Training

A close-up of a couple of people using a computer sitting on an outdoors bench. Photo by Armin Rimoldi.

The Library Research Support Team runs a range of online training sessions for OU staff and postgraduate research students throughout the year.
To access slides and recordings of our sessions, please visit the Library Research Support Training Teams site and click on the "Files" tab.

The Library Live Engagement team also run a range of online training sessions including an introduction to library services, smarter searching with library databases and an introduction to reference management tools. The recordings of these sessions are on YouTube.

Upcoming Events

  • Nov 05

    Citations, bibliometrics, alternative metrics and responsible metrics Webinar (2026.11.05)

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    Online (Teams)

    <p>Citations. Common bibliometrics, their use and misuse. What are altmetrics and where they can be found and Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA.)</p>

    For further information [email protected]


  • Dec 03

    Copyright: Using third-party content in your thesis. Part 1 of 2 Webinar (2026.12.03)

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    Online (Teams)

    This session will provide an overview of copyright and what you need to know to get your thesis copyright ready.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Dec 10

    Copyright: Using third-party content in your thesis. Part 2 of 2 webinar (2026.12.10)

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    Online (Teams)

    This session will take a practical look at copyright licensing and Creative Commons. We will also show you how to seek permission from copyright holders. As a group we will discuss the pros and cons of licensed copyrighted content, and we will look at how and why open access research drives the need to make your thesis as open as possible, with as few redactions as possible.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Jan 13

    Future-proof your data! Preparing your research data for sharing and preservation Webinar (2027.01.13)

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    Online (Teams)

    Research data are precious and should be archived for the long term to ensure that results can be verified, and data can be re-used in the future.  This webinar looks at good practice for preparing data for deposit in a research data repository or archive.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Jan 14

    How the Library can support your research Webinar (2027.01.14)

    -

    Online (Teams)

    This session will give an overview of the research support services offered by the Library. If you are a new PGR or early on in your research degree, we recommend you attend the ‘Library support for your research degree: an overview’ training session.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Jan 21

    Literature searching: Part 1 of 3 Webinar (2027.01.21)

    Online (Teams)

    Where do you look for academic literature? In this session, we will consider literature searching models to formulate an effective search strategy, including scoping your topic and selecting relevant search engines, databases, and other places to look.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Jan 28

    Literature searching: Part 2 of 3 Webinar (2027.01.28)

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    Online (Teams)

    How do you look for academic literature? This session will look at building an effective advanced search by identifying relevant keywords and synonyms, using Boolean operators, utilising search modifiers, and refining results to get relevant results. We’ll be digging though citations and learning how to iterate on past searches to explore the ways of conducting high quality, rigorous academic searches.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Feb 04

    Literature searching: Part 3 of 3 Webinar (2027.02.14)

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    Online (Teams)

    How do you successfully manage hundreds of citations? This session takes you through how to evaluate search results to identify the highest quality resources on a topic and how to manage your citations. You will learn how to set up search alerts and export search results, and explore the functionality of reference management software and AI tools.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Feb 25

    Using ORDO to archive and share research data Webinar (2027.02.25)

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    Online (Teams)

    Funders, publishers and institutions expect researchers to make their research data publicly available. This webinar looks at ORDO (Open Research Data Online), the OU's repository for research data and how it can be used to archive and share research data.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Mar 04

    AI and research: Opportunities, challenges, and responsible use webinar (2027.03.04)

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    Online (Teams)

    The age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still in its infancy and holds both promise and risk for researchers. In this session, we will consider what appropriate and ethical use of AI might look like, and map possible uses of AI tools against the research process – from determining what to research, to conducting research, to preparing findings for publication.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Apr 08

    Copyright: Using third-party content in your thesis. Part 1 of 2 Webinar (2027.04.08)

    -

    Online (Teams)

    This session will provide an overview of copyright and your thesis responsibilities.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Apr 15

    Copyright: Using third-party content in your thesis. Part 2 of 2 Webinar (2027.04.15)

    -

    Online (Teams)

    Following on from Part 1 of this copyright series, this session will take a practical look at copyright licensing.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Apr 22

    Writing successful data management plans Webinar (2027.04.22)

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    Online (Teams)

    Data management plans are a requirement of funding bids but are also necessary for any project which involves creating, collecting or using data.

    For further information [email protected]


  • May 05

    Data day-to-day: Hints and tips for good research data management Webinar (2027.05.05)

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    Online (Teams)

    Your research data are precious and should be looked after properly. This webinar looks at strategies for managing your research data to ensure it remains usable throughout your research project and beyond.

    For further information [email protected]


  • May 06

    How the Library can support your research Webinar (2027.05.06)

    -

    Online (Teams)

    This session will give an overview of the research support services offered by the Library. If you are a new PGR or early on in your research degree, we recommend you attend the ‘Library support for your research degree: an overview’ training session.

    For further information [email protected]


  • May 13

    Literature searching: Part 1 of 3 Webinar (2027.05.13)

    -

    Online

    Where do you look for academic literature? In this session, we will consider literature searching models to formulate an effective search strategy, including scoping your topic and selecting relevant search engines, databases, and other places to look.

    For further information [email protected]


  • May 20

    Literature searching: Part 2 of 3 Webinar (2027.05.20)

    -

    Online

    How do you look for academic literature? This session will look at building an effective advanced search by identifying relevant keywords and synonyms, using Boolean operators, utilising search modifiers, and refining results to get relevant results. We'll be digging though citations and learning how to iterate on past searches to explore the ways of conducting high quality, rigorous academic searches.

    For further information [email protected]


  • May 27

    Literature searching: Part 3 of 3 Webinar (2025.05.27)

    -

    Online

    How do you successfully manage hundreds of citations? This session takes you through how to evaluate search results to identify the highest quality resources on a topic and how to manage your citations. We will look at search alerts, how to export search results, and the functionality of reference management software.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Jun 03

    Future-proof your data! Preparing your research data for sharing and preservation Webinar (2027.06.03)

    -

    Online (Teams)

    Research data are precious and should be archived for the long term to ensure that results can be verified, and data can be re-used in the future.  This webinar looks at good practice for preparing data for deposit in a research data repository or archive.

    For further information [email protected]


  • Jul 01

    Using ORDO to archive and share research data Webinar (2027.07.01)

    -

    Online (Teams)

    Funders, publishers and institutions expect researchers to make their research data publicly available. This webinar looks at ORDO (Open Research Data Online), the OU's repository for research data and how it can be used to archive and share research data.

    For further information [email protected]


Contact us

Library Research Support team