Bodleian iSkills workshops in Week 6

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 image on a laptop surrounded by a notebook, phone and cup with saucer and spoon.

Monday 24th February 2025 10:00-11:00

iSkills for Medicine: Poster clinic

Are you preparing a poster presentation for an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This interactive session, or ‘poster clinic’, will include a group discussion of different examples of poster presentations, as well as an opportunity to present your own draft of your poster presentation to your fellow attendees. It is expected that the small group of peers in attendance will provide feedback and respectful comments on each other’s work. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to:

  • evaluate the effectiveness of your poster presentation and others; and
  • summarise the content of your poster concisely in preparation for a conference.

This will NOT be a taught session on how to use image processing software.

Format: Group discussion and individual poster presentations.

Location: Beeson Room, Cairns Library, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU.

Monday 24th February 2025 15:30-17:00

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to Zotero

In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. 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

Format: Online demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 25th February 2025 10:00-12:00

iSkills: 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. The role of support services at Oxford will also be outlined and in particular the role of the Bodleian Data Librarian who will lead the session. Follow up consultations with the Data librarian or other subject consultants are also offered. Topics to be covered include:

  • Key best practice principles when working with sensitive or restricted research data
  • Issues around creating original data
  • Informed consent agreements
  • Maximising the usage potential of data during and after a project
  • Strengths and weaknesses of anonymisation, data blurring and similar techniques
  • Key strategies for protecting data including encryption, embargoes, future vetting and access restrictions
  • Obligation put on researchers by legislation and research partners

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunity for discussion.

Location: Social Science Library, Information Skills Training Room, Manor Road, OX1 3UQ

Tuesday 25th February 2025 13:00-14:00

iSkills: Searching for patents and standards

Patents and standards are a valuable source of technical information relevant to the fields of engineering, materials sciences, and more. Together, they provide approved rules and guidelines whilst helping to protect inventions and innovative ideas. They can, however, be tricky to find. Join this session to find out more about what patents and standards are, why they might be useful for your research and how to find them in specific databases. By the end of this session, you will:

  • Know what a patent is and where to find it
  • Know what a standard is and where to find it
  • Be able to reference patents and standards

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with discussion.

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

Tuesday 25th February 2025 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. Topics include:

  • What ORA is and what you need to deposit
  • How to deposit your thesis in ORA
  • Observing relevant rights and permissions
  • Accessing help with depositing your thesis in ORA

Format: Live online presentation followed by interactive discussion and Q&A.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 26th February 2025 14:00-15:30

Open Scholarship: Introduction to Persistent Identifiers

Persistent Identifiers (PID’s) provide a consistent way of digitally referencing items that aims to be more reliable than a simple web address. This is important for scholarly communications because citation and attribution are essential elements of scholarly apparatus. 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 presentation with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Thursday 27th February 2025 09:00-12:00

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:

  • Explore how copyright really works in practice
  • Interpret the legislation and apply the relevant legal concepts to their own work
  • Practice using the exceptions and licences in sector-specific examples
  • Discuss the role of risk management in making decisions about the ethical creation and use of copyright material

Format: The workshop is highly interactive with multiple opportunities for discussion about copyright, underpinned by a clear framework.

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

Thursday 27th February 2024 12:30-14:30

iSkills for Medicine: Searching systematically

This session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between different platforms.

After the main 90-minute workshop, one of the Bodleian Health Care Libraries Outreach Librarians will be available for another 30 minutes to answer questions about your own searches, so feel free to bring along what you are working on.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Explain what subject headings are, and how to use them
  • Search for words that appear near to other words
  • Take a search from one database into another
  • Save a search and document it

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions. The last 30 minutes are an opportunity to ask any questions you have about your own searches.

Location: Beeson Room, Cairns Library, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU

Friday 28th February 2025 10:00-11:30

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to EndNote

Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to:

  • Understand the main features and benefits of EndNote
  • Set up an EndNote account
  • Import references from different sources into EndNote
  • Organise your references in EndNote
  • Insert citations into documents
  • Create a bibliography/reference list

Format: Online presentation and demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Bodleian iSkills workshops in week 5

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 image on a laptop surrounded by a notebook, phone and cup with saucer and spoon.

Monday 17th February 2025 09:30-12:30

iSkills for Medicine: Advanced searching clinic for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and evidence syntheses

A practical session 180-minute workshop where participants will work on searches for their review across multiple databases. Librarians from the Bodleian Health Care Libraries will be on hand to demonstrate online tools for facilitating the process and give practical advice on refining individual search strategies. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to:

  • Improve a search strategy that you are working on
  • Adapt the search across multiple databases
  • Use tools such as Yale MeSH AnalyzerPolyglot and the SR Accelerator to improve your searches
  • Describe alternative methods for identifying references, including citation tracking
  • De-duplicate results from multiple database searches
  • Start screening results for inclusion in your review
  • Report your search methods according to PRISMA-Search

Format: Classroom-based. Time for participants to work on their own searches with advice from a librarian. Explore tools that streamline the review process following a presentation with demonstrations.

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

Monday 17th February 2025 10:00-12:00

iSkills: Unlocking critical thinking for undergraduates

Enhance your critical thinking and research skills in this practical workshop designed for undergraduate students. Learn to question assumptions, analyse sources critically, and develop information discovery and search strategies that will set you apart in your academic studies. By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Describe what critical thinking is
  • Understand a critical thinking method
  • Apply the method to your academic work
  • Explain the fundamentals of conducting research, including how to evaluate information sources in SOLO

Format: An interactive teacher-led online session.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Monday 17th February 2025 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

Monday 17th February 2025 15:00-16:00

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.

Please note that we also run this workshop in-person. Please check the iSkills course listing for availability.

Format: Online teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 18th February 2025 10:00-12:00

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

Good research data management is a vital component of academic practice. Part of this is the principle that the data used to develop the arguments and outcomes of your research should be effectively stored and managed during a project, preserved for the future and – where possible – shared with other academics. This session introduces the University’s research data policy and outlines the practical impact this will have on your work. The services available at Oxford to assist you will be outlined. This session is not only essential during your current studies but will be invaluable if you plan to continue in research as a career. Topics to be covered include:

  • Common dangers and pitfalls of digital data
  • Key principles of RDM and organising your data effectively
  • Producing a data management plan
  • Institutional, funder and publisher requirements
  • Issues around preserving data and cybersecurity
  • ORA-Data, GitHub and other preservation services
  • Sharing thoughts and insights about the potential of data management in your own field
  • Accessing Oxford based tools for research data management

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with discussion.

Location: Social Science Library, Information Skills Training Room, Manor Road, OX1 3UQ

Tuesday 18th February 2025 13:00-14:00

iSkills: Research metrics and citation analysis tools: Part 3 researcher metrics

In this session we 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

Tuesday 18th February 2025 14:30-16:00

iSkills: Discovering archives and modern manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries

This workshop 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 & 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:

  • How to use the Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts online catalogue
  • Other printed archive catalogues in the Bodleian Libraries
  • Major subject areas covered in Bodleian archives and modern manuscripts
  • National archive gateways

The workshop will include a question and answer session with Bodleian archivists.

This session does not cover:

  • Pre-1800 manuscripts (Medieval and Early Modern periods).
  • Manuscripts in Middle Eastern, Semitic, and Asian languages

Format: Classroom-based presentation with a question and answer session.

Location: Weston Library Lecture Theatre. Weston Library, Broad Street, OX1 3BG

Tuesday 18th February 2025 15:00-16:00

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

Please note, there won’t be an opportunity to search different databases during this session. For practical help on searching databases, please have a look at the search skills tutorials or check the iSkills course listing for the Searching Systematically workshop.

Format: Online teacher-led presentations with opportunities for questions

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 18th February 2025 16:00-17:00

iSkills for Medicine: Literature searching – getting started

Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour online 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

Please note that we also run this workshop online. Please check the iSkills course listing for availability.

Format: Online teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 19th February 2025 11:30-13:00

iSkills: 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 be able to use a range of sources for searching and reading:
    • historical newspapers
    • contemporary newspapers
    • historical audio-visual news sources

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

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 19th February 2025 13:30-16:30

Referencing: Zotero

Zotero is a reference management tool that helps you build libraries of references and add citations and bibliographies to word processed documents using your chosen citation style. This classroom-based session covers the main features of Zotero and comprises a 45-minute presentation followed by practical exercises at the computers. You can leave at any point once you have tried out the software, and do not have to stay until the end. Please note, we also run an online Zotero workshop. Please check the iSkills course listing for availability. The learning outcomes for this classroom-based session are to:

  • Create a Zotero library and add references to it
  • Edit and organise references in your Zotero library
  • Add in-text citations and/or footnotes to your word processed document
  • Create bibliographies
  • Understand how to sync your Zotero library across multiple computers
  • Understand how to share your Zotero library of references

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with practical exercises.

Location: Thames Suite, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road, Oxon, OX2 6NN

Thursday 20th February 2025 14:30-16:30

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 in Week 4

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 image on a laptop surrounded by a notebook, phone and cup with saucer and spoon.

Monday 10th February 2025 14:00-16:00

iSkills: 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: Microsoft Teams

Monday 10th February 2025 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 classroom-based session you will be able to:

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

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions.

Location: Beeson Room, Cairns Library, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU

Tuesday 11th February 2025 10:00-12:00

iSkills: Data sources for research – discovery, access and use

Modern researchers need to have an up-to-date understanding of working with research data. This relates equally to the material they create themselves and that obtained from other sources. Academic institutions, funding bodies and even publishers are now expecting competence in these issues. 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. Topics to be covered include:

  • Overview of the landscape of data sources for health researchers, social scientists and most other researchers
  • How to obtain macro and micro data via specific sources
  • Qualitative and quantitative data resources
  • Additional data services such as the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), Eurostat, Researchfish and the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative’s online interactive databank and global Multidimensional Poverty Index; plus specialist sources for business and economic data subscribed to by Oxford University
  • The value of resources for informing research design and methodological innovation
  • The importance of data management and cybersecurity

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with discussion.

Location: Social Science Library, Information Skills Training Room, Manor Road, OX1 3UQ

Tuesday 11th February 2025 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

Format: Online presentation with time to get answers to your questions

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 11th February 2025 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.

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions

Location: Knowledge Centre Group Study Room, Ground Floor, Old Road Campus Research Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxon, OX3 7DQ

Tuesday 11th February 2025 13:00-14:00

iSkills: Research metrics and citation analysis tools: Part 2 article metrics

In this session we will examine article level metrics. We will discuss how citation counting can help identify influential papers in particular fields and how altmetrics provide a different perspective on research output. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn how to locate different article metrics. The session will also allow you to appreciate the limitations of different metrics and the importance of their cautious interpretation. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with:

  • Using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to track and count citations to papers and individual researchers
  • Measuring impact using altmetrics
  • Understanding how to contextualise metrics against other, similar papers in a field
  • The limitations of different metrics

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with practical exercises.

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

Tuesday 11th February 2025 14:30-16:30

Referencing: RefWorks

Are you looking for a streamlined approach to gathering, managing and citing your references? Join us for this interactive online session in which we introduce RefWorks, a subscription reference management tool that University of Oxford members can use for free during their time at the university and as alumni. RefWorks is web-based and helps you to collect and manage references and insert them into your word-processed document as in-text citations or footnotes, and you can generate bibliographies. Being web-based, RefWorks can be used with any operating system and, to cite your references in a document, provides a plugin for Microsoft Word on Windows or Mac computers. By the end of the session, you will understand:

  • How RefWorks can help you
  • How to add references to RefWorks from a range of sources
  • How to manage your references
  • How to add in-text citations and/or footnotes to your documents
  • How to create bibliographies
  • Where to get help with RefWorks

Format: Live online session with a mixture of PowerPoint presentation, live demonstration and practical exercises.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 12th February 2025 10:30-11:30

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

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions.

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

Wednesday 12th February 2025 15:00-16:00

Open Scholarship: REF open access policy briefing

Do you want to make sure your work is ‘REFable’ per the new REF open access requirements?  In this focused online briefing, we will:

  • step you through the changes and new requirements
  • provide links to further REF information and guidance
  • let you know where to find help at Oxford
  • answer as many questions as we can

Format: Online presentation and demonstration with plenty of time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Thursday 13th February 2025 10:00-11:30

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. The workshop is classroom-based. In this playful, interactive face-to-face session we will cover:

  • What Creative Commons Licences are
  • Where to find Creative Commons material
  • How to apply Creative Commons to your own work
  • How to reuse Creative Commons materials

And we’ll finish the session with a Creative Commons card game.

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

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

Thursday 13th February 2025 12:30-14:00

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to Zotero

In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. 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

Format: Online demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Thursday 13th February 2025 15:30-17:00

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to EndNote

Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to:

  • Understand the main features and benefits of EndNote
  • Set up an EndNote account
  • Import references from different sources into EndNote
  • Organise your references in EndNote
  • Insert citations into documents
  • Create a bibliography/reference list

Format: Online presentation and demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Bodleian iSkills Workshops in Week 3

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 3rd February 2025 09:30-12:30

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 classroom-based 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 we also run an online 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: Classroom-based. Presentation with practical exercises.

Location: Thames Suite, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road, Oxon, OX2 6NN

Monday 3rd February 2025 13:00-14:00

iSkills: 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. Attendees will be encouraged to practice the tips explained during the session. This will be useful for those new to databases and a good refresher for experienced users. By the end of the session you will be able to:

  • construct simple and complex searches
  • navigate filters
  • understand effective search query techniques
  • save and export results
  • extract further information from your results

Format: Online presentations with live demonstrations and hand-on activities.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Monday 3rd February 2025 14:00-15:00

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.

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions

Location: Beeson Room, Cairns Library, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU

Tuesday 4th February 2025 10:00-11:45

iSkills: Preparing for your literature review in the Social Sciences

Get ready to understand the stages of your literature review search process by 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
  • Source highly cited papers relevant to your research
  • Set up alerts for newly-published papers on your topic

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

Tuesday 4th February 2025 13:00-14:00

iSkills: Research metrics and citation analysis tools: Part 1 journal metrics

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. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with:

  • The major journal metrics and how these are calculated
  • Accessing journal citation data using Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources
  • Using JIF, CiteScore and SJR journal metrics to rank journals
  • The limitations of different metrics, including how journal metrics may be skewed or distorted

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with practical exercises.

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

Tuesday 4th February 2025 15:00-16:30

iSkills: Keeping up to date with research

An online 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. We invite you to send any questions you have in advance to usered@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for the instructors to cover in the session. There will also be opportunities to ask questions in the class. 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
  • Managing your alerts

Format: Online presenter-led instruction with opportunity for participants to set up email alerts.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 5th February 2025 10:00-11:30

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to EndNote

Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to:

  • Understand the main features and benefits of EndNote
  • Set up an EndNote account
  • Import references from different sources into EndNote
  • Organise your references in EndNote
  • Insert citations into documents
  • Create a bibliography/reference list

Format: Online presentation and demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 5th February 2025 13:30-16:30

iSkills for Medicine: Advanced searching clinic for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and evidence syntheses

A practical session 180-minute workshop where participants will work on searches for their review across multiple databases. Librarians from the Bodleian Health Care Libraries will be on hand to demonstrate online tools for facilitating the process and give practical advice on refining individual search strategies. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to:

  • Improve a search strategy that you are working on
  • Adapt the search across multiple databases
  • Use tools such as Yale MeSH Analyzer, Polyglot and the SR Accelerator to improve your searches
  • Describe alternative methods for identifying references, including citation tracking
  • De-duplicate results from multiple database searches
  • Start screening results for inclusion in your review
  • Report your search methods according to PRISMA-Search

Format: Classroom-based. Time for participants to work on their own searches with advice from a librarian. Explore tools that streamline the review process following a presentation with demonstrations.

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

Wednesday 5th February 2025 14:00-16:30

iSkills: Using AI to find, analyse, and share information sources

Curious about using AI to find research papers? Not sure how to properly reference GenAI and avoid plagiarism? This beginner-friendly workshop introduces three GenAI tools (ChatGPT, Elicit, and Perplexity), showing how they can support information discovery and analysis. Designed for those new to AI, this practical session will allow you to independently experiment with these tools and participate in group discussions to explore their strengths, limitations, and suitability for different tasks. By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Explain what AI means and some key terms
  • Differentiate between several categories of AI tools
  • Describe how some GenAI tools can be used to discover information, including their strengths, limitations, and best practices
  • Critique GenAI tools and their outputs at an introductory level using evaluative criteria
  • State the University’s policies on AI, and avoid plagiarism by creating citations for AI-generated content

Format: Classroom-based. Presentation with practical exercises, group discussions, and an opportunity for questions and answers at the end of the session.

Location: Thames Suite, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road, Oxon, OX2 6NN

Thursday 6th February 2025 10:00-11:00

Open Scholarship: REF open access policy briefing

Do you want to make sure your work is ‘REFable’ per the new REF open access requirements?  In this focused online briefing, we will:

  • step you through the changes and new requirements
  • provide links to further REF information and guidance
  • let you know where to find help at Oxford
  • answer as many questions as we can

Format: Online presentation and demonstration with plenty of time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Thursday 6th January 2025 10:30-11:30

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to RefWorks

In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of RefWorks. RefWorks is a subscription software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies that University of Oxford members can use for free during their time at the university and as alumni. The workshop will cover:

  • Understanding the main features and benefits of RefWorks
  • Setting up a RefWorks account
  • Organising your references in RefWorks
  • Inserting citations into documents
  • Creating a bibliography/reference list

Format: Online presentation and demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Thursday 6th January 2025 14:00-16:30

Open Scholarship: Foundations of Copyright for Teaching

This workshop will cover the basics of copyright as they apply to lecturers and tutors at the University of Oxford. It will explain the different types of copyright work that are used or generated in teaching and the rights and responsibilities for teaching staff and students. By attending this session you will have the opportunity to:

  • Identify copyright works and usages in teaching contexts
  • Compare different types of licence available for teaching – proprietary and open
  • Follow the requirements of the CLA licence
  • Apply risk management principles to the use of copyright exceptions for teaching

Format: Online presentation with opportunities for questions and answers, as well as opportunities to share experiences.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Thursday 6th February 2025 15:00-17:00

iSkills for Medicine: Searching systematically

This session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between different platforms.

After the main 90-minute workshop, one of the Bodleian Health Care Libraries Outreach Librarians will be available for another 30 minutes to answer questions about your own searches, so feel free to bring along what you are working on.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Explain what subject headings are, and how to use them
  • Search for words that appear near to other words
  • Take a search from one database into another
  • Save a search and document it

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions. The last 30 minutes are an opportunity to ask any questions you have about your own searches.

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

Bodleian iSkills Workshops in Week 2

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 image on a laptop surrounded by a notebook, phone and cup with saucer and spoon.

Monday 27th January 2025 15:00-16:00

iSkills: Getting Started in Oxford Libraries

If you are new to the University of Oxford and want to find out more about the University’s network of libraries or have been at the University a while and would like a refresher, join us for this online introduction to understanding and accessing the libraries, their services and resources. By the end of the session, you will:

  • Be familiar with the network of Oxford libraries
  • Know the logins needed to access Bodleian Libraries services
  • Be able to conduct a search in SOLO (the University’s resource discovery tool), filter results and access online and print resources
  • Know how to manage your library account including loans and requests

Format: Live online session with a mixture of PowerPoint presentation, live demonstration and practical exercises.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 28th January 2025 09:30-11:00

iSkills for Medicine: Introduction to Zotero

In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. 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

Format: Online demonstration with time for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Tuesday 28th January 2025 10:00-11:00

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 classroom-based session you will be able to:

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

Format: Teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions.

Location: Knowledge Centre Group Study Room, Ground Floor, Old Road Campus Research Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxon, OX3 7DQ

Wednesday 29th January 2025 13:00-14:00

iSkills: Face your FEaR: Finding, Evaluating and Referencing scientific research

All university students need to become skilled in identifying, evaluating and referencing academic sources. These are often essential steps in completing course and tutorial assignments successfully. Unfamiliar sources like peer-reviewed scientific journals and understanding how and why to reference correctly can challenge new undergraduates. In this session we explore the different types of academic sources you may encounter, tools to evaluate a source for academic quality and how to demystify referencing. By the end of the session you will be able to:

  • Distinguish the different benefits of sources such as textbooks, peer-reviewed journals and websites in academic research
  • Know which library services to use to find different types of academic sources
  • Apply critical evaluation of sources using the CRAAP test
  • Understand how to reference sources correctly, particularly in the context of avoiding plagiarism and maintaining the academic integrity of your work

Format: Online presentation with time for questions

Location: Microsoft Teams

Wednesday 29th January 2025 15:30-17:00

iSkills for Medicine: Searching systematically

This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between different platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Explain what subject headings are, and how to use them
  • Search for words that appear near to other words
  • Take a search from one database into another
  • Save a search and document it

Format: Online teacher-led presentation with opportunities for questions.

Location: Microsoft Teams

Bodleian iSkills – Free Online Workshops Taking Place in 4th Week

 

A person is sat at a laptop with the Bodleian iSkills logo on screen. There is a notebook and smartphone to the left of the laptop.

Bodleian iSkills Workshops will be online

Bodleian iSkills is a series of workshops designed for postgraduates and researchers, covering information discovery and searching for scholarly materials, keeping up to date with research, using reference management tools, research data management and open access publishing.  For Michaelmas term, most of the workshops will continue to 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.

 

Coming up in 4th Week

Referencing: Zotero (Tue 2 Nov 10.00-11.00)

An online introduction to Zotero, a reference management tool that helps you build libraries of references and add citations and bibliographies to word processed documents using your chosen citation style.

Who is this session for? Students, researchers and staff needing to manage references and create bibliographies.

Finding stuff: Scholarly literature for your research (Wed 3 Nov 10.00-12.00)

An online introduction to searching for scholarly materials to support your research, covering a range of tools for finding books, journal articles, conference papers, theses and more from the University of Oxford and around the world.

Who is this session for? Postgraduate students, researchers and academics.

Bodleian iSkills: Getting started in Oxford Libraries (Thu 4 Nov 10.00-12.00)

An online introduction to getting started in Oxford libraries. This workshop will feature live demonstrations and hands on activities on how to use SOLO, the University’s resource discovery tool. We will search for a range of material and show you how to get hold of what you want to read. There will be regular breaks for questions.

Who is this session for? All Oxford Library users.

iSkills: Data sources for research – discovery, access and use (Fri 5 Nov 10.00-12.00)

This workshop will provide a grounding in the different ways quantitative and qualitative data is being made available to benefit researchers. Topics to be covered include: how to obtain macro and micro data via specific sources; qualitative and quantitative data resources; additional data services such as the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), Eurostat, Researchfish and the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative’s online interactive databank and global Multidimensional Poverty Index; specialist sources for business and economic data subscribed to by Oxford University; the importance of data management and cybersecurity.

Who is this session for? DPhil students and research staff (particularly in Social Sciences). This workshop will be most beneficial to those researchers planning to use secondary data sources (quantitative, qualitative and mixed) as part of their research or who wish to learn more about the potential of open data platforms and data archives.

Book your place via the iSkills Workshops webpage.

Coming Soon. Bodleian iSkills: Authors, copyright and open access. Making it work for you (Thu 15 June, 14.00 to 15.00)

Authors are often unsure what rights they retain when signing the publisher agreement for a journal article. Your choices affect what you and others can do with your work. This introductory workshop deciphers the jargon and explains the pitfalls so you can understand your options and make informed decisions.

It covers

  • benefits of retaining copyright
  • Copyright Transfer Agreements (CTA) compared with other Licence types (inc. Creative Commons)
  • author rights and sharing permissions
  • subscription and open access articles
  • uploading to the web or repositories
  • University and funder policies (inc. REF)
  • where to get help.

Participants are welcome to bring along an example of a publisher copyright agreement that they have signed in the past or from a journal they publish in regularly.

Intended Audience:  Academics, researchers, postgraduate research students

When: Thu 15 June, 14.00 to 15.00

Where: Manor Road Building, Seminar Room B

Click here to book a place. 

 

Coming Soon. Bodleian iSkills: Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th to 20th centuries (Wed 7 June, 09.30 to 12.30)

Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching, not only news but also many other aspects of society. In this session we will introduce key historical and contemporary sources of news and how to make best use of them.

Subjects to be covered include:

  • The value of newspapers in research
  • The difficulties of using newspapers in research and effective search techniques
  • Using a range of sources for searching and reading historical newspapers
  • Using a range of sources for searching and using historical audio-visual news sources
  • Using a range of sources for searching and reading contemporary newspapers

Intended Audience:  Students, researchers, and anyone else interested in the subject

When: Wed 7 June, 09.30 to 12.30

Where: Social Science Library, Information Skills Training Room

Click here to book a place. 

 

Coming Soon. Bodleian iSkills: Research impact. Citation analysis tools (Tue 6 June, 10.00 to 11.30)

During this introduction to citation tracking and bibliometrics we will use a range of ‘impact factor’ tools to find top journals and conferences, count citations and measure the impact of publications and researchers.

Subjects to be covered include:

  • Understanding the main issues involved in using citation analysis to measure impact
  • Using Journal Citation Reports and CiteScore Journal Metrics to find journal impact factors
  • Using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to track and count citations to papers and individual researchers
  • Calculating your own h-index
  • Measuring impact using altmetrics
  • Creating a researcher profile and using ORCID IDs to identify your work

Intended Audience:  Researchers, Academics, Research Support Staff and Research Postgraduates in Sciences and Social Sciences.

When: Tue 6 June, 10.00 to 11.30

Where: Social Science Library, Information Skills Training Room

Click here to book a place. 

Coming Soon. Bodleian iSkills: Getting started in Oxford Libraries (Mon 5 June, 14.00 to 17.00)

An introduction to Oxford Libraries including guidance on which libraries to use; finding and using books, journals and other materials in print and online; and making the most of Library services. This workshop will help you settle into searching for literature at Oxford with confidence.

Objectives – By the end of the session you will be able to

  •  Find out which libraries are most relevant to your topic and study requirements
  • Use SOLO to find printed and online books, journals and other materials
  • Use OxLIP+ to access databases
  • Use LibGuides to find key resources for your subject
  • Access help and advice from the libraries on searching, current awareness, reference management, open access, research data management and more.

Intended Audience: All Oxford Library users

When: Mon 5 June, 14.00 to 17.00

Where: Social Science Library, Information Skills Training Room

Click here to book a place.