Learn at the Libraries

You've been told to use academic sources for your assignment. But what are they, and how do you find them? This introductory session will walk you through the process of searching for scholarly information – including how to choose keywords, select databases, use filters, and access the all-important full text. Presenters will share a variety of practical strategies and tips to save you time, and help you find the best information for your assignments!

This session will give you the skills you need to search for research and information like a pro. Using a variety of search techniques (Boolean, truncation, phrase searching, etc), you will search more effectively and efficiently in the library catalog, scholarly databases, and in even in Google.

How do you know if something is appropriate for use in your assignments? In this workshop you will deepen your understanding of peer reviewed sources, think about the different ways to evaluate the credibility of academic and popular sources - including AI - and learn about additional considerations for evaluating information on Indigenous topics.

Citing sources can help students avoid plagiarism but why else is citing important, and how does someone learn to cite sources correctly? What role do ethics and equity play in citing a source? In this workshop, we will demystify the process of citing in university and share practical information about topics such as understanding when to cite, using different types of citations, navigating complicated style guides, and making the best use of helpful tools and resources. This session aims to help you learn to think critically about the sources you encounter and feel more confident in your writing! Bring your citation questions to ask at the end.

Literature reviews (also called narrative reviews) are found in various formats in academic writing. They can be stand-alone articles, a chapter in a thesis/dissertation, or a capstone project. This session will cover how to create a research question and why it's so important to the literature review. Topic selection, developing the search, keeping track of references, and structuring the literature review will also be discussed.

This informative session guides you through the complete process of preparing your publication. It covers important factors to consider when selecting a journal, how the peer-review and revision process works, understanding open access options, copyright issues, and how to keep track of potential future citations of your work.

This session explores various networking and academic profile websites to help you determine why tools like these matter and to choose which one(s) are appropriate for you. These tools raise the profile of a researcher at any stage of their career and better highlight scholarly impact. ORCID, ScopusID, ResearcherID, and Google Scholar are compared.

Peer review is an essential part of academic writing and publishing. Learn about how to complete a peer review, why peer review is important, and ethical dimensions of peer review. We'll run through some examples of providing peer review, with lots of time for any questions. 

This session will give you the skills you need to search for research and information like a pro. Using a variety of search techniques (Boolean, truncation, phrase searching, etc), you will search more effectively and efficiently in the library catalog, scholarly databases, and in even in Google.

Research Data Management (RDM) practices are increasingly being mandated for researchers in Canada. This session will introduce students to the “what” and why” of RDM, including underlying principles and current requirements from funders and publishers. 

Learn how to use citation management software, such as Zotero, Mendeley, and Endnote, to easily organize and integrate references into your papers. You can use a maximum of one citation management workshop towards an Experience Record application.

Discover the foundational elements needed to carry out a knowledge synthesis review and what types of reviews to consider including systematic or scoping reviews. This session provides an introduction to helpful tools and resources to develop a plan to carry out a publishable review.

For those embarking on a systematic review, this session offers vital insights into necessary preparations. Learn to set up  accounts across relevant programs, establish structured folder systems for seamless organization, and gain expert advice on documenting and conserving searches essential for protocol development.

Dive deeper into the intricacies of systematic reviews by mastering advanced search strategies. Explore the nuances of concept building, the importance of using subject terms and keywords, database shortcuts, and syntax essentials. Uncover invaluable tips on maximizing the potential of OVID databases for advanced searching, supplemented with a guided practice search for practical application.

This session provides practical advice and tips for taking an OVID Medline search strategy and translating it for use in other databases. This session will include a focus on a discussion of which databases to consider for your systematic review, how to document and search strategies, and exporting your results.

Artificial intelligence (AI)  is changing how systematic review work is completed. Come to this presentation to explore which parts of the systematic review process can be streamlined or enhanced with AI tools. Included in the session will be a discussion of the inherent challenges and benefits of using AI as part of the research process.