The Angus L. Macdonald library presents an in-depth workshop series designed with this summer's research assistants in mind. In this program, librarians will take you through the research process to ensure that you are well-prepared to tackle essential research skills such as: making the most of available library resources, structured searching, citation management, grey literature, knowledge synthesis projects and much, much more!
This year's sessions will run from May 6-8 through live online presentations, via Blackboard Collaborate.
The Boot Camp sessions are free of charge and registration is open to all StFX students, staff and faculty, with a particular focus on the information management needs of research assistants. Participants can choose individual sessions to attend based on your research needs and areas of interest, and register via the StFX Library Events Page.
You'll find all the information you need about each session, plus registration information, listed below.
Certificates
**New this year**
This workshop series is for professional and scholarly development.
Certificates of participation are available for attendees.
If you have any questions about this year's Research Bootcamp, please contact the coordinator:
| Title | Description | Presenter(s) |
| Reimagining the literature review: Classic and new search methods |
This session will provide an overview of how to make the most of available library resources when it comes to building a literature review. We will include classic search strategies and new methods including AI tools. Participants will learn how to evaluate sources and will be provided tips on reading sources.
|
Grace Bourret, Diversity, Outreach & Engagement Librarian Kaitlin Fuller, Health Sciences & Scholarly Communications Librarian |
| Writing a Literature Review | Literature reviews are the foundation of most academic research. This workshop offers answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the purpose and characteristics of a literature review, as well as how to organize and synthesis of sources and compose a well-structured and coherent review. | Lindsey Arnold, Learning Skills Instructor, Academic Success Centre |
| Managing References with Zotero |
Citations and referencing giving you headaches? Zotero will help you save and organize your references while you search, and will format citations and reference lists in hundreds of different citation styles. |
Samantha Read, Instructional Services Librarian |
|
This workshop (part 1 and part 2) is for anyone preparing to do a comprehensive review of the literature, where a structured, objective approach to searching is important. This workshop will discuss how text mining and generative AI tools could assist with the development of a search strategy. Although this workshop will not only be for health sciences-related projects, the database used for demonstrations in Part 1 will be a health science-focused database (Ovid MEDLINE). |
Kaitlin Fuller, Health Sciences & Scholarly Communications Librarian | |
|
In part 2, we will discuss strategies for evaluating and refining a search strategy, moving a search strategy to other databases, and supplementary search techniques such as reference tracking. Please note: Attendance at part 1 is required to participate in part 2. |
Kaitlin Fuller, Health Sciences & Scholarly Communications Librarian | |
|
Searching for grey literature is an important aspect of many literature reviews. However, due to the high volume of grey literature produced, an abundance of grey literature types available, and a multitude of sources that can be searched- grey literature searching can be especially challenging. This workshop will focus on strategies to develop a grey literature search plan, and how Advanced Google could be leveraged for targeted website searching. |
Kaitlin Fuller, Health Sciences & Scholarly Communications Librarian | |
| Writing an Effective Annotated Bibliography | Annotated bibliographies play a crucial role in academic research and writing. This workshop covers the essential techniques for creating well-structured and informative annotated bibliographies | Lindsey Arnold, Learning Skills Instructor, Academic Success Centre |