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Cambridge University Libraries course timetable

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Tue 5 Nov – Tue 14 Jan 2025

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Wednesday 6 November 2024

10:00
General orientation tour: University Library [West Road] CANCELLED 10:00 - 10:45 University Library

The UL is unique: a national, legal deposit library with an amazing collection of around 8 million items - over two million of which you can browse on our open shelves. If that sounds a bit daunting, why not come on a brief orientation tour to help you find your way around? We’ll even tell you what we keep in the famous Library tower ...

Please note this tour does not cover the University's vast electronic and digital collections: to find out more about using these, please see check for courses on our timetable or ask a member of Library staff for help.

11:00
Critical Reading for Research in STEMM [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This is an interactive online session for anyone engaging in research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM).

Reading academic literature is critical to writing a literature review and developing your own research. This session will explore how to develop a critical reading strategy for your papers, articles, and other reading material for your research.

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

  • Efficiently select appropriate readings from your search results
  • Understand the difference between comprehending and critical reading
  • List of a range of methods for critical reading and know where to go for more information
  • Use the SQRR strategic reading method to structure your critical reading.

This session is online and will take one hour including activities.

14:00
Medicine: Introduction to Literature Searching (for University) new [Standby] 14:00 - 16:00 Clinical School, Medical Library, Library Training Room

A course specifically for University of Cambridge staff and students. Attendees will learn how to search medical/healthcare databases accessed with a Raven login (such as Medline and Embase) effectively and efficiently, to learn how to save searches and references, and to create and maintain a bibliography. This course is delivered at an introductory/refresher level, and assumes you have had no prior training in how to search databases.

All attendees are required to have a Raven login. NHS staff wanting to learn similar material should book onto our 'Getting the Best Results - Improving Your Database Searching' course instead.

UPDATE: This session is taking place in the Medical Library's training room, not online.

Thursday 7 November 2024

11:00
Depositing your Electronic Thesis in Apollo - a How To Guide [Full] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

You've passed your viva. If your examiners requested any corrections, those have been submitted and approved.

You now need to deposit a physical copy and an electronic copy of your thesis to the Library. In this session, we will focus on depositing the electronic copy of your thesis, for inclusion in Apollo, the University's Repository.

We will cover:

  • What to include in your electronic copy
  • What not to include in your electronic copy
  • The access levels that are available and guidance on which to choose
  • Third party copyright considerations
  • Sensitive information considerations
  • Funder requirements

We will finish with a live demonstration of depositing a thesis using Symplectic Elements.

14:00
Medicine: Writing a Systematic Review Protocol (for University and NHS) new [Full] 14:00 - 15:30 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Publishing a protocol -- stating in advance the search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data analysis and other evaluative techniques -- is a core requirement for conducting a systematic review. The process of writing this protocol will also mean you have written in advance a large chunk of what will need to go into the finished systematic review, saving you a huge amount of time.

This session will cover the contents and types of information you will need to provide in your protocol, and will give attendees the opportunity to write a draft protocol, as well as highlighting helpful resources and further support.

UPDATE: Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library as previously advertised. Please do not go to the Medical Library training room. You will be contacted by the training team with information about how to join the session remotely.

Please note: this session may be recorded. By signing up for the session, you register your consent for recording to take place. Please email librarytraining@medschl.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

Monday 11 November 2024

10:00
Academic Writing Workshop new [Full] 10:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Library, Milstein Room

For Academic Writing Month, academic writers in all disciplines and at any stage of their writing journey are welcome to join us for two hands-on writing workshops being held at the University Library. This session is part workshop in which we discuss academic writing and try out some new techniques, part practical group writing session.

Here's a taste of what to expect at these special events:

  • Guidance and advice from experienced academic writers, as they address some common myths and misconceptions about academic writing.
  • Tips for staying motivated, tackling large writing projects, and overcoming writer's block.
  • Liberate your writing practice by trying out some creative writing exercises.
  • Put what you have learned into practice with an hour's group writing time in for the 'Write Here, Write Now' section of the workshop.
11:30
Medicine: Research Data Management (for University and NHS) [Places] 11:30 - 13:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

There is an increasing emphasis in research on the management and sharing of data. Many funding bodies that support research undertaken at Cambridge require not only open access to any publications based on that research, but also to the data underlying it. This course will help you understand funders’ requirements for management and sharing of research data, and will provide opportunities to create your own data management plan and test out resources that will make the data management process easier.

UPDATE: Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library as previously advertised. Please do not go to the Medical Library training room. You will be contacted by the training team with information about how to join the session remotely.

Please note: this session may be recorded. By signing up for the session, you register your consent for recording to take place. Please email librarytraining@medschl.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

13:00
Biological Sciences: How to prepare a polished conference poster [Places] 13:00 - 14:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Need to create a conference poster but are not sure where to start? This session will introduce participants to the fundamentals of designing an effective and engaging poster that is perfect for communicating research ideas. The session will look at good design practice, where to source free high quality graphics, as well as deciding what you should (and maybe shouldn't) include in your final poster.

Wednesday 13 November 2024

10:00
Medicine: Zotero Q & A new [Places] 10:00 - 11:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

An introductory session showcasing how to manage your references using Zotero.

UPDATE: Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library as previously advertised. Please do not go to the Medical Library training room. You will be contacted by the training team with information about how to join the session remotely.

Please note: this session may be recorded. By signing up for the session, you register your consent for recording to take place. Please email librarytraining@medschl.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

General orientation tour: University Library [West Road] [Standby] 10:00 - 10:45 University Library

The UL is unique: a national, legal deposit library with an amazing collection of around 8 million items - over two million of which you can browse on our open shelves. If that sounds a bit daunting, why not come on a brief orientation tour to help you find your way around? We’ll even tell you what we keep in the famous Library tower ...

Please note this tour does not cover the University's vast electronic and digital collections: to find out more about using these, please see check for courses on our timetable or ask a member of Library staff for help.

11:00
Publishing in Journals for Beginners (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - AHSS) [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Publishing in journal articles is a key element of a successful researcher career, and something you should expect to do over the course of your PhD, but knowing where to start can be a daunting prospect. When do you know when you're ready to publish in a journal? How can you even be sure whether this is the right outlet for your work? What does the publication process entail and what do you need to know about peer review? This session is designed to take you through the entire process from initial idea right up to sharing your finished publication. 

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

  • Have an overview of the publication process from start to finish
  • Think about what type of academic publication is right for your research and how to pick the right journal
  • Be aware of the dangers posed by predatory publishers
  • Understand the peer review process and how to respond to reviewers' comments

Thursday 14 November 2024

11:00

Publishing in journal articles is a key element of a successful researcher career, and something you should expect to do over the course of your PhD, but knowing where to start can be a daunting prospect. When do you know when you're ready to publish in a journal? What is the typical structure, form and content of a standard scientific research article? How can you even be sure whether this is the right outlet for your work? What does the publication process entail and what do you need to know about peer review? This session is designed to take you through the entire process from initial idea right up to sharing your finished publication.

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

  • Have an overview of the publication process from start to finish
  • Think about what type of academic publication is right for your research and how to pick the right journal
  • Understand the typical structure, form and content of a standard scientific journal article
  • Be aware of the dangers posed by predatory publishers
  • Understand the peer review process and how to respond to reviewers' comments

Monday 18 November 2024

11:00
Literature Searching for Researchers in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Getting to grips with a new area of research or finding secondary literature to answer a research question can be a daunting task. This session is here to guide you, to enhance your literature search by introducing key resources and strategies that you can use for finding materials, illustrating a range of techniques for searching, and discussing how to stay up to date with research in your field. In the session, as well as looking at the Cambridge University Libraries' online catalogue iDiscover, we also introduce some of the databases that can be most useful to researches in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences carrying out literature searches.

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

  • Plan a strategy for finding literature on your research topic
  • Discover a range of resources available for your literature search
  • Make the most of the databases available using a range of techniques and tools
  • Stay up to date with research in your field
  • Build a list of relevant literature related to your research topic
13:00
Biological Sciences: How to use metrics responsibly new [Places] 13:00 - 14:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Metrics have become omnipresent in research assessment, but are often flawed and used irresponsibly. This session explores the guidelines in place to help researchers use metrics more responsibly, including recommendations from DORA and University guidance. We'll then look at common metrics such as journal impact factor and h-index, where they are found and how they are used in academia. Finally we will discuss some particular circumstances where researchers should aim to use metrics responsibly, such as tidying up your online profiles, choosing a journal and recruitment.

Participants should leave the session more aware of the issues with particular research metrics and of the guidance available within the University, and confident in their ability to use metrics responsibly in their academic career.

14:00
Medicine: Systematic Literature Reviews - A 'How To' Guide (for University and NHS) [Places] 14:00 - 16:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Before undertaking any piece of primary research it’s important to be aware of as much of the existing literature as possible. A systematic literature review can also be a research end in itself. And it’s not something to be taken lightly. But how can you be sure you’re being as rigorous as necessary? How can you manage the references you find, document the process, and also know when to stop searching?

This session assumes attendees have already had prior introductory training in literature searching. It is a prerequisite that you have attended either Introduction to Literature Searching (if you are a University of Cambridge staff member or student) or Getting the Best Results - Improving Your Database Searching (if you are an NHS staff member). Exceptions will be made if you received similar training from another department or university - please contact us if you have any questions about prerequisites.

UPDATE: Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library as previously advertised. Please do not go to the Medical Library training room. You will be contacted by the training team with information about how to join the session remotely.

Please note: this session may be recorded. By signing up for the session, you register your consent for recording to take place. Please email librarytraining@medschl.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

Tuesday 19 November 2024

10:00
Medicine: Creating a Conference Poster (for University and NHS) new [Places] 10:00 - 11:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

A course to take you through conference poster design, with tips and resources to help with the content and presentation in order to ensure you communicate your research effectively. The course will cover where to source good quality, free graphics, how to include references in your poster, and advice about how best to present it at a conference. The session will NOT involve hands-on creation of a poster.

UPDATE: Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library as previously advertised. Please do not go to the Medical Library training room. You will be contacted by the training team with information about how to join the session remotely.

Please note: this session may be recorded. By signing up for the session, you register your consent for recording to take place. Please email librarytraining@medschl.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

Wednesday 20 November 2024

11:00
Note Making for Research in STEMM new [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This is an interactive online session for anyone engaging in research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM).

Making notes on the academic literature you read helps you remember what you have read, clarify your own thoughts, and get started with writing. It also makes your life much easier when you come to adding references to your thesis or publication! This session will explore methods, tools, and strategies for making effective and efficient notes for your research.

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

  • Understand various note making methods
  • Select an appropriate note making method for your reading needs and personal preferences
  • Create notes which demonstrate critical reading and support academic writing

This session is online and will take one hour including activities.

14:00
Managing your Research Data for Researchers (Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences) [Places] 14:00 - 15:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This online session is aimed to introduce researchers to research data management.

We will go through the 4 key areas of research management: 1. Organising 2. Storage and Backup 3. Sharing 4. Archiving.

We will also cover topics such as working with sensitive data and have an introduction to Data Management plans. The session is tailored to those working in AHSS and there will be Q&A at the end for any specific questions.

This session will cover aspects of Research Data Management:

  • where to store data safely and securely
  • how to organise data
  • how to share data openly when appropriate
  • what support is available at Cambridge

Friday 22 November 2024

17:30
General orientation tour: University Library [West Road] [Places] 17:30 - 18:15 University Library

The UL is unique: a national, legal deposit library with an amazing collection of around 8 million items - over two million of which you can browse on our open shelves. If that sounds a bit daunting, why not come on a brief orientation tour to help you find your way around? We’ll even tell you what we keep in the famous Library tower ...

Please note this tour does not cover the University's vast electronic and digital collections: to find out more about using these, please see check for courses on our timetable or ask a member of Library staff for help.

Monday 25 November 2024

11:00
Medicine: Writing for Publication (for University and NHS) [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

A course designed to take you step-by-step through academic writing and publication, with tips and resources to make writing up as simple as possible. The course will demystify the peer-review process, and help you to improve the precision and clarity of your academic writing.

UPDATE: Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library as previously advertised. Please do not go to the Medical Library training room. You will be contacted by the training team with information about how to join the session remotely.

Please note: this session may be recorded. By signing up for the session, you register your consent for recording to take place. Please email librarytraining@medschl.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

13:00
Biological Sciences: Communicating yourself and your research online [Places] 13:00 - 14:30 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This session discusses the benefits and challenges of communicating yourself and your research in the online environment. First we look why you need an online presence, followed by setting up your academic persona. Then we explore important academic profiles to have as a researcher (such as ORCID, Google Scholar and Web of Science) and touch on author-level metrics and how to use them responsibly. Then we move onto social media, looking at the practicalities and pros and cons of online engagement through tools such as Twitter/X, Mastodon, Instagram and YouTube, before finally looking at academic networking sites like LinkedIn, ResearchGate and academia.edu.

Participants should expect to have the opportunity to critically evaluate the various options presented in this session with the overall aim of being better informed when deciding where to invest their time and efforts when building an online profile and communicating their research.

Wednesday 27 November 2024

11:00
Strategic Reading and Note-Making for Researchers in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Reading and note-making may seem like basic academic skills, but these are skills on which researchers often feel they could improve. This session begins by addressing common concerns about reading and note-making then discusses some possible steps you might want to take or techniques to try out in different situations. We also cover techniques to help develop speedier reading, note organising, and the use of relevant AI tools. Good note-making is a useful habit to develop as it not only helps to keep your research organised, but good notes also help you become a better writer.

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

  • Apply strategic reading approaches to your own work
  • Explain the difference between note-taking and note-making​
  • Identify strategic reading and note-making approaches that fit your needs​
  • Understand the link between reading, note making and academic writing

Thursday 28 November 2024

14:00
Academic Writing Workshop new [Full] 14:00 - 16:00 Cambridge University Library, Milstein Room

For Academic Writing Month, academic writers in all disciplines and at any stage of their writing journey are welcome to join us for two hands-on writing workshops being held at the University Library. This session is part workshop in which we discuss academic writing and try out some new techniques, part practical group writing session.

Here's a taste of what to expect at these special events:

  • Guidance and advice from experienced academic writers, as they address some common myths and misconceptions about academic writing.
  • Tips for staying motivated, tackling large writing projects, and overcoming writer's block.
  • Liberate your writing practice by trying out some creative writing exercises.
  • Put what you have learned into practice with an hour's group writing time in for the 'Write Here, Write Now' section of the workshop.

Monday 2 December 2024

13:00
Biological Sciences: How to give great presentations [Places] 13:00 - 14:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This session will introduce participants to different methods of communicating research before moving on to a discussion around best practice and techniques when preparing a presentation. Participants will be introduced to concepts around good design, accessibility, data presentation, and accessing Creative Commons licensed materials for their work.

The session will conclude with an exploration of good delivery techniques with additional advice on what to do if it all goes wrong.

Tuesday 14 January 2025

11:00
Fair Attribution and Publishing for Technicians [Places] 11:00 - 12:30 Department of Pathology, Dixon Room

Fair attribution for technicians through either co-authorship or direct acknowledgement in research publications is a key component of the ‘visibility’ and ‘recognition’ areas of the Technician Commitment, of which the University of Cambridge was a founding signatory in 2017.

However, there is currently no policy or standard practice for acknowledging the role of technicians, equipment and facilities in the University or the wider sector. Technicians experience a great disparity in their recognition and visibility in scholarly outputs.

This interactive workshop will introduce you to the scholarly communications process as well as tools such as CRediT and ORCID, and facilitate conversation amongst peers.