How to communicate with research advisor politely?
While your post contains quite a few questions, the best answer for the question "How Do I Communicate With An Advisor Politely?" is very closely related to communicating with a boss in any professional situation. Do your best to be polite, yet firm. Email is a good way to contact him if you can not meet him in person, and a reasonable amount of time to wait for a response is anywhere between 24 hours and 3 days. Any longer than this can prove troublesome for a student (you). If he/she does not answer emails within 3 days, I believe you are well within your rights as a student to POLITELY yet firmly ask the question again or visit his/her office. In short, do your best to manage this relationship as you would manage any other professional relationship, while also making sure your needs are met in a timely manner.