another question answered

ever since i started my phd, i have had this fear that i will get to the end of my degree to find out that someone has published before i have. as many researchers as there are in the world, it seems like an impossible task to find out if there is another group or individual researching the same topic as me. in the past few weeks i have defined my research space more clearly, and i have begun to read and look for papers to read with much better direction and specific topics in mind. as i read the papers, i look at the references and pick out the papers in the list that are relevant to me and my research. as one can imagine, this process is very recursive, but it has shed some light in helping me see that this is the way to know if there is anyone else researching my topic. this technique has definitely led to LOTS of reading, and there is plenty more to do. i can't wait till i get to the point where i can go through a paper's references and not have to go find anymore papers because i have read all the relevant ones already. that will be the day!