Here are some resources about doing research that I found useful.
Inspirational
- "You and Your Research" by Richard Hamming.
Transcript of a very inspirational talk in which Hamming discusses the atmosphere at Bell Labs where he worked with famous researchers like Claude Shannon and John Tukey. He discusses the different traits of researchers who do "great" work — such as courage, drive and commitment.
- "Technology and Courage" by Ivan Sutherland.
Great article by one of the pioneers of human-computer interaction, computer graphics and virtual reality. Sutherland talks about the courage required to do creative, technical work.
- "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Richard P. Feynman.
One of the funniest and captivating books I ever read. Feynman's stories nicely illustrate one of the important traits of a good scientist: child-like curiosity.
- "The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT" by Pepper White.
Insightful book about the life of a grad student at MIT. It gives you a feeling of what it's like to study at a place like MIT. I was quite surprised to find out that the prologue of the book actually takes place in Belgium.
- "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.
Very inspiring and moving talk by the late Carnegie-Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch about really achieving your childhood dreams. Highly recommended, also for people outside of academia.
General
PhD
Presentation skills
Writing skills
Reviewing
Conferences
HCI-specific