Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking placed beyond the end of Trinity Term

Wednesday 26 June 10:00-11:00

Open Scholarship: Open Monographs
Open access publication of monographs and other longform works is an emerging movement, offering many opportunities to scholars looking to publish their research. With several major funding agencies now requiring longform open access publication, the impact of this is only set to grow. However, for those looking to publish their monograph open access, the novelty of this can present a challenge. What do funders require? What are the different publishing models? This webinar will cover the basics of this emerging field, including benefits, funder requirements, publication models and tools and resources.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 8th week

Tuesday 11 June 14:30-16:00

Open Scholarship: Logistics of Open Scholarship
The second in a duo of courses (attendees should attend the Fundamentals course or complete the eLearning module Digital Induction to Open Access prior to Logistics) that will cover the logistics of researching, publishing, and locating open scholarship resources and tools at the University of Oxford.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams. 

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 7th week

Tuesday 4 June 11:30-13:00
Open Scholarship: Playing in the open: Getting familiar with Creative Commons licences
Create content for your teaching or research with greater confidence by attending our session on Creative Commons (CC) licences. Learn how they work, how they interact with copyright and how to use them to best effect. The session will make special reference to images but is applicable to all media, including written works. We’ll finish the session with a Creative Commons card game.

Format: Classroom-based (Radcliffe Science Library).

Tuesday 4 June 14:00-15:30
Sources for U.S. History
An online introduction to primary sources for the study of American history, from the colonial period to the 20th century. The session will provide an overview of the different kinds of information sources (early printed books, newspapers, databases and official records), and guidance on locating material for research.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Wednesday 5 June  09:30-11:00
Discovering archives and modern manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries
This class will introduce participants to the key catalogues and finding aids for post-1800 archives and manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries. In particular the session will focus on Bodleian Archives and Manuscripts, the online catalogue for post-1800 archives and manuscripts. The session will also briefly introduce some of the major UK online gateways for discovering archives.

Format: Classroom-based (Weston Library lecture Theatre)

Thursday 6 June 13:00-14:00
Using Scopus for your research
A key database for those researching the social sciences, medical sciences and physical and life sciences, Scopus encompasses more than 94 million records from 5000 publishers. This interactive session will cover basic and advanced searching, highlighting features unique to Scopus and recent updates to the database.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 6th week

Wednesday 29 May 14:00-15:45
Sources for Modern Global History
An introduction to key archival, printed and electronic resources, such as finding aids, bibliographic resources and primary sources for post-1800 global history. The focus will be on non-European history but will draw predominantly on English and European language resources.
Format: Classroom-based (Weston Library)

Friday 31 May 10:00-12:00
Referencing: EndNote
EndNote is a desktop-based reference management tool for Windows and Mac users, which helps you build libraries of references and insert them into your Word document as in-text citations or footnotes and automatically generate bibliographies. The workshop will cover: what EndNote can do for you; adding references to EndNote from a range of sources; managing your references in an EndNote library; adding in-text citations and/or footnotes to your essays and papers; and creating bibliographies.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 5th week

Monday 20 May 11:00-12:30
Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th-21st centuries
Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching not only news but also many other aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. In this session we will introduce key online sources of news and how to make best use of them. The focus will be on historical and contemporary newspapers from the 17th century across most countries of the world. After the session participants will understand: the value of newspapers in research; the difficulties of using newspapers in research and effective search techniques, and will be able to use a range of sources for searching and reading.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams. 

Monday 20 May 14:00-15:30
Keeping up to date with research
An introduction to using alerts to keep up to date with new research and save you time. A combination of presenter-led instruction and the opportunity for participants to set up email alerts to receive notifications for publications in their field of research. The workshop will cover: how email alerts can help you; setting up alerts on your favourite databases and other platforms for new content in your field; and managing your alerts.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Tuesday 21 May 15:00-16:00
Open Scholarship: Your thesis, copyright & ORA
Oxford DPhil students are required to deposit a copy of their thesis in the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA). This online session will focus on what ORA is and how to deposit one’s thesis in ORA, and how to access help with this process. It will also cover the relevant rights and permissions required and other issues that DPhil students need to take into account when preparing their thesis for upload to ORA.
Who is this session for? All doctoral research students.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Wednesday 22 May 10:00-12:00
Working with sensitive research data
A workshop outlining some of the key principles to bear in mind when working with sensitive or restricted research; whether collected yourself or obtained from a third-party source such as a data archive. Issues of confidentiality, informed consent, cybersecurity and data management will be covered. Examples of scenarios or concerns drawn from the research of participants are particularly welcome.

Format: Classroom-based (Social Science Library). 

Wednesday 22 May 11:30-12:30
Referencing: Zotero
An introduction to the functionality of Zotero, a software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 4th week

Tuesday 14 May 10:00-11:45
Preparing for your literature review in the Social Sciences
Get ready to undertake your literature review using your own research questions to build a successful search and apply it to a range of library resources. By the end of the session you will be able to: build a successful search strategy; use a range of bibliographic databases and search tools in the Social Sciences; work effectively with large result sets; source highly cited papers relevant to your research; and set up alerts for newly-published papers on your topic.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams. 

Thursday, 16 May 14:00-15:00
Confidential Print and Foreign Office files: Sources for 19th and 20th century studies
The Archives Direct platform (from Adam Matthew Digital) includes British government papers from the 19th and 20th centuries relating to Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, East Asia, Latin America and North America. It’s a crucial resource for the study of politics, international relations, peace and conflict studies, economics and trade, British history and global history. This session will introduce you to The National Archives and their Foreign Office and Confidential Print files, and show you how to search across them to discover sources for your studies and research.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Friday 17 May 09:30-12:30
Referencing: EndNote
An introduction to EndNote, open to all, that teaches you how to use the software so that you can effectively manage your references. The workshop will cover: what EndNote can do for you; adding references to EndNote from a range of sources; managing your references in an EndNote library; adding in-text citations and/or footnotes to your essays and papers; creating bibliographies.

Format: Classroom-based (Thames Suite, IT Services).

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 3rd week

Tuesday, 7 May 15:00-16:30
Research metrics and citation analysis tools: Part 1 what makes a journal a “top” journal?
In this session we will cover how to locate and interpret journal level metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). We will examine the tools you can use to locate journal level metrics, such as Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources. We will also consider the uses, limitations and pitfalls inherent in these metrics and how they can be used responsibly.
Format: Classroom-based (Radcliffe Science Library, Seminar Room).

Wednesday, 8 May 10:00-12:00
Data sources for research – discovery, access and use
This workshop will provide a grounding in the different ways quantitative and qualitative data is being made available to benefit researchers. By the end of the session you will also have some insight into how your own future work could add to the process and become part of the research discourse. The course aims to provide an overview of macro and micro data sources available at the University of Oxford, including national data archives, subscription services, business data, and offers some pointers for further searching.
Format: Classroom-based (Social Science Library).

Wednesday, 8 May 14:00-16:00
Online Sources for Historians
A general introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods of British and Western European history. Learning outcomes are to: gain an overview of some of key online resources for Medieval, Early Modern and Modern British and Western European History; know how to access subscription resources; and gain awareness of key examples of useful resources.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Thursday, 9 May 10:00-11:30
Open Scholarship: Introduction to Persistent Identifiers
This course will introduce you to the concept of Persistent Identifiers, the problems that they address, and how they can be used in the academic environment to simplify some tasks. It will examine several different types of identifier, some of which are currently widely used (DOI’s for publications/data and ORCID’s for researchers) and others which are emerging in importance.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place this week in 2nd week

Tuesday, 30 April 14:00-16:00
Scholarly literature for your research
In this online interactive workshop, you will learn how to create an effective search query and have the opportunity to try out a range of tools that you can use to search for scholarly materials to support your research. You will: learn how to find books and other scholarly items in Oxford libraries using SOLO; search for journal articles using subject databases and scholarly search engines; be signposted towards learning materials you can use if you are interested in searching for conference proceedings, theses and dissertations.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams

Wednesday, 1 May 13:30-16:30
Referencing: Choosing and using software for referencing
Formatting your in-text citations, footnotes and bibliography correctly for your thesis or publication is crucial. Reference management tools make this easier and save you time. This classroom-based session comprises a 30-minute presentation, which gives an overview of reference management tools. The rest of the session is dedicated to practical exercises, giving you the opportunity to try out three tools (RefWorks, EndNote and Zotero), so that you can work out which one is best for you.
Format: Classroom-based (Thames Suite, IT Services).

Friday, 3 May 11:00-12:30
Open Scholarship: Foundations of Copyright for Researchers
This workshop will cover the basics of copyright as they apply to researchers at the University of Oxford. It will explain the different types of copyright work that are used or generated in research and the rights and responsibilities for researchers and academic authors in an age of increasingly open scholarship.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Book on a free Bodleian iSkills workshop this Trinity Term.

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online via TEAMS.

All workshops are FREE but online booking is essential.

These are just some of the workshops that are available. A full list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage

Finding scholarly material

Keeping up to date with research
Preparing for your literature review in the Social Sciences
Scholarly literature for your research

Reference management

Referencing: choosing and using software for referencing
Referencing: EndNote
Referencing: RefWorks
Referencing: Zotero

Specialist materials

Discovering archives at the Bodleian Libraries 
Online Sources for Historians    
Confidential Print and Foreign Office files: Sources for 19th and 20th century studies
Sources for Modern Global History 
Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th-21st centuries

Research data management

Data sources for research – discovery, access and use
Managing research data and Data Management Planning
Working with sensitive research data

Open scholarship

Your thesis, copyright and ORA
Fundamentals of open access
Foundations of copyright for researchers

Bodleian iSkills workshops aim to develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff. Some workshops take place face-to-face, whilst others are run online.

The workshops are FREE but online booking is essential. A list of the sessions taking place this term can be found on the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Workshops taking place beyond the end of Hilary term

Thursday 14^th March 14:00-15:30
Open Scholarship: Forum of Open Scholarship

During this forum speakers from Bodleian Open Scholarship Support and across Oxford will discuss current changes in the field of open scholarship. Including subjects like data, open access, open monographs, copyright and more. It is advised that attendees of the forum have previously attended the Fundamentals and Logistics courses to improve understanding.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Tuesday 19^th March 10:30-12:00
Open Scholarship: Fundamentals of Open Access

Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.