Monthly Archives: January 2019

Upcoming training from the Research Support team

We’ll be delivering some training over the next few months on a range of topics, including: using ORO, how to claim your research publications, managing and sharing research data, and academic profiles

Something there for everyone, we hope!

All will be recorded, so if you can’t make it along in person or online at the time, you can catch up later at your leisure (using the ‘View previous recordings’ link at the top of  our Adobe Connect page.

  • Writing successful data management plans. Tuesday 22nd Jan, 14:00-14:30 (Online) Sign up at My Learning Centre
  • Working with research data. Wednesday 30th Jan, 11:30-12:00 (Online) Sign up at My Learning Centre
  • Data sharing: how, what and why? Monday 11th Feb, 14:00-14:30 (Online) Sign up at My Learning Centre
  • Data sharing: legal and ethical issues. Tuesday 19th Feb, 11:30-12:00 (Online) Sign up at My Learning Centre
  • Open Research Online (ORO) – An introductory session. Monday 11th Feb, 15:00-16:00 (face-2-face and online) Sign up at My Learning Centre
  • Open Research Online (ORO) – An advanced session. Wednesday 27th Feb, 11:00-12:00 (face-2-face and online) Sign up at My Learning Centre
  • Academic social networking/author profile systems. Wednesday 13th March, 10.30-11.30 (face-2-face and online) Sign up at Graduate School Network
  • Claiming your research publications: ORCIDs at the OU. Wednesday 20th March, 10:30-12:00 (face-2-face and online) Sign up at My Learning Centre

If you have any question, please get in touch at  library-research-support@open.ac.uk

Improving the student experience – postgraduate researcher (PGR) survey about Library training

In May 2018 we surveyed postgraduate researchers (PGRs) at The Open University to find out what they wanted from Library training. The aim was to help ensure that training delivered to PGRs by the Library Research Support team met user needs.

We asked about the topics PGRs wanted training on, their preferred mode of delivery for training, the timing of sessions and communication regarding sessions. The survey got a good response rate.

You can read a report of our findings, which was produced in May 2018, here: pgr-survey-about-library-training-report-may-2018

Since this report was written, we redeveloped our programme of training for PGRs in response to survey findings as far as possible. For example:

  • We have made video recordings of all our online and blended training sessions available via the View Previous Recordings page of the Research Support online training room (OU login required)
  • We designed and delivered  a series of three online training sessions on advanced literature searching during October-November 2018
    • These were popular and will be re-run in February 2019, details TBC
  • We designed and delivered an online training session on systematic reviews
  • We produced a new “Copyright and your thesis” guide
  • We continued to deliver synchronous online and face-to-face training between Monday-Friday, 9-5
  • We took a new approach to communicating our training offer via email, which enabled us to reach Affiliated Research Centre (ARC) students and continued to promote training via the Graduate School Network (GSN)
  • We have implemented a standardised feedback mechanism for all our training sessions
  • We are implementing an annual review process of our training programme for PGRs