv |
| 6 | What Makes a Good Research Venue? | Ranking systems (CORE, h5-index), red flags, and tips for beginners |
Why This Part Matters¶
Many students spend weeks reading random PDFs, unsure if the papers are relevant, credible, or even peer-reviewed.
This part will help you:
- Avoid “PDF hoarding” and focus your reading
- Understand the lifecycle of a research paper—from submission to citation
- Recognize which venues are respected in your domain (and which to avoid)
- Start building a reading strategy that supports your future writing
Bottom line: If your research journey is a hike, this part is your map and compass.
By the end of Part II, you won’t just be consuming research—you’ll know how to navigate it.