PM me your email :)

Do you still need the first one? If so, I have access to it.

Hi,
does anyone have access to this thesis: http://gradworks.umi.com/32/66/3266492.html?
I would gladly ask the author to send me a copy, but her professional email address is nowhere to be found… So your help would be much appreciated!

Pretty please? Even one - this: http://search.proquest.com/openview/c8805e5134c728c51bdf458f556b11c4/1?pq-origsite=gscholar - will make me happy.

Hello, does anyone have access to these two papers?

I used to mark places where references should be and insert them after writing the whole thing, convinced that this makes everything easier and faster. But sometimes I was searching for the source far too long to consider this easy. I switched to the method mentioned by Tree - I note the author's name and page number and then I turn it into proper reference.

Got it :) Thanks!

Hi, MeaninginLife, thanks for your suggestion. I was only able to read the abstract as my uni does not provide access to this paper. I think I’ll read it if I have a chance to access it but, if I understood correctly, this paper might not be very relevant in this particular case. As I wrote, the A term is used as a metaphor and the B author is not very concerned in its exact characteristics. I (and probably also C&D) decided to use this X definition not because it’s the most precise way to describe what A really is but because it (rather accidentally) defines A in terms that are closer to the field in which B used it than to the original field to which A belongs. So this hard scientific, meticulous approach to defining may not be so helpful in this not very precision-concerned case (hopefully this explanation is precise enough). Anyway, thanks for your advice, I'll keep it for future reference :)

I can add something about how tricky it is to judge someone's private life without really knowing the person. There was someone about who I used to think "wow, so many achievements, such knowledge of the field and everything while being a married parent, responsible and happy". Then I accidentally found out that this person had some serious problems in the relationship, problems that were entirely this person's fault. Since then I always say to myself that we can never tell what's really happening in someone's life.

Hi wanderingbit, thanks for both suggestions - I'm not a native English speaker, so feel free to correct my mistakes :)

Thanks a lot, GFilip! I think I'll insert a footnote, just to be calm about it :)

Anyone, please? The deadline for this thing is approaching...

Rospus, by now you've probably been made to decide what to do so it's not like I can advise you anything but... Are there really no real world implications in this new project? Maybe you would be able to connect it with some side activities that would somehow matter? Is there any possibility to slightly reorient this proposition made by your supervisor (s/he gave much freedom the first time so maybe there is a chance to readjust something now)?

Zutterfly, I'm sorry to hear that you're having such problems cause it's obviously not your fault. Is there anyone at your own faculty, maybe your supervisor, who may be able to give you some advice about dealing with this delicate matter? If you don't have anyone trusted who would come up with a better idea, then maybe you should decide to talk overtly with this person - stating that you can sense that your presence is not welcomed and that you do not wish to work there much longer - all you want to do is finish classes you teach and leave in peace. I wonder if this can somehow make things worse but maybe it's a safer option than complaining to someone else. Is there any possibility that this manager-person answers your course related-questions...? You may ask him/her for help and explain that you don't want to waste Unpleasant Staff Member time because you have a feeling that s/he's been busy lately...
I hope you'll manage to sort things out!

I would probably make some light comment about these untrue things they told about you, just in order to let them know that this kind of behavior won’t be unnoticed and won’t get them far. After that I would try to act normally and not react to any future unpleasantries. I understood that not everyone in your group is like this gossipy people? I would probably stick to those who aren’t and limit my help to them – you should not waste your time on people who can’t value your friendly ways.