academic-research

# Academic Research > Complete research lifecycle: project setup, literature review, writing, publication, and defense. --- ## Project Structure ``` research-project/ ├── .github/ │ └── copilot-instructions.md # Research context for the AI assistant ├── docs/ │ ├── RESEARCH-PLAN.md # Questions, timeline, milestones │ ├── METHODOLOGY.md # Design decisions │ └── DECISION-LOG.md # Key decisions with rationale ├── data/ │ ├── raw/ # Untouched source data │ ├── processed/ # Cleaned/transformed │ └── DATA-DICTIONARY.md # Variable definitions ├── analysis/ │ ├── scripts/ # Analysis code │ └── outputs/ # Figures, tables ├── writing/ │ ├── drafts/ # Work in progress │ └── submissions/ # Submitted versions ├── references/ │ ├── LITERATURE-MATRIX.md # Systematic tracking │ └── notes/ # Reading notes └── README.md ``` ### Quick Setup ```bash mkdir -p .github docs data/{raw,processed} analysis/{scripts,outputs} writing/{drafts,submissions} references/notes touch docs/RESEARCH-PLAN.md docs/METHODOLOGY.md references/LITERATURE-MATRIX.md .github/copilot-instructions.md ``` --- ## Research Project Types | Type | Duration | Output | Review | |------|----------|--------|--------| | Master's Thesis | 1-2 years | 80-150 pages | Committee defense | | PhD Dissertation | 3-7 years | 150-300...