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Cambridge University Libraries course timetable

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Fri 14 Feb – Wed 7 May

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February 2025

Mon 17
Medicine: Creating a Conference Poster (for University and NHS) [Places] 12:00 - 13:00 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.

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.

Biological Sciences: Publishing your research [Places] 13:00 - 14:30 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This session will cover all the essential information needed to create an effective publication strategy. This includes choosing your professional name, considering what you actually want to publish, and how to choose where to publish, including a look at how to responsibly use journal metrics. We will also discuss the publication process and demystify things such as peer review and copyright transfer agreements, before exploring open access and Creative Commons.

Participants should leave the session feeling confident that they know how create a good publication strategy for their research, with increased understanding of the topics covered.

Tue 18
Depositing your Electronic Thesis in Apollo - a How To Guide [Places] 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.

Medicine: Writing for Publication (for University and NHS) [Places] 12:00 - 13:00 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.

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.

Wed 19
Academic Writing Workshop new [Places] 10:30 - 12:30 Cambridge University Library, Milstein Room

Academic writing is hard, let us help you find ways to make it easier!

Open to academic writers in all disciplines and at any stage of their writing journeys, our academic writing workshops are filled with motivational tips and tricks and offer a safe and supportive environment in which to share experiences with others. In these workshops, we unpack myths about writing and share ways of approaching and thinking about writing that can make it seem less daunting. The emphasis is firmly on crowdsourcing and learning from one another – we can guarantee you'll pick up some new ideas to try out to keep you motivated. 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 hands-on writing workshops:

  • 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.
Thu 20
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.

Mon 24
Medicine: EndNote Q & A [Places] 11:30 - 12:30 Cambridge University Libraries Online

An introductory session showcasing how to manage your references using EndNote desktop and EndNote online.

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.

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.

Medicine: Zotero Q & A [Places] 14:00 - 15:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

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

Please note that this session is taking place remotely, not in the Medical Library. 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.

Thu 27
Strategic Reading and Note-Making for Researchers (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
Biological Sciences: Introduction to Literature Searching for your dissertation or project (Part II) [Places] 13:00 - 14:00 Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Bryan Matthews Room

Need to find scientific literature and resources for your Part II dissertation or project? We've got you covered.

In this session, we will introduce you to breaking down your research question, developing your keywords or vocabulary for what you want to search for, before putting it all together using tried and tested techniques to get the best results quickly. We'll show you where to find relevant and reliable resources, how to navigate pesky paywalls and even how to hack Google...legally of course!

If you can't make our live sessions, everything we talk about (and a little bit more) is covered in our self-guided online course.

Want something a bit more advanced? Check out our Going further with your literature searching for your Biological Sciences dissertation or project workshop which will show more detailed searching, demonstrate how the reference manager Zotero can help you at Part II, as well as leaving lots of time for questions and troubleshooting.

March 2025

Mon 3
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.

Publishing in Journals for Beginners (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) [Places] 14:00 - 15:00 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
Tue 4
Understanding Copyright and Creative Commons for Researchers [Places] 14:00 - 15:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

This session will cover the basics of UK copyright law and how this impacts what you can use in your work and how you can share the results of your own research. It will introduce concepts such as third-party copyright, fair dealing and rights retention. It will provide guidance on how to seek permission to reuse content from the copyright holder in your thesis and your publications. Finally, it will explain what Creative Commons licences are and how they can be used to protect and share your work.

Thu 6
General orientation tour: University Library [West Road] [Places] 15:00 - 15:45 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.

Fri 7
Biological Sciences: Going further with your literature searching for your dissertation or project (Part II) [Places] 13:00 - 14:00 Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Bryan Matthews Room

This live session builds on skills and knowledge developed through our online Introduction to Literature Searching course and live introductory sessions.

Join us as we move beyond basic searching and give you live demonstrations of some of the more detailed searches you can do using our databases, how you can get more information out. We will have activities and opportunities for discussion throughout so this session will be truly tailored to your needs. We'll end with an opportunity to ask questions, learn from what other people have done and whatever else comes up.

Thu 13
Biological Sciences: Understanding copyright and your research [Places] 12:00 - 13:00 Titan Teaching Room 3, New Museums Site

You own your own research right? Well it depends...

This session will explore the sometimes complicated world of copyright and what can happen when publishing work through formal routes such as journals or through more informal routes such as pre-print servers. The session will also introduce concepts such as third party copyright and rights retention, as well as how licensing tools such as Creative Commons can be used to not only help maximise the reach of research but also navigating reusing other people's work.

How to Use Metrics Responsibly new [Places] 13:00 - 14:00 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Assessment of research has long focused on metrics as a numeric measure of research quality. Yet these metrics are flawed and often not used for their intended purpose.

In this session, we will look at guidelines for using metrics responsibly, including the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and university guidance. We will explain how common metrics, like the H index and Journal Impact Factor, are used and discuss limitations of their use. Finally, we will consider real life examples of where you can use metrics responsibly. This will include examples such as tidying up your online profiles, choosing a journal or recruitment.

By the end of this session, you will be aware of the problems of common research metrics and feel confident in using metrics responsibly.

Mon 17
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.

Wed 19
Managing your Research Data for Researchers (Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences) [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 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
Tue 25

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 STEMM and there will be Q&A at the end for any specific questions.

This session will cover:

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

April 2025

Fri 25
Fair Attribution and Publishing for Technicians new [Places] 10:00 - 11:30 West Hub, West Room 2

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.

May 2025

Tue 6
Managing your References with Endnote [Places] 09:30 - 10:30 Cambridge University Libraries Online

Using a reference manager is one of the best ways to look after crucial research literature, whether planning for a literature review or simply keeping track of developments in a particular discipline. This session will introduce Endnote.

Using live demonstrations, discussions, and troubleshooting common referencing issues, the session will give an in-depth look at how Endnote (and tools like it) can help maximise a research project workflow while also ensuring that critical resources and information are not lost at any point in the research process.

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 researchers 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 resources 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
Wed 7
Managing your Research Data for Researchers (Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences) [Places] 11:00 - 12:00 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