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.

Tuesday 21 January

10:00-11:00 iSkills for Medicine: An introduction to science communication: Translating your research for a non-specialist audience

Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Define science communication and provide a list of examples
• Explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public
• List ways in which we can all get involved in science communication.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Wednesday 22 January

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. Library staff will be there to help and guide you, and answer any questions you might have. You can leave at any point once you have tried out the tools you want, and do not have to stay until the end. At the end of the session you will be able to:

• Understand how reference management works
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of a range of reference management tools
• Add, edit and organise references using a number of different tools
• Add references to documents and create bibliographies using a number of different tools
• Make an informed decision about which reference management tool works best for you

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

14:00-16:00 Introduction to online resources for historians: show and tell

A general online 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 the key online resources for Medieval, Early Modern and Modern British and Western European History
• know how to access subscription resources
• gain awareness of key examples of useful resources such as bibliographic databases, reference sources, primary sources, maps, audio-visual resources, and data sources.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

15:00-16:30 iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to 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
• creating bibliographies.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Thursday 23 January

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. Subjects include:

• what is the Oxford University Research Archive
• depositing work into ORA via Symplectic Elements
• depositing data into ORA-data; applying for one of Oxford’s APC block grants
• registering or connecting your ORCID
• how to be included in the rights retention pilot
• locating and checking funder policies

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Friday 24 January

09:00-10:00 iSkills for Medicine: Literature Searching – Getting Started

Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.

Format: Classroom-based (Cairns Library).

10:00-11:00 iSkills for Medicine: Systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other evidence reviews: getting started

In this 60-minute online workshop you will be introduced to the methodologies and principles underpinning the conduct of literature searches for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other evidence reviews. The session will cover

• formulating a focused research question
• preparing a protocol; developing a search strategy to address that research question
• choosing appropriate databases and search engines
• searching for grey literature and ongoing studies
• storing and managing references
• documenting and reporting your search

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.

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.

Bodleian Libraries Induction

Wednesday 15th January 2025 3:00-3:30pm

Thursday 16th January 2025 10:30-11:00am

Friday 17th January 2025 1:30-2:00pm

Are you an existing student at the University of Oxford and unsure of how the Bodleian Libraries can help you? Did you miss your Freshers’ week induction, or would you like a refresher? Are you a new visiting student? If so, join this 30-minute webinar to learn how we can help you with your studies and research. By the end of the webinar, you will understand:

• the network of Bodleian Libraries
• how to find items on your reading list including how to use SOLO
• how to use the Bodleian Libraries Wi-Fi, PCs and printing
• where to get further help

Format: Online presenter-led instruction with the opportunity for questions

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 15 January

15:30-17:00 iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to 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
• Creating a bibliography/reference list.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Thursday 16 January

*New* 12:00-13:00 Open Scholarship: Navigating open access monographs: OAPEN and the OA books toolkit for researchers

Open access publication of monographs is an emerging movement, but also a new and potentially confusing one. This workshop (presented by speakers from the OAPEN Foundation), will help Oxford researchers get to grips with publishing long-form works open access, by detailing the resources available to them through OAPEN, the online library of open access books. Particular focus will be given to the OAPEN OA Open Books Toolkit, which provides resources to help authors better understand open access book publishing and to increase trust in open access books.

Who is this session for? Oxford academics, researchers (including postgraduates) who are looking to publish long-form research.

Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

16:00-17:00 iSkills for Medicine: Literature searching – getting started

Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Explain what structured searching is, and when to use it
• Break your research question down into searchable concepts
• Make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.

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.

Monday 9 December

14:00-15:00 iSkills for Medicine: An Introduction to Designing a Conference Poster
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this online session you will be able to:

• evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images;
• plan, prepare and present your poster.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Tuesday 10 December

10:00-11:00 iSkills for Medicine: An introduction to science communication: Translating your research for a non-specialist audience
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to:

• define science communication and provide a list of examples;
• explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public;
• list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication.
  

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Wednesday 11 December

10:30-12:00 iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to 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.
  

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

14:00-15:00 iSkills for Medicine: Literature Searching – Getting Started
Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• explain what structured searching is, and when to use it;
• break your research question down into searchable concepts;
• and make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches.

Who is this session for? Students, staff and researchers from MSD and OUH.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Tuesday 17 December

10:00-11:30 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.

• What is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges
• Where to get more information and help
• Where to look for open access material
• Useful tools to assist you in publishing open access

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.

Monday 25^th November 2024

14:00-15:00: 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: An online presentation with time to get answers to your questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 26th November 2024

10:00-11:45: iSkills: 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:

• Understand the literature review process
• Be able to plan an effective and structured search on your dissertation or thesis topic
• Know where to look for different types of information
• Have considered different methods of searching
• Know where to come for future help

Format: Online teacher-led presentations and live demonstrations (with opportunities for questions via the chat function and follow up one-to-one help).

Location: Microsoft Teams

12:00-13:00: iSkills: Confidential Print and Foreign Office files: Sources for 19th and 20th century studies

The British Foreign Office was the government department responsible for the conduct of British relations with nearly all foreign states. Confidential Print and Foreign Office files were intended for circulation internally within the Foreign Office and to the monarch, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, other government departments and diplomatic missions abroad. These files are now housed in The National Archives, UK, and have been digitised by Adam Matthew Digital on the Archives Direct cross-searchable platform.

The Archives Direct platform 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. It will cover the following resources in the session:

• Central Asia, Persia & Afghanistan 1834-1922
• Confidential Print Africa 1834-1966
• Confidential Print Latin America 1833-1969
• Confidential Print Middle East 1839-1969
• Confidential Print North America 1824-1961
• Foreign Office Files for China Section 1919-1980
• Foreign Office Files for India Pakistan and Afghanistan 1947-1980
• Foreign Office Files for Japan 1946-1952
• Foreign Office Files for the Middle East 1971-1981

Format: Live presentation with time to answer questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

13:00-14:00: iSkills: Research metrics and citation analysis tools: Part 3 researcher metrics

This session will examine metrics for individual researchers. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn about the researcher h-index and its limitations. You will be introduced to additional metrics tools such as author beamplots which help to contextualise a researcher’s output over time. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with:

• Accessing citation data for specific researchers on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar
• Understanding how the h-index is calculated and its inherent limitations
• Creating an ORCID number to help track all your own research outputs
• The importance of research outputs beyond journal and conference papers when assessing a researcher’s impact

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with practical exercises.

Location: Radcliffe Science Library, Seminar Room Parks Road, OX2 3QP.

Wednesday 27^th November 2024

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. This online introduction to EndNote is open to all University of Oxford students, researchers and staff and teaches you how to use the software so that you can effectively manage your references. Please note that we also run a face-to-face EndNote workshop. Please check the iSkills course listing for availability. 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: Live interactive session with Q&A

Location: 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.

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.

Tuesday 12 November

10:00-12:00 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: Interactive teacher-led online session.

Location: Online using Microsoft Teams.

• 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:
  • historical newspapers
  • contemporary newspapers
  • historical audio-visual news sources

Thursday 14 November

10:00-11:30 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. The topics covered include:

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.

Tuesday 5th November 14:00-16:00

iSkills: Working with sensitive research data

Wednesday 6th November 9:30-12:30

Open Scholarship: Copyright the Card Game

Join Chris Morrison (Copyright & Licensing Specialist) and Georgina Kiddy (Digital Services Librarian) to play Copyright the Card Game. This interactive, games-based session introduces you to the key concepts of copyright law and allows you to apply them in practice. No prior knowledge is required, and the session caters for all whatever their level of experience with copyright. At the end of the session participants will be able to:

Wednesday 6th November 14:00-16:00

iSkills: Getting started in Oxford libraries

Thursday 7th November 10:00-11:30

Open Scholarship: Playing in the open: Getting familiar with Creative Commons Licences

Format: Classroom-based with an interactive presentation and game elements to reinforce learning.

Location: Radcliffe Science Library, Seminar Room
Parks Road, OX2 3QP

Thursday 7th November 14:00-16:00

Referencing: RefWorks

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.

Monday 28th October: 14:00-15:30

Format: An interactive teacher-led online session.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 29th October: 14:00-16:00

iSkills: Managing research data and Data Management Planning (DMPs)

Wednesday 30th October: 14:00-17:00

Referencing: Choosing and using software for referencing

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.

Tuesday 22^nd October: 14:00-16:00

iSkills: Data sources for research – discovery, access and use
*waiting list available*
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 23^rd October: 10:00-12:00 

*New* iSkills: Using AI for Research: Finding, Analysing, and Sharing Information Sources
Step into the future of research with our hands-on AI workshop, designed to empower you with the skills to find, analyse, and share information sources. Explore cutting-edge GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, Elicit, and Perplexity, and gain practical experience in using them, including learning best practices for referencing AI-generated content while avoiding plagiarism. This session offers a unique opportunity to enhance your research capabilities and stay ahead in the evolving academic landscape.
Format: Online using Microsoft Teams.

Friday 25^th October: 09:30-12:30

Referencing: Choosing and using software for referencing
*waiting list available*
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).