Research Tools for Graduate Students Workshop Series: Upcoming Workshops
Meet the University Libraries
Wednesday, August 28, 2:30-3:15 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Lisa Becksford
Who can help me at the library? How many books can I check out? What support do you offer for data management? What kinds of technology is available? How can I get something the library doesn’t own? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this virtual information session. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to
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Locate research help at the University Libraries
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Navigate the library’s website
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Identify library resources that can help you succeed in graduate school
Please note that in this session, we won’t be covering how to use databases or search for information; if you’re interested in learning more about those topics, please sign up for one of the literature review sessions in this workshop series.
Introduction to Research Data Management
Wednesday, September 4, 2:30-3:30 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Jon Petters
You're about to collect or already have data for your research project...now what? How do you manage it? What do you name the files? How do you share it? Learn the answers to all of these questions and more in this workshop, which will present an introduction to research data management, including the following topics:
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Data management planning
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File naming conventions/organization
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Backing-up research data
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Documentation (metadata)
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Data sharing
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Data security
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How the library can help
Tips & Tricks for Literature Reviews in Engineering
Wednesday, September 11, 2:30-3:45 pm
Instructor: Sarah Over
You need to write a literature review for your research or project... but how do you get started? What type of review do you need? What about AI tools to save time? We will go through the answers to these questions and more in the workshop!
By the end of the workshop, you will learn how to:
- Get started on your own literature review
- Be effective and efficient in searching engineering literature
- Use tools to help you throughout the process
Whether you are new to literature reviews or even outside of engineering, all are welcome to attend this workshop!
Literature Reviews and Database Searching for Animal & Life Sciences
Tuesday, September 17, 3:30-4:45 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Kiri DeBose
You’ve been assigned to write a literature review...but how do you get started? What kinds of literature reviews are there? Where should you search? How do you know what search terms to use? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this interactive workshop. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to
- Identify the type of literature review to be conducted
- Find relevant databases to search in the life sciences
- Create effective search strategies
This workshop will focus on research in the life sciences. Other discipline-specific workshops will be offered; see other options above.
Getting the Most Out of Your Citation Manager
Monday, September 30, 2:30-3:30 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Lisa Becksford
Citation managers like EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero are powerful tools that can help you save, organize, and cite your references. Their use can also help improve your workflow and make the research process easier and less stressful. This session will focus on ways to get the most out of your citation manager. By the end of the session, you’ll be able to
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Integrate citation managers into your existing workflow
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Identify personal best practices for using citation managers
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Use advanced features of the citation manager of your choice to streamline your research workflow
This session will assume that you are already using and are familiar with a citation manager like EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley. If you’re not, you should familiarize yourself with a citation manager by signing up for one of the introductory sessions in this series or via one of the tutorials on this guide: https://guides.lib.vt.edu/citationmanagers
Register for the session here.
What You Need to Know: Academic Publishing & Online Profiles
Wednesday, October 9, 2:30-3:45 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Rachel Miles
As an early-career academic, graduate students have many expectations and pressures, such as publishing and developing a professional presence in academia. In this workshop, participants will discover online platforms, tools, and databases to refine their selections for publishing venues as well as how to best evaluate journals, books, and publishers for publication. In addition, participants will be able to distinguish between different academic profile systems and demonstrate the value and advantages of each, so that they can develop a more robust professional and academic presence. Participants will also be able to connect their profiles together for ease of data entry. Open Access (OA) will be highlighted throughout the workshop, such as how to choose an ideal OA journal or publisher and how to legally deposit a manuscript OA and link it to their profile for maximum online visibility.
Register for the session here.
Finding Resources for Literature Reviews in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tuesday, September 3, 3:30-4:45 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Lisa Becksford
You’ve been assigned to write a literature review in the social sciences...but how do you get started? What kinds of literature reviews are there? Where should you search? How do you know what search terms to use? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this session. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to
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Identify different types of literature reviews
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Find relevant databases
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Create effective search terms
This workshop will focus on research in the social and behavioral sciences, such as education, communication, human development, psychology, and sociology. Sessions on other disciplines are also offered in this series; see the other options listed on this page.
Register for the session here.
Getting Started with Zotero
Monday, September 9, 2:30-3:45 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Lisa Becksford
Zotero is a free, easy-to-use citation manager that can help researchers save time and frustration. In this workshop, you will learn the basics of Zotero, including adding references to your library, organizing your library, and using Zotero to cite references within a document (both Word and Google Docs). To get the most out of the session, you should have Zotero downloaded to your computer already. Information on how to download the software is available at guides.lib.vt.edu/citationmanagers/Zotero.
Register for the session here.
Getting Started with Mendeley
Monday, September 16, 2:30-3:45 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Lisa Becksford
Mendeley is a free, easy-to-use citation manager that can help researchers save time and frustration. In this interactive workshop, you will learn the basics of Mendeley, including adding references to your library, organizing your library, and using Mendeley to cite references within a document. To get the most out of the session, you should have Mendeley downloaded to your computer already.. Information on how to download the software is available at guides.lib.vt.edu/citationmanagers/Mendeley.
Getting Started with EndNote
Monday, September 23, 2:30-3:45 pm, Zoom
Instructor: Lisa Becksford
EndNote is one of the most powerful citation managers available today. In this workshop, you will learn the basics of EndNote, including adding references to your library, organizing your library, and using EndNote to cite references within a document. To get the most out of the session, you should have the most recent version of EndNote (20) already downloaded from VT Software Distribution. More information and a link to download it is available at guides.lib.vt.edu/citationmanagers/EndNote.
Introduction to LaTeX with Overleaf
Wednesday, September 25, 3:30-5 pm
Instructor: Sarah Over
Come learn how to get started with this popular coding tool for writing technical papers! LaTeX (pronounced Lay-tech or Lah-tech) is a free typesetting system designed for technical publications that can be used for many writing projects.
Be ready to code along with the instructor during this interactive workshop while you learn:
- How to create your first article
- How to add content including text, figures and citations
- Where to learn more about using LaTeX
- How to get the most out of Overleaf
Participants are encouraged to sign up for an Overleaf account prior to the workshop using their VT email address. All are welcome to attend no matter your field or LaTeX experience level!
Advanced LaTeX for ETDs and More
Monday, October 7, 2:30-4:00 pm
Instructor: Sarah Over
Looking for a different platform besides Word or Google for your thesis or dissertation? Or do you want to go beyond the basics in LaTeX? Come learn more about working with LaTeX in Overleaf for larger projects!
Be ready to code along with the instructor during this interactive workshop while you learn:
- Setup and structure of large projects with multiple .tex files
- How to create advanced float objects like subfigures
- Efficient use of citation managers with LaTeX
- Options for collaboration
Experience with LaTeX or other coding experience is highly recommended for this workshop. Learners should have a citation manager (EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero, etc.) installed prior to the workshop with some references added. Although we will be using Overleaf, you are welcome to use your preferred LaTeX distribution.
